Patrick Ryan

USA TODAY

Grab a seat, ladies and gentlemen: Souls of Mischief has a story to tell.

There is Only Now, premiering on usatoday.com and out Tuesday, is a concept album with a "real classic-era vibe," founding member Tajai says. Described as a '90s crime tale of love, loss and revenge based on their own experiences, the hip-hop group's sixth release boasts a cast of characters including A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammed (as a DJ-turned-narrator), Busta Rhymes (as villain Womack), Snoop Dogg, The Delfonics' William Hart and Living Legends' Scarub.

"We're trying to make music on the level of music and not just hip-hop, as far as the depth of character and the storytelling," Tajai says. "It's something that's going to be refreshing to music in general and something you'll want in your collection. It's just one of those records that you can sit and listen to for a while."

Recorded over three months in Los Angeles with producer Adrian Younge, There is Only Now draws influence from soul artists Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield, but also from genres such as gangsta rap, hip-hop and R&B. As Tajai puts it, "We listen to everything, man.

"Fortunately we grew up in an era where hip-hop was being created and it was created out of everything," Tajai says of Souls of Mischief, founded in Oakland in 1991 and composed of other members A-Plus, Opio and Phesto. "There was no precedent, so it encouraged us to dig through records, looking for samples, song structures and stuff."

The group, who released fifth record Montezuma's Revenge in 2009, will host its album release party Sept. 4 at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles, before embarking on tour in support of the new music.

"The record is cinematic, so we want the show to match the drama of the record," Tajai says.