De La Soul "Buhloone Mind State" (September 21, 1993)

Since 1989's 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul has been paying for having been perceived as the Extra Cool Crew. It spoke to a larger audience. For a slew of reasons--but primarily because it had a darling, clean-cut look and melodic, riddle-ridden style--De La Soul crossed over big time, and the music media served it up like freshly shucked oysters, pearly and wet, ready for slurping. De La Soul was stamped "thinking" hip hop we all could get into. The antithesis of Run-D.M.C. and "Hard Times," De La was lauded for its introspection, codes, and between-song skits. It was (an) alternative. And it was clear from just the title of its muggy second album, De La Soul is Dead, that the trio hated it. While Buhloone Mind State is perhaps the least wandering De La Soul album, the songs that run the wildest through the tall cornstalk rules of grammar, poetry, and sense are the ones that give the collection its juice. The taunting "I Am I Be," a more mature sequel to 3 Feet High's "Me Myself and I," slams the record business, black Greek organizations, friendship, and most searingly, that heavy, slippery thing known as "black man's pride." Other songs, especially "Patti Dooke," which has the trio "runnin' through the trenches," stop just short of sagging with the bluesy funk of self-examination. Buhloone Mind State is black male angst in an evasive manifestation. De La is tripping, maybe hurting, even growing, and it's saying so, sort of. These are a bewildering set of songs--mazelike, a job to figure out. The tracks are seldom blunt, but often beautiful. Cont'd below...

And De La Soul wants the world to know there's no gun-toting or testicle gulping included in their angst: "I don't rest in Compton so I don't own a gat," they proclaim in "Patti Dooke," and "I be the in cuz the brother holdin' glocks is out / I be the in cuz the pusher runnin' blocks is out / I be the in cuz the kid smokin' weed shootin' seed which leads to a girl's stomach being 'bout half a ton is out," they explain in "Eye Patch." But it's when Posdnuos spits out that "gangsta shit is outdated / Posdnuous is complicated" that the album find its frozen kernel, the spot around which the rest of the album revolves. De La Soul is still blowing out nonsensical rhyme games you could easily play patty-cake to: "Can the cat's tongue slip / Ya do di dah zip / Take the horse into the Jolly Ranch... the good the bad and Uncle Tom / Beat it kid / Show the sheik / Cuz I found a fool." Prince Paul's production swells and breaks and rolls up on hip hop's rocky shore, foamy and cool, but no matter the craftsmanship of the beats or the rhymestyles, the question must come up: what the f#ck are they talking about? It's frustrating. You curse them for doing that cryptic shit on purpose, and you wish that the brothers would just say what they mean. But then a line slips off one of the boys' tongues that attaches itself to you like a pretty pink starfish: "a Day-glo n!gga gets the red doormat." That line, from the middle of "En Focus," is talking about hip hop and stardom and light-skinnedness and the need we all have for people to look at us and pay attention--all of that, all at the same time.... Like sweet favors, De La Soul grants feelings of inclusion. "Did you get it?" they seem to ask, and if you did, you're in. "Who can be--fresh / Who can be--dope / Who can be--live / Who can be--word / Who can be." If you didn't get it, you can act like you know and they wouldn't care--you could be in, anyway. - Spin Magazine (November, 1993). A real gem of an LP!

De La Soul "De La Soul Is Dead" (30th Ann. Mix by Filthy Rich)

Toronto's DJ Filthy Rich is back with another fine tribute mix! This time around, he pays tribute to De La Soul's 30th anniversary of De La Soul Is Dead. The album was originally released in 1991 (on that label ya'know) and featured tracks like "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays," "Millie Pulled A Pistol on Santa," "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" and "Keepin' The Faith," among others. Filthy Rich's mix touches on the original samples, blends, remixes and more, which elevates the album from what might've been top 3 (or 4) to a nostalgia-filled trip down memory lane that makes it feel even higher on their best-list. When you've had as storied a career as De La Soul has, you can throw a dart and land on something phenomenal. All that said, click play below and enjoy this 30th anniversary mix...

