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3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

1989
3 Feet High and Rising
Album Summary

3 Feet High and Rising is the debut studio album by American hip hop group De La Soul, released on March 3, 1989[1] by Tommy Boy Records. It is the first of three collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. The album title comes from the Johnny Cash song "Five Feet High and Rising". The album contains the singles "Me Myself and I", "The Magic Number", "Buddy", and "Eye Know". Critically, as well as commercially, the album was a success. It is consistently placed on lists of the greatest albums of all time by noted critics and publications, with Robert Christgau calling it "unlike any rap album you or anybody else has ever heard". In 1998, it was selected as one of The Source Magazine's "100 Best Rap Albums". It was selected by the Library of Congress as a 2010 addition to the National Recording Registry, which selects recordings annually that are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.57

Votes

5950
Genres
Hip Hop

Reviews

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Tue Aug 30 2022
5

It's genuinely heartbreaking that this album isn't on any streaming services, because it means that De La Soul has fallen out of the conversation of greatest 80s and 90s hip hop groups. This album, their debut, is absolutely brilliant. Funny, corny, listenable. It influenced so many modern artists, and I didn't realize before hearing it how much my favorite albums (such as Wildflower, by the Avalanches) are based on it. I can't identify a favorite song or moment, because they're all so good. This is an instant 5/5 for me, and it's by far the best album on this list that I'd never listened to before.

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Tue Aug 30 2022
5

Very fun and incredibly clever. Many reviews compare this record to Sgt. Pepper but for hip pop. The comparison is completely understandable. Very fun concept album with great lyricism and wonderful production. The album does not drag even with the track-listing being more than an hour long. The album just feels like a group of friends having fun on the mic and in the studio. Favorite Track: Magic Number Least Favorite Track: De La Orgee

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Thu Aug 25 2022
5

One of the best hip hop albums on this list. The game show stuff was a really fun theme throughout. Great lyrics, samples, and beats. Plus Q-tip!

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Mon Aug 29 2022
5

Wonderful, if it's not the Sgt Pepper's of hip-hop, it is the Dark Side of the Moon of hip-hop! Absolute genius, even if it's not on Spotify

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Wed Dec 14 2022
5

Can only listen to half on YouTube as album is not available on other streaming platforms

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Thu Oct 20 2022
3

Eh if this was a tribe called quest I wouldn't have been able to tell difference, also link went to "the missing album by the noel reading band and I listened to most of that(which if you care was 3/5)

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Tue Aug 30 2022
5

It’s definitely a fun album that still feels modern even today. Too bad their music doesn’t stream so I can listen to it without YouTube audio compression

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Tue Aug 30 2022
5

What a fun listen! This album is cited in this site for being of the called "Golden Age of Hip Hop" for a good reason. With a very original concept, a great sense of humour and the incorporation of many different genres from funk to rap rock, this album is a true masterpiece. My only issue is: why tf isn't this album on Spotify? It's so sad that this fun piece of hip hop history hadn't made it to the biggest music streaming service.

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Sun Sep 04 2022
5

How many times did the Batmobile catch a flat???

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Tue Sep 06 2022
5

A fantastic and influential debut album from a talented trio, bringing a new sound and image to hip hop (one somewhat rebuked on their follow up De La Soul is Dead) and recalling the earlier days of classic hip hop. There are so many classic tracks here and is a showcase for the art of sampling, creating something new from something old. Three Is The Magic Number and Me, Myself and I are wicked party tracks, Eye Know is a surprisingly touching hip hop love song and Buddy is an energetic posse cut with like minded acts Jungle Brothers and Q Tip (but seek out the superior 12 inch remix with Phife Dawg, Queen Latifah and Monie Love plus a Kazoo horn section!). The downsides are an obsession with body odour and bad breath and a slew of skits and in jokes which amuse the band but nobody else. For this, a star was almost docked but my love for the band and for some even greater albums that followed since (Buhloone Mindstate, De La Soul is Dead) five stars are coming De La’s way.

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Fri Sep 09 2022
5

Great album with top notch production and awesome beats throughout.

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Mon Sep 12 2022
5

Unable to stream this anywhere, unfortunately. Fortunately, I still have them on CD. This was the first rap album that I got to really listen to, when my older brother borrowed the tape from a friend. I had no idea music could be this eclectic, creative, playful and downright WEIRD. De La Soul definitely matured as artists, but they never lost their sense of humor or creativity. One thing that separates them from other hip hop acts is the variety of different flows/use of meter that they use. Every album features songs that use off-kilter rhyme schemes, and it all started here. There's precise iambic/trochaic delivery on Me Myself and I, a weird thesis statement at the beginning of each couplet on D.A.I.S.Y. Age, and delayed/echoing rhyme payoffs in Potholes in my lawn, just to name three.

