Cunninlynguists

CunninLynguists built a dedicated underground rap following through clever wordplay and sharp-edged beats. Prior to the Southern crew’s formation, Deacon the Villain from Kentucky and Kno from Georgia had already earned individual notice for their microphone presence and production abilities. Their first album, Will Rap for Food, surfaced on the independent Urban Aces label in 2001 and soon disappeared from circulation. Strong critical praise and online forum buzz transformed it into a collector’s item, leading to a reissue by the Caroline-affiliated FreshChest imprint.

FreshChest also issued the group’s second album, Southernunderground, in 2003. The arrival of Mr. SOS allowed Kno to concentrate solely on production duties while the project included guest spots from Masta Ace and RJD2 plus tracks addressing the September 11, 2001 attacks. Two informal mixtapes packed with guest appearances, Sloppy Seconds, Vol. 1 and Sloppy Seconds, Vol. 2, arrived before the trio’s third album and preceded Mr. SOS’s exit. Early 2006 brought A Piece of Strange on The LA Underground/QN5 Music, introducing new member Natti alongside contributions from Cee Lo Green and Immortal Technique. Extensive touring followed, including high-profile support slots for Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and the Strokes.

The fourth album, Dirty Acres, appeared on Bad Taste in 2007 with guest verses from Devin the Dude, Phonte, and Witchdoctor. Two additional mixtapes dropped in 2009. Kno issued his solo debut, Death Is Silent, in 2010. CunninLynguists returned in 2011 with their fifth studio album, Oneirology, featuring Big K.R.I.T. and Freddie Gibbs; it became their first release to reach the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. A brief hiatus ensued, during which Natti released the solo album Still Motion in 2013 and Kno formed the trip-hop outfit Built to Fade, whose album To Dust also arrived that year. Strange Journey, Vol. 3 surfaced in 2014 after fans supplied ideas for musical concepts and artwork. Later the same year the group teamed with the Grouch and Eligh for the tour-only The WinterFire EP. The Rose EP and The Azure EP, spaced four months apart in 2017, preceded the full-length Rose Azura Njano that October.