De La Soul "Stakes Is High" (7/2/96) + "Stakes & Potatoes"

The Hip-Hop landscape has changed dramatically since De La Soul's debut... yet with each album, the trio have managed to reinvent themselves.... Stakes Is High departs from the trio's previous creations both in style and substance... This is an album that is instead the group's most outwardly responsive... De La Soul's mission this time is to serve as a counterpoint to the "players" who have simply dominated Hip-Hop over the last few years with images and slogans centering on violence, materialism and money... Their lyrics are devoid of heavy symbolism, and for the first time they employ outside production -- actions that edge them closer to the rest of the pack... They've never done the same album or the same song twice, and as difficult as it may be to accept, Stakes Is High is just a different type of album for them. Consider it a slight dip in the path De La travels to possibly becoming the greatest Hip Hop group of all time. - Rap Pages, July 1996. As a bonus, below is the album's sampler cassette, which they titled "Stakes & Potatoes." It features a few snippets, full versions of both tracks on the 12" single, as well as drops from Common, Zhane, Mos Def, Biz Markie, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Busta Rhymes. The album was released on July 2, 1996... and if you ask me, it's still a better album than "It Was Written," released the same day, by Nas. Fight me!!

Samples From De La Soul's "3 Feet High & Rising" (Video)

This year marked the 30th anniversary of De La Soul‘s debut album 3 Feet High and Rising. In a tribute to the album’s legacy, Polish YouTube user Nama Hecc has compiled every (well... almost) sample used throughout the project. The video is nearly eleven minutes long. In addition to early hip-hop classics, Prince Paul heavily sampled the British funk band Cymande, as well as Steely Dan and Hall and Oates. Additionally, “The Magic Number” samples country legend Johnny Cash and New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. De La Soul credited sampled artists as songwriters for four tracks on the album, but this mashup goes above and beyond to list a full bibliography. The samples have been a point of contention for the group and their former label for years now. This past March, Tommy Boy planned to release De La Soul’s first six albums digitally for the first time. Subsequently, the group notified their fans that they were against this decision. According to the group, they would only receive 10% of royalties from streams and digital sales. In late February, they joined the Sway in the Morning show to discuss the conflict. Maseo alleges that sometime in the early 2000s, Tommy Boy lost their catalog to Warner Bros. due to debt. Over the years, Maseo claims Tommy Boy’s former president Tom Silverman handled sample clearances informally, not thinking the record would be as successful as it turned out to be. When the record took off, copyright infractions began to pile up. At the point of Warner Bros’ acquisition, the label believed it wouldn’t be worth the trouble to resolve the issues with sample clearances needed to make the De La Soul discography available in the digital marketplace. As a result, the group’s first six albums aren’t available on streaming platforms. - via OKP. F#ck Tommy Boy for how they did De La Soul...

DJ Platurn "So This Is De La Heaven" (Pt. 2)

In 2003, the Northern California-based DJ Platurn made So This Is De La Heaven? The joint was a cut and paste mix, lasting over an hour, assembling the source music that gave the D.A.I.S.Y. Age its groove. Eleven years later, DJ Platurn returned with So This Is De La Heaven, Pt. 2, picking up without losing a step, and even the members from De La were taking notice: “Out of all the De La [Soul] mixes I’ve heard over the years, this is the most creative one. Let me take it back in time a bit and say this is ‘Strickly Dan Stuckie’. Salute, salutary, and salutations!” - via AFH. Listen below...

De La Soul "3 Feet High & Rising" (30th Anniversary Mix)

"On March 3rd 1989, De La Soul released their critically acclaimed debut album and Hip Hop music changed forever. At a time when samples of James Brown and breakbeat staples ruled supreme, De La Soul production partner Prince Paul cast the net far wider, snatching up snippets of vintage Soul, Rock n Roll, Disco, Spoken Word and children's records to create a collage the likes of which had not been heard before. Lyrically, the album married zany humor, real life observations and social commentary. Released less than a year after NWA's ground breaking 'Straight Outta Compton' and Public Enemy's politically charged opus 'It Takes A Nation of Millions', '3 Feet High and Rising' offered a light hearted counterpoint to harder edged sounds emerging on both coasts. In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of this classic LP, we've teamed up with Wax Poetics to present an exclusive mixtape of album tracks, sample material, alt versions, interview snippets and more, mixed by Chris Read." Disclaimer: the release date for this De La Soul classic has been an ongoing debate for some years now. Unfortunately, I do not have a definitive answer, but sources suggest that the release was closer to the end of January, 1989. Regardless of it's release date, it was a groundbreaking album and should be celebrated, so props to Chris Read and WhoSampled for their great work.