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Wed Sep 21 2022
5

Eye know is such a great song, and in general the album is really good ! 4,5/5

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Fri Sep 23 2022
5

One’s personal high-water mark for hip-hop. The joy and warmth and humor, plus the communal feel of the whole thing. Listening today, one senses there’s perhaps too much filler (or forgettable inserts). This many full-on classics makes this 5. Shame about the lawsuit. And don’t sleep on De La Soul is Dead.

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Mon Oct 03 2022
5

Wow, hard to find to stream but what a nice sound and vibe.

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Mon Oct 17 2022
5

This sounded unlike anything else when I first bought it back in 1989. It's the loved up response to a West Coast rap scene that was heading down the gangster route. I knew which direction I wanted to turn to. Hip Hop concept albums should usually be avoided. But the dialogue and in-jokes aren't annoying, They keep the Daisy Age feel flowing thoughout. There's still room for politics with It's a Ghetto Thing. Plus there's also personal politics on Say No Go. This should be a SIX star album.

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Mon Oct 17 2022
5

Smart, inventive, playful, positive, and unlike anything that had gone before. And the sort of album that couldn’t be made now in this age of strict sample clearance, as I am sure the almost-bankrupted De La would attest to. Which is a shame, as the samples are used creatively and with love, but there you go. One of the greatest albums ever made.

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Thu Oct 27 2022
5

This is the first hip hop album that I truly liked from all of the ones I've had to listen during this challenge. So upbeat and groovy! Pity it's not on Spotify! Some weirder tracks on the second half of the album, but overall really good. Favourite tracks: The Magic Number, Change in Speak, Ghetto Thang, Tread Water, Me Myself and I, Plug Tunin

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Sun Oct 30 2022
5

This has got to be regarded as one of the best hip hop albums of all-time. It was like listening to a musical collage with great lyrics & vocals on top of bits of sampled a songs with creative instrumentation. Everything fit together beautifully by masters of music. Excellent album.

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Thu Nov 03 2022
5

It's a shame that this wasn't available on Spotify. It was always one of my favorite hip hop albums. I was able to find it all on YouTube. Great stuff!

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Tue Nov 08 2022
5

What a way to start a weekt and continue my lessons on hip hop (Also thank you to the ppl that put this album on YouTube); from the opening skit I was smiling and the vibe never went away. It was a joy through and through, and learning more about how innovating it was and the impact it had on the culture just made it all the more enjoyable. 5/5, recommending it to everyone.

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Tue Dec 13 2022
5

Hugely influential. This was one of the first popular rap albums to not focus on life in the streets. It is a tour de force assemblage of sounds of all genres - there is soul, pop, rock, disco, country all weaved together. There will soon be others that attempt this - some successful (Paul's Boutique) and others not so much. A great work and an awesome debut.

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Fri Dec 23 2022
5

Wrong disc! The missing album from NOEL REDDING https://open.spotify.com/album/3KfvJUJv7Y0NuacdyqidJ0?si=Tn97GoSmRf6dX8ZJAO8yqA

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Fri Dec 23 2022
5

Wow this record was really ahead of its time. It really started the whole conscious/sample-heavy rap that would rise in the 90s. Packed with great tracks. Lots of cool samples. I also really appreciate how the tracks flow into each other. I’ve commonly heard this referred to as “The Sgt Pepper of Hip Hop”. Really fun listen overall.

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Wed Jan 04 2023
5

I know this is a good one. Love some De La Soul.

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Thu Jan 12 2023
5

So bloody good. One of their best and one of of the best. 5 stars.

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Wed Jan 25 2023
5

An absolute classic. Start to finish.

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Wed Feb 01 2023
5

Difficult to find (I found on soundcloud). Just absolutely outstanding. Playful, funny, inventive, beats and flow on point and lyricism is superb, but what really makes it is the range and quality of the sampling.

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Sat Feb 11 2023
5

What fun! I like this a lot! I could only listen to half of the album on youtube, but what was there was great!

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Mon Feb 13 2023
5

I purchased this album on it’s original release and I still have it on my regular playlist to this day. A total game changer for the hippie hip hop generation.

