Styles Of Beyond

Styles of Beyond, the inventive Los Angeles-based hip-hop duo formed by MCs Ryu and Takbir, emerged in 1995 when the two aspiring rappers crossed paths during a class break at Pierce Community College in Woodland Hills, CA. Their spontaneous freestyle exchange revealed an immediate mutual respect for each other’s improvisational lyricism, prompting them to launch the project under a name Takbir had already shared with DJ Cheapshot. In 1997 the pair issued their debut single, the video game-themed “Killer Instinct,” on the independent Bilawn Records imprint; the track spotlighted hip-hop cult legend the Divine Styler, a longtime family friend of Takbir whose older brother Bilal Bashir had previously produced for Ice T, Everlast, and Divine Styler himself and also contributed to Styles of Beyond’s work, notably the title track of 2000 Fold. The single generated modest underground momentum, earning rotation on hip-hop mix shows and praise from critics, and the Wake Up Show, a widely respected hip-hop radio program, named the group Best New Artist of 1997. To meet demand within the underground scene, SOB delivered the full-length 2000 Fold during summer 1998. Early the following year the duo signed with the Dust Brothers’ Hi-Ho Records, which promptly reissued the album.