3 Feet High and Rising

Creativo, diferente

Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Very Good - Where the previous album was hard-edged and direct, this is bouncy and light. A very fun album. Generally I don't mind skits but this is a little heavy on them. Eye Know is a great track. Everything on here is quite good but it never reaches a mind-blowing level that it is sometimes credited with. Clearly it's a very good album but it doesn't quite reach all-time great level.

2.5

Not my style, could be worse had some decent beats though.

прифанкованный хип-хоп для подростков эры расцвета.жанра

Not my kind of thing. There were a few songs that I've tagged to listen to again, but all in all, it wasn't for me.

Pure Joy! It would be fun to compile a list of "1001 albums to listen to you before you die" based on the artists/songs sampled in this album.

Cheerful, but I didn't really get into it.

Kinda fun at times, but not something I'd regularly listen to.

3.5 Refreshingly unserious, you can see how crazy influential these guys were

Heard Before? Yes. Notes: - SKITS = BAD. no exceptions. no excuses. - beats are stellar and sample selection is consistently amusing and often thrilling. i found myself using whosampled.com repeatedly. - flows lack variety, but that's true of all rap of this vintage. - lyrics are fun and clever, even if they rarely made me laugh. more attempts at seriousness than i remembered, and rather successful i think. Verdict: Arguably outdone by later De La Soul and some of their many imitators, but very much worth my time, as long as i skip the skits. Listen Again? Certain songs, yes! But a big no to the whole album.

It was okay

Wow, this was fun!

Awesome sample-based beats that draw on quite an eclectic variety of sources. A quirky and fun listen from classic hip-hop history.

(6/7) these guys sound like they have a lot of fun

This era of hip hop is hard not to like. I could probably listen to this on repeat all day, but I've never found myself drawn to it like I might be drawn to A Tribe Called Quest records.

A classic! Not writing much because I know it well.

This really is a great hip-hop album! Awesome debut from an IG and innovative group.

Sounds pretty actual given that is almost 40 years old. I can not give it more than two stars anyways I am sorry.

Delightful

Whoa, what a crazy record to have as a debut! 3 Feet High and Rising showcases De La Soul’s chops, lyrically, mentally and musically. For a debut album this really sets the bar high, at least 3 Feet High and Rising. -TomB

This album totally hits as a high point for the Golden Age of hip hop. It's like a trip through the D.A.I.S.Y. Age, all positivity, laughs, and super cool sampling. They throw in everything from Steely Dan to yodeling, the production is a genius mix of everything. It's chill and fun, proof that three friends having a blast can make magic. Some might say the skits are a bit much, but tracks like "Me Myself and I" and "Eye Know" make up for it. It's a bummer it was stuck off streaming for so long, but it still sounds amazing. It's more than just an album; it's a warm, funky, and brilliant piece of music history that you absolutely HAVE to hear.

fun album

Only got about halfway through. Pretty good but not really my thing.

Fire hip hop

I really like De La Soul, but I'm not usually in the mood to listen to an album's worth of De La Soul. Some of the hits I was familiar with on this album were here, some nice new ones to me and some interludes that were definitely better forgotten.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, the actual songs were all pretty good. Great bars and good rhythms. I hated most the skits and that weird orgee track. Just made me uncomfortable tbh.

music is love

Absolute high point of my hip hop experience. Seminal in helping me shape what I love about rap and samples at a time when I was just figuring it out. This and Fear are essential records for me. Love it so much.

I absolutely love the out of pocket samples and the hands on Prince Paul production. I don't love having an album pushing 30 tracks, but it doesn't hurt the overall feel.

Meh

Some of the songs in isolation are great. I thought I'd like this album more than I have

Larguísimo. Demasiado. Seguramente para la época muy importante. Hoy no me generó nada. 4/10

Kinda fun. Maybe a tad corny

again never thought id like this kind of music. The rhythm is tight, vocals and its flow push the song forward

8.5/10

We all need to remember we need A Little Bit of Soap. Hands down a fun album mixed with good vibes and silly skits.