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Tue Feb 14 2023
5

I've never listened to any De La Soul before, but this album was great. The rapping was awesome, some of the lyrics were humorous, and the sampling was out of this world. I was humming "Eye Know" to myself for several hours before I realized they sampled Steely Dan's "Peg" in it. To me, that shows that these guys are incredibly talented at making songs. To take a song that I know, and sample it in a way that makes it something entirely new is a remarkable skill. Also, Trugoy just died yesterday? What a wacky coincidence. I hope the man rests in peace, and I hope to get to listen to more De La Soul.

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Mon Feb 20 2023
5

Wasn’t able to listen to this exact album yet but will when it drops on Spotify. Their discography is amazing though and I can’t believe I’ve never checked these legends out before.

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Tue Mar 14 2023
5

Golden age. It’s a real shame that quantised and sterilised modern production will never allow this kind of hiphop to be made again.

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Tue Mar 14 2023
5

Pretty fucking good and clearly influential. opened my mind to a whole new genre

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Fri Mar 17 2023
5

Fantastic Hip Hop in an alternative vein from its contemporaries. Of course, I think that these guys eventually make even better music later, but truly a great start.

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Fri Mar 17 2023
5

It may have been pouring out my window today, but this put sunshine in my heart.

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Wed Mar 22 2023
5

sad but happy about this. some of the samples have been removed due to not having permission.

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Tue Mar 28 2023
5

Crazy for daisies, captures it all. Classic hip hop album. (In my memory follow-up albums were stronger, but it is not true, this album is perfect as it is.)

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Fri Mar 31 2023
5

Wat een lekker album zeg! Vrolijk, vette productie, en lekkere beats. De lol spat ervan af!

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Sun Apr 02 2023
5

In 1989, along with Beastie Boys, these guys proved themselves as the vanguard of "alternative" approaching in hip hop context. They expanded the sound in every possible direction - sample(delia), "progressive" yet diverse musicality by trying to absorb all kind of popular black music (& probably music in general - De La Soul surely wanted to!). They also consciously moved away from aggressive macho/gangsta vibe, used the lyrics and sounds in an obviously more intellectual manner. If you want to know what's more about hip hop than "street" & "criminal" kind of content, this LP is the best to start with. Fav Track: Buddy (Ft Jungle Brothers & Q-Tip)

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Mon Apr 03 2023
5

Wow, where do I begin? I'll start by saying that there are only maybe 10-20% of rap artists I love, and the rest I typically detest. I rarely feel middle ground about rap, but De La Soul may have been in that category...until now! Prior to this listen, I only knew "Me, Myself and I" which I really like. It never moved me enough to buy the album though, and that's pretty much how we found new music back when this released. My bad! A major note is that this had been unavailable for streaming until about 4 weeks ago. This was due to the numerous samples used and getting clearance for those samples. It unfortunately happened just weeks after founding member, Trugoy the Dove, passed away though. (I did some research while listening). This album is special in, not only are the samples used creatively mixed, but the lyrics are intelligently crafted and not in a superficial way. This is a completely positive vibe, much like DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince were. I enjoyed every moment of listening to this. I'm absolutely certain I'll be listening to this many times. I've already listened to a few of the songs 2 or 3 times! If you're an "I hate rap" person, you probably won't enjoy it. However, I would suggest you listen anyway because this might be the album to show you that not "all rap is terrible". You might even get a chuckle at a few of the songs! For me, I regret not listening sooner!

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Tue Apr 11 2023
5

Amazing early hip-hop album.

