Hieroglyphics have never been an ordinary rap crew. From the beginning, the Oakland collective represented a different idea of what West Coast Hip Hop could be: abstract without becoming inaccessible, technically demanding without turning into a rap exercise, independent without sounding small. Del the Funky Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, Domino, DJ Toure, and the four members of Souls of Mischief, A-Plus, Opio, Phesto Dee, and Tajai, built a world of their own around Hieroglyphics Imperium. Three decades after the collective first took shape, All Said And Done arrives as their fourth official studio album and their most convincing full-crew statement since 3rd Eye Vision.

That comparison carries some weight. 3rd Eye Vision was released independently in 1998 and became one of the defining albums of the late-90s underground, following the impact of Souls of Mischief’s 93 ’til Infinity and Del’s increasingly adventurous solo work. Full Circle followed in 2003, while The Kitchen arrived in 2013 and divided listeners more than its predecessors. Thirteen years later, All Said And Done finds the collective sounding remarkably comfortable in its own skin. The album runs 56 minutes over 16 tracks, and brings all eight core MCs together across the project. Domino, A-Plus, and DJ Toure handle the production, keeping the music firmly connected to the crew’s independent Oakland identity.

There is something fitting about the album arriving at this stage of their career. Hieroglyphics have never needed to chase the current moment. Their music has always operated according to its own clock. On All Said And Done, that means dusty samples, jazz touches, soulful loops, crisp drums, atmospheric textures, and plenty of room for the MCs to trade verses. The production is recognizably Hiero, although there is enough variation to keep a 16-track album moving.

” Mosaico: Suite 1″ is an appropriate opening. Casual, Opio, Tajai, and Del trade verses over a Domino production, immediately reminding us that Hieroglyphics works best as a collective rather than a collection of solo artists placed on the same record. The MCs have distinctive voices and approaches, but they understand how to occupy the same musical space. Del remains unmistakable, Casual brings his loose, off-center style, Tajai is as sharp as ever, and Opio adds another layer of densely packed writing.

“Eyes Wide Shut” follows with A-Plus, Del, and Pep Love addressing the fake praise, hostility, and general nonsense that surrounds a crew with such a long history. A-Plus supplies the beat, and the track has the relaxed confidence of artists who have long since stopped worrying about outside approval. “Hieroglyphics Faction” is more direct, with Del, A-Plus, and Opio repping the collective over DJ Toure’s sturdy boom-bap. There is no need to explain what Hieroglyphics means to Hip Hop. They sound like they know exactly where they stand.

“Hard Numbers” expands the lineup to Casual, Opio, Phesto, Pep Love, and Del, and it is one of the album’s strongest posse cuts. The verses come in different shapes and rhythms, but the chemistry never feels forced. This is one of those records where the pleasure comes from hearing veteran MCs still pushing each other. Nobody sounds like they are going through the motions.

Then the album changes direction. “Something in the Air” pairs Pep Love with A-Plus over a warmer, more summery groove. The subject is ultimately mortality and legacy, asking what will remain when the music is finished. That theme quietly runs through much of All Said And Done. These are artists with decades behind them, and the album knows it. There is reflection here, but very little sentimentality.

“Drum Talk” strips things back further. Casual, Tajai, Phesto, and Del let the rhythm become the central attraction before attacking it with their verses. At barely over two minutes, it is one of the album’s shortest pieces, but it does not feel like filler. “The Way That It Be” has a similarly easygoing quality, while “Gods and Goats” closes the first half with A-Plus, Opio, and Pep Love taking on a slightly grander, almost mythological perspective.

The title track opens the second half and is one of the more reflective moments on the record. A-Plus, Pep Love, and Phesto consider what it means to leave something behind rather than ending up with nothing. There is a veteran’s perspective to the writing, but the production prevents the track from becoming overly solemn.

Then comes “Uplifted,” one of the album’s most positive cuts. Casual, Opio, A-Plus, Del, and Tajai deliver an optimistic message without turning it into inspirational-poster rap. That distinction matters. Hieroglyphics have always been capable of conscious Hip Hop without sounding preachy, and this is a good example.

“Helicopter Barrel Roll” brings the energy back up. A-Plus, Opio, and Pep Love attack the beat with the kind of exaggerated imagery and battle-rap bravado that reminds us these guys can still have fun with technical MCing. The song feels playful rather than nostalgic.

“Third Eye Robot (Kill ‘Em All)” is where the album’s futuristic side comes to the front. Hieroglyphics have always had an interest in science fiction, technology, and strange conceptual territory, so AI is an obvious subject for them in 2026. A-Plus, Tajai, Phesto, and Pep Love tackle the subject without abandoning their familiar abstract approach. It feels like a natural continuation of ideas that have been present in Hiero’s music for decades rather than a desperate attempt to sound contemporary.

“Hiero on the Scrolls” is another highlight. Casual, Del, and Tajai bring the focus back to their roots and the realities surrounding them. Then “Mosaico: Suite 2” mirrors the opening suite, this time featuring Pep Love, A-Plus, and Phesto. The two-part construction gives the album a sense of shape without turning it into a rigid concept record.

By the time “Every Day S***” arrives, the mood becomes almost nostalgic. Casual, Tajai, Opio, and Pep Love look back toward the friendships and experiences that go back to their youth. That is perhaps what makes All Said And Done feel different from a typical veteran reunion album. Hieroglyphics are not pretending they are still twenty years old. They are looking back while continuing to rap as themselves.

The closing “Crescent Moon, Velvet Sky” brings Casual together with A-Plus, Opio, Tajai, and Phesto for a smooth final statement. It is a fitting way to leave the album, relaxed and soulful rather than trying to manufacture some huge finale.

The biggest compliment that can be paid to All Said And Done is that it does not need 3rd Eye Vision nostalgia to work. Of course, that album remains in a category of its own. Nearly three decades of listening have given it a status that no new Hieroglyphics record can immediately replicate. But All Said And Done is easily their strongest album since then, and arguably the first one in their catalog that comes close to that level of collective chemistry. There is a real sense of purpose in these songs. Legacy, friendship, independence, technology, Hip Hop, mortality, optimism. Hieroglyphics touch on all of it without losing their fundamental identity.

That identity is the key. In an era when legacy acts often sound like diluted versions of their younger selves, Hieroglyphics sound like Hieroglyphics. The voices have aged, the subject matter has evolved, but the fascination with unusual rhymes, jazz-inflected boom-bap, futuristic ideas, and collective chemistry remains intact.

All Said And Done is therefore not another nostalgia trip. It is a genuinely impressive late-career album from one of Hip Hop’s greatest collectives. 3rd Eye Vision remains the benchmark, and probably always will. But after all these years, Hieroglyphics have given us a record that deserves to sit comfortably in the conversation. That’s quite an achievement.

8.5/10

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