This album was very entertaining. The intro was hilarious, and I like that they kept the skit going through throughout the album. These guys are masters of sampling, so there are always several musical tidbits per song that are fun to dissect. This style of rapping, the flow and cadence, is a bit outdated, but I still much prefer their lyricism to many modern rappers. It feels like De La is using the language to its fullest much more than some rappers today, even if the flows may sound a little corny. This album has a lot of character.

Awww, yehhhhhhhhh! I've had this album since it first came out, and I'm tempted to say it sounds even better (to me) now. What an amazing outpouring of creativity and positivity. Also humor, and groovy cool(ness). Maybe what makes it even more . . . accessible (for me) now is that hip hop is no longer so new, and so I'm better able to appreciate it (I no longer need to acclimate)? I wonder if it sounds kind of dated to you 2 (since it's older than you both)? The way that you hear it must (I think) inevitably be a little different from how I hear it. And not just because I'm already familiar with it; also because hip hop was already here, when y'all came on the scene. The reason I bought the album, back in 1989? "Me, Myself, and I" -- I loved that song instantly, and still do. Other standouts: "The Magic Number" (of course I'd love that one), and "Eye Know." But the whole album is a happy, funky, groovy (in both senses) psychedelic trip. I even like the cover art. ;) 5 stars? yehhhhh, boy-ee!

very fun listen. the funniest record I've heard on this list so far, topping College Dropout. It reminds me of the Beatles White Album for the humor and because I could have done without some parts. Difficult one for me to rate because it isn't quite what I like to listen to, although it did spark some interest in Hip-Hop for me. I found the flows enjoyable even though I usually don't like them from this period. I'm going with a strong 3 - 7/10 territory. Its casualness is both good and bad

Hey guys! We RAP! and every line RHYMES! There's a song about HYDRATION! we were cool.... In our TIME Two stars. Won't listen to it again

Classic for a reason! Unbelievable that this came out in 1989, cuz it still sounds so fresh. I had thought that this came out the same year as the Dream Warrior's first album, but apparently their first album came out in 91. Regardless, it's so good to hear hip-hop that's fun and not all gangsta.

its like a 3.7 but the skits take it down. sorry i know its quirky!

Samples plus samples plus samples as well as some samples. 3.9/5

Some like classic rap, I enjoyed it. Seems like it had some important themes and messages, wish I had more time to delve into it.

lowkey kinda lit

I don't smoke weed. Maybe if I did then this would be alright.

It's fine. I don't think I'd listen again, but maybe. It is a pretty funny album, but nothing that I want to really come back to.

I always liked De La Soul pretty good…or, I guess more accurately, I always liked this record pretty good; I’ve never heard any of their other records. But, this record is pretty classic hip hop. I always appreciated that they kind of seemed to do their own thing. This record is catchy and goofy and unassuming. I wish there were more like it. 8.5/10

Just a really fun and goofy album, and the beats and sampling are great. Although an hour long, the album doesn't get boring and most of the songs go by rather easily (except for De La Orgee of course). There are some weaker tracks here and there but this doesn't affect the final score too much.

Lots of brights spots on this album, but plenty of imperfections -- too long, lots of frustrating talking in between tracks, and lots of songs I'd probably skip in the future. One of those albums that I'd maybe change my tune on for the positive in the future though.

I dig this album more than my Mamma's lasagna, it's so excellent!

Their debut album. Hip Hop. The humour and delivery style are great. Funky beats and fun to listen to. Decent production too. The skits are kind of lame in 2026 but I can get past that. This is definitely one of the most important and best Hip Hop albums ever.

Great hip-hop album, really fun listening. (3 Is) The Magic Number was my fav song and fav first listen of the album with Plug Tunin' (Last Chance To Comprehend) and Me Myself and I as my other highlights

I was ready to give this 5 stars but it's nothing like I remember. The highs are up there, but a lot felt like filler. This makes me so sad.

A joy from start to finish.