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Tue Apr 18 2023
5

"3 Feet High and Rising" is the debut album by Long Island, NY hip hop group De La Soul. The album title is based on a Johnny Cash song. The album was produced by Prince Paul with the music and lyrics trying to distance itself from the gansta rap very popular at the time. The music is put into the genres of art rap, progressive rap, jazz rap, pyschedelic hip hop and sampledelia and very influential in each of those. It has sample-heavy production with samples of funk, soul, doo-wop, pyschedelic rock and children's music and bizarre and surreal lyrics. Yeah, I had no idea what they were rapping about at times but it sounded good. The album was a critical and commercial success reaching #1 in the Billboard R&B Albums Chart and #24 in the Top 200. It was also added to The National Recording Registry in 2010 for its significance. The album begins with "Intro" which is essentially a comedic game show hip hop skit. This continues throughout in the background. De La Soul is credited with introducing the hip hop skit approach. "The Magic Number" is the first single. Just a drum beat and background noises and samples. The rapping sounds like it was done into a megaphone. The magic number is three like the number of members in De La Soul. "Eye Know" has some of the best sampling I've heard combining Steely Dan's "Peg" and the guitar and horns from a Mad Lads' song. An easy groove and a simple love and great song. "Plug Tunin'" was their debut single. You know you got the sampling down when you can combine James Brown, Liberace and The Invitations. I think they're commenting on hardcore rap. "Buddy" features the Jungle Brothers, Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest and Queen Latifah. Great samples of a Commodores' song and a 1981 Taana Gardner's disco song. Great rhyming. "Me Myself and I" is my favorite De La Soul song. A strong beat. It's funky, catchy. They lay heavy into the sampling of Funkadelic's "(Not Just) Knee Deep." The song reached #1 on the Billboard R&B Charts. The album ends with the same game show skit that it began with. I'm not sure which one of the four contestants won. There's no doubt that this is a great and influential album. Great rhyming and just outstanding sampling. It is long at 73 minutes and at times somewhat disjointed between songs. But, it is a very enjoyable listen and rightly placed in musical history.

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Thu Apr 20 2023
5

Love this - brings back memories and a good mood

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Sun Apr 23 2023
5

Too long and too many tracks, but those are the only flaws I can find. Near perfect and deserving of 5/5.

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Tue May 09 2023
5

Incredible stuff. De La Soul was a blind spot for me and I loved this start to finish. Now looking for this on vinyl

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Mon May 15 2023
5

This album is awesome. So fun so happy it’s now on Spotify too

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Mon May 29 2023
5

I really liked this album! It felt like I was listening to a story in a really interesting way. You could tell everyone that had a hand in creating this album was insanely talented.

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Thu Jun 01 2023
5

An absolute CLASSIC! I've somehow never given the whole album a listen before, and if this isn't a masterclass in album pacing and flow, I honestly don't know what is! Fantastic lyrics/flows throughout, fantastic production, and an extremely entertaining concept--deserves to go down as one of the most influential hip-hop records of all time! Favorite Tracks: The Magic Number, Eye Know, Take it Off, Buddy, D.A.I.S.Y. Age (the list goes on...)

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Wed Aug 24 2022
4

This is actually one of my favorite hip hop albums of its era. From front to back De La Soul show their lyrical prowess and penchant for fireball sampling.

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Mon Sep 05 2022
4

Few tunes, fun little album!

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Tue Sep 06 2022
4

magic number is such a goooodddd song omgg. the album is good but can feel lengthy sometimes

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Wed Sep 07 2022
4

Curioso que este disco o lo tienes comprado en físico o nada. No es posible su descarga legal ni tampoco el streaming online. Todo parece que se debe a que los mil y un sample incluidos son imposibles de licenciar. Canciones como The Magic Number o Me myself and I, son suficientes para que este álbum estén en esta lista. Hip-hop y Rap del 89 con el aroma de los 90.

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Wed Sep 07 2022
4

Great stuff - never heard of it before.

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Fri Sep 09 2022
4

My favorite album so far (besides London calling). My favorite tracks: Potholes in my Lawn Tread water Ghetto thang The magic number Me myself and I Such a fun album!

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Mon Sep 12 2022
4

83/100: Wow, never heard of this group or album before and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long in my life to find this. What an incredibly fun energy from this album. It sounds like a group of friends just decided to make an album. I can almost picture De La Soul cracking jokes throughout recording sessions. The through line of the game show is both genius and hilarious, and I mean the sheer number of “De La Soul” based plays on words—from “de la clothes” to “de la heaven”—is so damn comical in a great way. Through all the fun, though, this group produced a masterpiece. I saw a YouTube comment (because this album for some reason isn’t on Spotify) calling this album the “Sgt. Pepper’s of rap,” and honestly I see it. This album follows no set of rules—it does what it wants throughout every second of every track. The interlude “Cool Breeze on the Rocks” is a great example of this. This song just sounds like flipping through stations on the radio, but somehow it just works within the context of the album. I wish this album was on Spotify so I can listen to it on repeat for the next week.

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Tue Sep 13 2022
4

Outstanding album. Inteligent, creative Hip hop without Ganstas or mumble. 4/5.

