Collectively and individually, MHz has been one of the most influential underground rap crews of the past 15 years. Comprised of producer RJD2 and rappers Copywrite, Camu Tao, Jakki Da Motamouth, and Tage Future, the collective first came together in Columbus, Ohio, a loose group of basement freestylers talented enough to garner the attention of folks like Bobbito Garcia, releasing two now-classic 12″ singles, “World Premier” and “Rocket Science,” on Garcia’s iconic indie label, Fondle ‘Em Records. Since then, though, the members of MHz have spent the past decade-plus pursuing solo endeavors – RJ as a genre-bending producer; Copywrite as a boundary-pushing lyricist who spent the 2000s being courted by the likes of Roc-A-Fella Records; Camu Tao as a close companion and collaborator with El-P – and influencing a new generation. The one thing they’ve never done – release an official album.

Until now; on October 30th, MHz Legacy – the name change is in honor of Camu Tao, who passed away following a battle with lung cancer in 2008; he will appear on the album still with a number of never-before-heard verses – will release what amounts to their official debut album, a self-titled effort, via Man Bites Dog Records. The album will feature the likes of Danny Brown, Oh No, ILL BILL, Slaine, Blu, Slug, along with some outside production from Harry Fraud, !llmind, Stu Bangas and Marco Polo. Today, MHz Legacy is releasing the debut single and video from that album, for the Surock-produced track “Gone” which was premiered this afternoon by Billboard.

“Gone,” according to the crew, is a testament to the fact that the group, as a collective unit, has been off the scene for some time now — and also a testament to the fact that, in those years away, they haven’t lost a step musically or lyrically. “We’ve been ‘gone,’ as in off the scene,” says Tage Future, “but we’ve always been crafty writers. Now that we’re coming back out, we’re showing that our skills are ‘gone,’ as high level, as in outta here.”

The video is directed by R.M.L. and features Copy and Tage trading bars while showing off the lighter side of their personalities, letting loose as they speed around on go-karts and catch air on a local moon bounce. “I think everyone loves Go-Karts – I know I do,” says R.M.L. on the concept behind the video. “Rappers are usually trying to look so hard that they would never rock a Go-Kart in a video. We took it a step further and threw in the Moon Bounce too.” To top it all off, the video features Copy and Tage zipping around on “people movers of the future,” as R.M.L. put it, more commonly known as Segways. It wasn’t all fun and games, though. “The most challenging part,” recalls Copywrite, “was definitely the bounce. It’s easy to run out of breath when you’re bouncing as high as you can.”