Wax Poetics · De La Soul '3 Feet High and Rising' 30th Anniversary Mixtape mixed by Chris Read

De La Soul "Buhloone Mindstate" (25th Anniversary Mix)

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of De La Soul's third full LP 'Buhloone Mindstate', originally released 21st September 1993, the homie Chris Read has put together a sweet tribute mix for Wax Poetics and Who Sampled. As I've said before, "Breakadawn" is surprisingly -- to some -- my favorite of all the classic De La Soul tracks over the years. I ran that 12" into the ground in my basement. As a group, De La Soul have amazed me since day one, making music and maintaining a brotherhood like no other group. Not an easy feat, especially in the music industry. Chris Read pays tribute to 25 years of De La's Buhloone Mindstate, listen to another of his exceptional mixes below...

De La Soul Is Dead (May 13, 1991)

On this day in 1991, De La Soul released their sophomore album, 'De La Soul Is Dead,' through Tommy Boy Records. "For up-and-comers and veterans alike, the album’s 1991 arrival marked a truly otherworldly sonic expedition that somehow surpassed even their groundbreaking debut." The album review above is from May '91 in The Source, it says "The peace signs are gone, and the D.A.I.S.Y. is outta here, but the musical and lyrical talent combined with unlimited creativity and an ingenious sense of humor is still in like Flynn ... Still progressing and proud of it, De La has successfully escaped being trapped in the sophomore jinx with grooves that are harder than a brick wall." ATCO adds 'Yo, it's like that Prego commercial: the rhymes that Pos, Dove, and Mase spout to make you shake your head, smile, and go "Oh Shit!" to? It's in there. The hilarious skits that you thought no one would ever do? It's in there. Dope concepts, unique music and overall slammin' production? It's in there." The De La Soul is Dead art above is owned/credited to Andre LeRoy Davis. Props to the amazing Prince Paul & A&R Dante Ross. Mass Appeal's 'De La Soul Is Dead' Documentary is below.

De La Soul "The Grind Date" (Vibe, November 2004)

"They're 15 years in and nine albums gone. And though the daisies may be dead, the reinvigorated Long Island trio (Maceo, Dave, and Pos) hasn't sounded this vibrant since they became the spit-kicking, bionic spacemen from their last two releases. On The Grind Date, these pioneers of alternative hip hop have outsmarted the denizens of today's bulletproof-vest scene with sophisticated compositions and insightful lyrics. Appearances from Ghostface ("He Comes") and MF Doom ("Rock Co. Kane Flow"), along with rich production by Madlib, Dave West, Dilla, and  9th Wonder, make this Date notable." - Vibe Magazine, November 2004. Peep De La Soul and MF Doom performing "Rock Co. Kane Flow" live AND check this dope video of Jake One making the classic beat.

The original 4-star review in Vibe Magazine is available below...

De La Soul "Stakes Is High" (20th Anniversary Mix)

“This month (2nd July more precisely) marks the 20th anniversary of the release of De La Soul’s fourth studio LP ‘Stakes is High’. A departure from the sonic identity of previous long play offerings, the album addresses social issues and the changing state of hip hop in ’96 over production from the likes of the late great Jay Dee and ATCQ collaborator Skeff Anselm among others. Guest vocals come courtesy of Common and a young Mos Def. In celebration we’ve teamed up with Wax Poetics to present this exclusive mixtape featuring tracks from the LP, alternate versions, remixes and original sample material used in the the creation of this much loved classic.”

De La Soul "Stakes Is High" (Single Review, 6/96)

"Praise be! De La has returned just in time to restore a little intelligence to this gats-and-blunts polluted rap world. "Stakes is High" does to ignorance what Raid does to roaches. "I'm sick of bitches shakin' asses / I'm sick of talkin' bout blunts, sick of Versace glasses / sick of slang / sick of half-assed award shows / sick of name-brand clothes / sick of R&B bitches over bullshit tracks / cocaine and crack which bring sickness to Blacks / sick of swoll-head rappers with their sickening raps," preaches Plug Two. This song is for those headz who long for the days when rap was still considered a powerful tool of upliftment. But the B-side may be even doper. "The Bizness" features De La hooking up with Common Sense on an all-the-way-live funk track that is very much on the same tip as "Stakes is High." The three MC's fit together perfectly, delivering oodles and oodles of dope rhymes that bring to mind the image of an Old School freestyle session. "Do you wanna be an MC / or do you wanna serve? / do you wanna be dope / or do you wanna deal it?" asks the very wise Common. These two tracks represent a well-needed breath of fresh air for all of hip-hop. It has certainly been a long time for the ever-unpredictable trio from Strong Island. And hip-hop has never needed them and the Native Tongues philosophy they helped birth as much as it does now. The stakes are high indeed, too damn high." (The Source: June '96) An epic 12" from '96, video below...