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Thu Sep 15 2022
4

Don’t normally listen to much hip-hop but this took me straight back to the 90’s! Lots of fun to listen to

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Sun Sep 18 2022
4

Jenifa Taught Me - interesting, thoughtful Ghetto Thang - very catchy Eye Know - whistle is a nice touch, very catchy Tread Water - very catchy Potholes in My Lawn - catchy, nice baseline Say No Go - nice baseline, vocals are angelic, drums go well De La Orgee - damn! Buddy - Q Tip!, mellow Me Myself and I - vibe, synth, harmony I Can Do Anything (Delacratic) - optimistic, vibey Happy, lovey dovey, 80s vibes but introspective, a tribe called quest vibes. more weed tho

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Mon Sep 26 2022
4

Highlights: Magic Number, Eye Know, Say No Go, Buddy, Description

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Sat Oct 01 2022
4

Enjoyed the listen. Amusing that they were labelled the hippies of rap.

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Tue Oct 04 2022
4

Much more country than I remembered.

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Tue Oct 04 2022
4

What an amazing album, I did not know what to expect but it was a fabolous experience Amazing flow, sampling on point, annoyig that it is avaliable becouse if more ppl knew about this album today it would be in the goat debate

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Thu Oct 06 2022
4

De La Soul consists of Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo, though producer Prince Paul is also worth mentioning as he contributed to the first 3 albums, including this one which is the De La Soul debut. 3 Feet High came out at a time when hip-hop was dominated by the goofy Beastie Boys and the serious Public Enemy. Choosing the carve a new path for themselves, De La Soul decided to make hip-hop that was much more relaxed while also being conscious of the topics they rapped about. Production-wise, Prince Paul would take a psychadelic approach to the samples that would be incorporated into the beats, making for a fresh new sound that complimented the vibe of the 3 MC's. In addition, certain songs such as Buddy (which just so happen to have a Q-Tip feature) would pave the wave for Jazz Rap in the 90's, spearheaded by the excellent A Tribe Called Quest. There is also a sample from I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) by Daryl Hall and John Oates, which is their best song. I could take or leave the skits and some of the other filler songs on here (Can U Keep a Secret and Do As De La Does has a way of killing the album's momentum). De La Soul can also be credited for the first "sex skit" with De La Orgee, which is a musical crime if I've ever heard it. Otherwise, this is an album worthy of praise: stylistically unique and pioneering in the hip-hop genre. Enjoy what you can.

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Fri Oct 07 2022
4

I didn't get all the way through this one because I kept getting busy but holy shit, this was amazing! Loved the beats, the lyrics, the performances, everything! Super laid back and yet all the flows were so precise. I only knew De La Soul from the "wash yo ass" song on Tony Hawk but now I need to get to know the rest of their discography.

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Tue Oct 18 2022
4

Good rhymes, interesting samples it's alright, dare I say even funky fresh?!

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Tue Oct 18 2022
4

This one hit me a lot harder than the Run DMC. Saw one review call this album the Sgt Peppers of hip hop and I liked that.

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Sat Oct 29 2022
4

Een van de weinige Hip Hop acts die ik altijd erg heb kunnen waarderen. Vrolijk en lekker veel catchy (gejatte) samples - dat is waarschijnlijk ook waarom dit album niet op Spotify staat: ze gingen gewoon muziek maken zonder te betalen voor de rechten van alle gebruikte samples. Toen de plaat een succes werd volgden er vele rechtzaken en hebben ze uiteindelijk geen cent aan de plaat verdiend. Gelukkig heb ik de CD nog 😅

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Sat Oct 29 2022
4

Niet gedraaid, maar ken deze plaat goed dus ik kan 'm blind 4 sterren geven.

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Sat Nov 05 2022
4

I'm not usually into the humorous, tongue-in-cheek type rap that was popular in the 80's and early 90's, but I think De La Soul did it better than any of the other rap groups that were popular in that time. The skits were funny and the songs are catchy as hell. This is an album that has really stood the test of time. No idea why it isn't on Apple Music.

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Tue Nov 15 2022
4

I love me some hip hop especially 80s and 90s

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Tue Nov 22 2022
4

It's regarded as a classic of the genre, and for good reason. It's quite enjoyable. It's just never been a 5 for me, but a strong 4

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Wed Nov 23 2022
4

Well I was very exited listening to this and then it went for 40 extra minutes with an orgy (orgee) skit. I like this kind of clean high quality mixing and I can see why people say its the SgtPLHCB of hip hop but Sgt is much more concise.

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Tue Dec 06 2022
4

Fun old school hip hop, fancy rhymes, good beats. Enjoyed the listen

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Mon Dec 12 2022
4

Classic, true pioneers of hip hop

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