Synopsis
Souls of Mischief take "Medication" into a stark winter setting, with the Oakland quartet performing amid snow-covered mountain scenery. The video combines individual rap shots with rugged outdoor imagery, giving the track a cold, expansive visual backdrop that contrasts with its dense, energetic verses. Rather than building a conventional narrative, the clip works as a mood piece: the group delivers its technically intricate rhymes while the snowy landscape and action-oriented footage reinforce the song's themes of escape, elevation, and altered perspective.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was created to promote "Medication," the lead single from Souls of Mischief's 2000 album *Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution*. The single was released on Hieroglyphics Imperium and paired with "Acupuncture."
- The official Hieroglyphics website promoted the clip as a downloadable QuickTime video during the album's rollout, reflecting the early-2000s transition from television-based music video promotion to online distribution.
- "Medication" was produced by Opio, who was also one of the group's four MCs. The track uses a sample from Lenny White's jazz-fusion recording "Mating Drive."
- The single received attention on college and specialty radio in 2000. It appeared on contemporary Gavin and CMJ hip-hop airplay charts, giving the independently released Hieroglyphics Imperium project a presence beyond the group's established underground audience.
- The song's repeated meditation-and-education refrain gives the title a double meaning. The verses also use recreational drug imagery, but the central idea is the group's music and lyrical technique functioning as a mental stimulant.