De La Soul "Live At Tramps, NYC" (March 16, 1996)

In the annals of hip-hop history, few performances capture the essence of an era like De La Soul's 1996 set at New York City's Tramps nightclub. Recorded on May 16, 1996, this electrifying show was immortalized in the live album Live at Tramps, NYC, 1996, released in 2004. The performance at Tramps showcased De La Soul's dynamic stage presence and their ability to connect with the audience. The trio—Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo—delivered a setlist that spanned their influential career, blending thought-provoking lyrics with infectious energy. The night was further elevated by guest appearances from some of hip-hop's finest! Before achieving solo fame, Mos Def joined De La Soul for a rendition of "Big Brother Beat," offering a glimpse into his burgeoning talent. Common lent his lyrical prowess to tracks like "The Bitch in Yoo" and "The Bizness," adding depth to the performance. Fellow Native Tongues members, the Jungle Brothers, also reunited with De La Soul for a spirited performance of their classic collaboration, "Buddy." For those eager to witness this iconic concert, the full performance is now available below thanks to a recent video link update...

De La Soul "Buhloone Mindstate" (HHC, 10/93)

You were once informed that we had died, And what is death? Simply movin' from one place to another. You are now in the other." So reads the manifesto that accompanies 'Buhloone Mindstate,' the third unpredictable album from De La Soul. After the world gobbled up the plunkety tomfoolery of '3 Feet High And Rising' with such enthusiasm their road ahead was always going to be rocky. Their second outing was caught between deflecting expectations, preventing too much crossover success, and proving that they could still cut it. So on "De La Soul Is Dead" they were scared to be themselves in case the world said that's all they could do. But on 'Buhloone Mindstate' they are back in effect, letting their kookie poetry and omnivorous musical tastes take control without all the forced posturing of the previous LP. Unsurprisingly the rapping is harder and more assured than before, wrapped in layers of complex puns and clever images, with lots of references to other people's jams. But the music is definitely not what you were expecting, centered around acres of slinky jazz, with shimmering organs and smoking horn solos drifting around. Prince Paul is once more at the helm, and the ambience he creates is very reminiscent of early Tribe Called Quest ... Where 'De La Soul Is Dead' was a shock because they planned it that way, this album is a shock because they've mellowed and they're still great. De La Soul is definitely not dead. - HHC (October, 1993)

You can read the full review in Hip-Hop Connection (10/93) below...

De La Soul & Teenage Fanclub "Fallin" (Video, 1994)

"Fallin'" is a collaboration between Scottish pop band Teenage Fanclub and hip-hop trio De La Soul. It was released in early 1994. The song was recorded for the Judgment Night soundtrack, which featured other collaborations between well-known rock, metal and hip hop groups. In an interview with LA Weekly, Posdnuos of De La Soul, said, "We actually went to the studio, and they started pairing up different artists, and we could've been paired up with familiar names. But we didn't know who Teenage Fanclub were at the time, so we picked them. When we did the song with them, we were in Scotland, and we had no idea what we were going to do... We're both musicians obviously, so we just started vibing and we happened to be sitting in a little reception area outside the studio, and Tom Petty's "Free fallin'' video came on. I've always been the person in the group, who when he hears certain words I take it and apply it to a certain thing. It started as a joke, hey, let's make a song based off a Tom Petty video. Then Dave said, let's spin it about us falling off as a rappers. So we went to the store, bought the Tom Petty CD, and based it around the song. Then we got the bassline from "Nobody Beats the Biz," the Steve Miller sample, and a snippet of Petty's voice and it came together pretty fast." Check out the lyrics and visuals to this cautionary tale, cont'd below...

"...remember when I used to be dope, (yeah!)

I owned a pocket full of fame

(But look what you’re doing now), Well I know, I know

I lost touch with reality, now my personality

Is an unwanted commodity (believe it)

Can’t believe I used to be Mr Steve Austin on the mic

(Six million ways) I used to run it

I guess Oscar Goldman got mad

Cause I got loose circuits (so loose, so loose)

I be the mother goose with the eggs that seemed to be

Fallin’..."

