Haiku D'Etat

Haiku D'Etat emerged less as a conventional rap outfit and more as an impromptu uprising within hip-hop, or even a fleeting natural phenomenon, although labeling it a supergroup offers a reasonable point of departure for this exceptional yet fleeting venture. The explosive one-time collaboration united three supremely skilled West Coast MCs—Mikah 9, legendary Aceyalone from Freestyle Fellowship, and Abstract Rude from Abstract Tribe Unique—who fused their microphone prowess with rich layers of live instrumentation. In 1999 they issued a lone self-titled album that remained largely unavailable until its 2000 reissue on Pure Hip Hop, Inc.; the project earned glowing notices, among them placement on Robert Christgau’s “Dean's List” in the Village Voice’s “Pazz & Jop” poll, while registering virtually no sales. Its intricate wordplay and unforced bohemian grace make it every bit as much a melodious poetry collection as a rap record. Once the sessions ended, the three artists resumed their separate solo and group endeavors, consigning Haiku D'Etat to the ranks of recordings that remain unjustly overlooked yet rightly esteemed.