Casual was third out of the gate (following Del the Funky Homosapien and Souls of Mischief) from the Hieroglyphics crew, the undisputed kings of the Oakland underground scene. Anything but casual in the sound booth, this gifted freestyler, known for his fierce battle tactics, dropped the moody Fear Itself in 1994 to a chorus of cheers from the underground set. Casual scored hits with “Didn’t Mean To” and “That’s How It Is,” but overall, the Hieroglyphics sound takes an edgy, soulful turn on Fear. The album goes from playful to hyper-psychedelic with tracks like the brawling “Chained Minds.” He released Meantime and VIP in 1997 and 1999. He was a major part of the critically-acclaimed classic Hieroglyphics compilation Third Eye Vision. He then went on to release He Think He Raw in 2001 and Smash Rockwell in 2005.