De La Soul "Buhloone Mindstate" (Rolling Stone, 1993)

Buhloone Mindstate is the third studio album by De La Soul, released on September 21, 1993. Buhloone Mindstate delivered a jazzier palette than their two previous albums and has ended up an unduly underrated gem in not only De La’s catalog, but in the story of ‘90s rap in general. It is soulful, features biting critiques of other rap music of the time, and includes collaborations with jazz greats like Maceo Parker. Buhloone Mindstate is a testament to the lyrical greatness and vocal interplay of Posdnuos, Dave and Maseo and no self-respecting rap fan’s collection is complete without it. Rolling Stone's Paul Evans reviews the album saying: "By no means have De la Soul lost the dada carnival spirit that spotlighted them in the late '80s, but Posdnuos, Trugoy the Dove and Maseo are now decidedly less gigglesome. Still working rhymes of startling ingenuity, they've dropped between-song shtick in favor of a focus that clarifies their power. And they take on the hard stuff: machismo, idiot sex, overcompensating gangsta posing. "Fuck being hard, Posdnuos is complicated" is the battle cry — the tough choice for smart over swagger. Musically, Buhloone Mind State raises the stakes; it gets to something rap seldom achieves — a truly gorgeous groove." - Rolling Stone (December, 1993). Their single "Breakadawn" is my jam, listen to that and more below.

 "...My file is clean, I mean my mind is clear when I transmit
I am the man-ner of the family cuz the pants fit
I want to let forensics prove, that I can mends Groove
Wit the thread from needle outta hay, I wanna say
Salutations to the nation of the Nubians
We bout to place you in that 3 Feet of stew again..."

De La Soul "Smell The D.A.I.S.Y." (Mixtape)

De La Soul's new mixtape, Smell the D.A.I.S.Y., includes reworked rhymes alongside previously unheard beats from late production legend J Dilla. In February, group member Posdnuos praised Dilla’s unique production style in an interview with Rolling Stone. “Dilla was the Tupac of producers,” said the rapper. “He has so many unreleased things that no one has heard. His family knows how vital and important an ingredient his music was to our work.” This is just perfect ... listen to the mix below...

De La Soul "3 Feet High and Rising" (Spin Magazine, 2005)

"Hip-Hop never had a lawn. Despite a multitude of late-80s voices - from the gangland range of N.W.A. to the political theory of Public Enemy to the mystical modernism of Rakim to the booty mania of 2 Live Crew - it was a given that almost every MC was grounded in the tough-nut rituals of street life. "It's just a ghetto thang," echoed the enigmatic chorus on De La Soul's debut album, "3 Feet High and Rising." But not only did De La talk about having a lawn - the group's three teenage members grew up in the Long Island suburb of Amityville after their parents moved from the Bronx and Brooklyn - they were concerned about the potholes in it, which, in fact, was a metaphor for rival MCs stealing their rhyme style, which was the basis for a song ("Potholes In My Lawn") that featured a Jew's harp and a guy yodeling." Watch the visuals to the track, cont'd below...

"With its flowery Day-Glo graphics, game-show skits, lyrical anagrams, and oddball samples (Steely Dan, Hall and Oates), 3 Feet High and Rising was a vision of the unhinged fun that hip-hop could have if it got the fuck out of the city.... "It was more relaxed (on Long Island)," says Prince Paul, an Amityville DJ who had gained some local fame as a member of Brooklyn vets Stetsasonic but had never produced a record before 3 Feet High. "You had tensions, but it was more average, universal things. Rather than being focused on what was going down in the 'hood or with whatever gang, our thing was more like, 'Hey, we don't like popcorn.' De La Soul's MCs, Posdnous and David "Trugoy" Jolicoeur (along with DJ Vincent "Mase" Mason), didn't boast to boost their self-image; they teased and tweaked. Messages were delivered in twisty syntax (as on the anti drug song "Say No Go")."

"On "The Magic Number," Mercer rapped: "Difficult preaching is Posdnous' pleasure." Recalls Jolicoeur: "We wanted to have people desperate to figure things out, and listen over and over to try and understand." That in mind, he borrowed a Johnny Cash record ("Five Feet High and Rising") from his father, inspiring the album's cryptic title. Aided by the single "Me Myself and I" - with a brightly lit sample of P-Funk's "Knee Deep" - the album was an instant hit, crossing over to college and European audiences. Digs that the group were "hip-hop hippies" (occasioned by their playful "D.A.I.S.Y. Age" ethos) hurt, but now they look back fondly on those days of childlike abandon. "The beauty of that record was that we were so naive," says Prince Paul. "Unfortunately, you can't go back to being stupid, unless you take some bad mind-altering drugs." - Spin Magazine, 7/05 // 5/10. Today is not the anniversary of 3 Feet High and Rising's release, but revisit it nonetheless! A classic!