Five songs that define De La Soul’s legacy
One of hip hop’s most innovative groups, De La Soul is celebrated for its role in redefining what the genre sounds like. Their wicked fusion of eccentricity in their lyricism and experimentation through production has expanded the genre’s sound, and we’re all the better for it.
Formed of musicians Posdnuos, Trugoy the Dove, and Maseo, the Long Island-raised trio were masters of the evolution of jazz rap and alternative hip hop. And while their debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, a landmark album at that, when it was released in 1989, provided some joyful sampling and an Afrocentric pulse that was contradictory to the time’s hard hip hop sound. It was their biggest commercial success, and their impact on music is immeasurable.
Since 1989, De La Soul has continued to evolve their sound. Prioritising creativity over critical adoration, the band’s catalogue is one of hip-hop’s most respected, if not always for the latter, dependably for the former.
And despite challenges of sample clearances proving an issue, resulting in audio streaming not being available until 2023, the band’s legacy endures.
Five songs that define De La Soul
1. ‘Me Myself and I’ (1989)
The lead single from the acclaimed debut album was always going to be a banger. An excellent track that introduced the De La Soul sound as disruptive to the genre precedent of tough, masculine rap, it hit the Billboard Hot 100 top 40, as well as finding its music video a regular on MTV at the peak of the channel.
Using a sample from Funkadelic’s ‘(Not Just) Knee Deep’, the song is a celebration of rejecting conformity, with self-aware lyrics and a laid-back, and yet definitely not ‘hippie’, the term used to describe them at the time, beat.
2. ‘The Magic Number’ (1989)
Despite not chart-topping upon initial release, ‘The Magic Number’ is not just a favourite amongst fans, but also found itself enjoying a second life after its reintroduction through Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021.
Constructed around samples from Schoolhouse Rock!, the track is a gorgeous display of De La Soul’s tenets of community, positivity, and truly innovative creativity. There’s a feel that this is what music should be: playful, experimental, and joyful, without once compromising on skill or substance.
3. ‘Stakes Is High’ (1996)
‘Stakes Is High’ marks a shift in outlook and output for the band. De La Soul had seemingly dumped the vibrant, psychedelic vibes of 3 Feet High and Rising for a strikingly different tone: in its place, socially conscious tracks that expressed critique of late 20th-century commercialism, materialism, and violence.
In ‘Stakes Is High’, lyrics explore the difficulties of adulthood and the loss of innocence in the culture at large, a particularly moving sentiment, given the youthful nature of their previous album. For this, ‘Stakes Is High’ is often seen as the start of De La Soul’s maturing era, something of a genre elder statesman.
2. ‘Oooh’ (feat Redman) (2000)
Featuring in the album Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, ‘Oooh’ once again highlights the group’s ability to experiment and evolve their sound. Combining clever lyricism with a hyper-confident beat and a brilliant Redman feature, this was once one of the biggest hits in the new millennium.
It is also notable for younger fans, especially, because it reintroduced the group to a new generation, and also, to an extent, a new genre. Hip hop had changed significantly from the ’80s to the ’00s, and De La Soul was always adjacent, playing to their own beat.
1. ‘Feel Good Inc’ (Gorillaz feat De La Soul) (2005)
Oh, come on, as if this wouldn’t feature. Yes, it is technically a Gorillaz track with a De La Soul feature, but since when did music care for technicalities? This is one of the world’s most celebrated party tracks for a reason, and a particularly cool one at that, as its Grammy win seems almost boring to point out.
De La Soul deliver a bouncing, high-energy vibe that deliciously cuts through the song’s more dystopian elements. The track, which fuses alternative rock with hip hop and funk rock, explores cynicism towards mass culture and celebrates intellectual freedom, making for a sound and storytelling that speaks to the De La Soul ethos perfectly.