The next movement in Bay Area hip-hop will likely revolve around lyricism. Past eras have tended to focus on the beats. The golden days of Yay Area mobb music saw variations on an uber-regional, neighborhood-oriented sound primarily associated with a particular turf, i.e., HP, Fillmoe, E.P.A., Vallejo, San Jose, Richmond, East Oakland. Most recently, the bay garnered considerable national attention for a certain dread-shakin', purp-smokin' subgenre that was predominantly producer-driven.

But since music goes in cycles — it's been said that hyphy was really just mobb music on steroids — we could see a return to the unique diversity the area once had, when artists were more distinctive and less imitative. And with a seeming lull in local hip-hop — at least until hot new albums by E-40, Lyrics Born, Del, and Keak Da Sneak drop — now is the perfect time to get back to basics.

Enter Esinchill. The extended member of the Digital Underground posse has been kicking around locally for a while; his name first started