This June we are excited to bring one of the greatest hip-hop albums to our subscribers, De La Soul will always be one of hip-hop's most extraordinary acts, spoken in the same breath as Run-DMC, A Tribe Called Quest, NWA, and Boogie Down Productions to name a few.
Kelvin "Posdnuos" Mercer, David "Trugoy the Dove" Jolicoeur (R.I.P), and Vincent "Maseo" Mason formed De La Soul in High School in Amityville New York, and with the demo “Plug Tunin” quickly came to the attention of producer Prince Paul (I’m sure we will highlight Prince Paul in future releases, but if you don’t know who he is we suggest a google search as his production work is legendary as is solo stuff) who was also an Amityville native.
On the back of the incredible success that the group had with their debut ‘3 Feet High And Rising’ and the creation of the ‘D.A.I.S.Y (da inner sound, y'all) Age’ which helped usher in a new wave of talent who would have a lasting mark on the continued growth of hip-hop through the 90s and beyond, but lead to the De La Soul being pigeon-holed as heralding a new hippie age for hip-hop, a moniker the group found distasteful and disrespectful and were keen to eliminate in their sonic explorations that were to come.
Having ridden the wave of commercial and critical success through their debut, becoming part of the triptych of A Tribe Called Quest, The Jungle Brothers, and De
La Soul as the ‘Native Tongues’ who would be bolstered by Queen Latifah and others, DLS made a conscious choice (consciousness was a huge element of the ‘Native Tongues’ ethos) and looked to break the shackles of expectation and stereotyping which had affected them.
So in 1991, DLS released their sophomore album ‘De La Soul Is Dead’, an effort which to many including ourselves outshines their debut. The album is cleverly conceived and expertly executed, via Prince Paul’s stellar production, showcasing the group’s versatility and vitality in more pronounced ways than their debut had, it is full of self-deprecation while examining the contrasts between the critical perception of the group as fitting into some arbitrarily defined category while focusing on the reality of the group’s desire to craft music that inspires and elevates debate on the social economic African American experience, all the time remaining whimsical and witty, having unparalleled bohemian cool, oozing Afrocentric sophistication, and maintaining a humility unseen in hip-hop at the time.
The album opens with a skit which leads into the first track "Oodles of O's", its groovy bassline is complimented by inventive bars laid down firstly by Trugoy and then Posdunous. Then comes “Pease Pottage” a great example of the playfulness that Trugoy and Pos can create on wax stuttering through their bars creating a whimsical atmosphere. It's not long till one of the ‘Native Tongues’ pops up and on “A Roller Skating Jam Named “Saturdays”, through a swathe of scratches we hear Q-Tip of ATCQ lacing the disco-infused weekend anthem with some evocative thoughts, while Pos then wistfully admonishes, and Dove is inviting, it is Vinia Mojica’s chorus which punctuates and creates a real joyous summer vibe to the proceedings.
While “Ring Ring Ring”, “Keepin The Faith”, and “Bitties in the BK Lounge” continue to offer a healthy dose of comic relief throughout the album, there are darker subjects that are tackled by DLS, including drugs, rape, and the effects of the gangsta rap ethos. On "My Brothers A Basehead" a social commentary on the ills of the inner-city, sans the heavy-handed preaching, while the tune nods at ‘Let, Let Me In’ which tips a hand to a bassline similar to the one from Cypress Hill's 1991 single, ‘How I Could Just Kill A Man.’.
De La Soul has many faces, each as engaging as the other, but it's their sophomore album that makes their body of work particularly diverse. An undoubtedly darker, edgier side for the group had emerged, which was aptly illustrated by the shattered pot of dead daisies on the album's cover signifying the end of the D.A.I.S.Y age.
The album cover to ‘De La Soul Is Dead’ is emblematic of the turbulence which has surrounded the group's back catalogue release and their relationships with Warner Music, and Tommy Boy Records, where issues related to the release of their music due to the clearance of the samples used have plagued reissues, but as of 2023 De La Soul own their own music, all samples have been cleared or replayed and a vinyl roll-out of their back catalogue is underway, which is why we are so privileged to offer De La Souls sophomore album as our curated album for June.
Peace Out
Stu
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