Tror detta ver den första hiphop jag verkligen hörde och jag hade inte behövt höra nån mer. Den har allt! Det kommer aldrig göras en bättre hipjopplatta

Färgglad och blommig hiphop, inte bara på omslaget. Rätt kul att lyssna på, flera bra samplingar. Men det balanserar på en fin gräns där det ibland går över till att kännas lite för plojigt. Och förstås, den vanliga hiphop-sjukan med för långt album. Bästa spår: Ghetto thang, Eye know, Say no go, Buddy

Småtrevlig oldschool hiphop. Inget mästerverk men klart lyssningsvärt även om skivan kunde kortats ned en del. T ex borde naturligtvis skits vara förbjudna.

Det spelar ingen rollen för mig hur annorlunda de lät då i förhållande till annan hiphop. Det låter idag mest som trams som inte underhåller mig. Det först när jungle brothers och q-tip gästar som det lyfter något. Klart roligare än Dover, men ändå inte mer än godkänt.

Cool

It was fun, but didn't keep my interest.

Such a great album

Middle school memories

Great Hiphop classic!

Wish they still made this kind of thing.

Mariguana + mente musical = maravillas

I just couldn't get into this one, at all!

On paper this sounds like exactly the kind of thing I'd like, but it didn't really hit for me. The hooks are good enough, but the lyrics are only OK and the jokey parts haven't stood the test of time (to be fair any skits on rap or hip hop albums are always pretty bad). Overall I was surprised to find this pretty boring

Uncool

Great classic hip hop album! Love me some de la soul

6/10

Great

THREEE IS THE MAGIC NUMBEEEER YEAH

Not bad, but rap has never been my genre

Rap. Long album. Listened with half my brain.

I grooved to most of this except the whispering track I had to skip because misophonia and the unnecessary De La Orgee. Some great samples. Been a while since my high school French, but I think there was something about lunch? Appropriate as I listened on my lunch break. I'll listen (to most of it) again.

Liked all the elements surrounding this album. The lyrics and vocals were the primary focus of this album and they weren't good but me personally I lean towards instrumentation which was in there but I wish there was more uniqueness in sound throughout the album. 6/10, Favorite Song: Description

some really good songs but I don't think the style of de la soul is all for me. i'm giving this a strong 7/10. first listen tracklist ranking: 1. Me Myself and I 2. Eye Know 3. The Magic Number 4. Say No Go 5. Buddy 6. Tread Water 7. Ghetto Thang 8. Plug Tunin’ 9. Potholes in My Lawn 10. This Is A Recording 4 Living In a Fulltime Era 11. Change in Speak 12. D.A.I.S.Y. Age 13. Jenifa Taught Me 14. Description 15. Intro 16. Transmitting Live from Mars 17. Do as De La Does 18. A Little Bit of Soap 19. Take It Off 20. I Can Do Anything 21. Can U Keep A Secret 22. Cool Breeze on the Rocks 23. De La Orgee

Overrated af this

Liked: Eye Know

Man, I had such high hopes for this but it just didn't really hit as hard as I was hoping. Just failed to have any real punch to it.

Fun, old school hip hop. I can see why this album is so influential. I never listened to it when it came out but I certainly do appreciate why it is so respected now that I have. Great beats, great samples, and effortless flow from the MCs. Perfect rap album.

Listened in the car. Very conflicted about this one because the actual songs are really great. Love the funky energy and summer vibes. But the skits and set dressing around those songs are either boring, cringe, unfunny, or just gross. Like most hip-hop and rap of this era, I wish they'd just ditch these stupid skits and let the music do all the talking.

It's garbage day, good, I can take this out with it.

"The Magic Number" was ok, but the rest didn't do much for me...

Not really my bag but some of it was quite fun.

I think this album is very interesting considering the albums that followed it in the late 90s. It seems like it was the last generation of 80s style of hip-hop before the turn of the decade with 2Pac biggie and N.W.A..

Sounds like childhood ❤️

Funky and fun… just not a genre I see myself coming back to again anytime soon.

Me myself and I is a major throwback to NCAA Football 2006!!

When hop hip was fun. Too much gibberish between tracks that just gets more annoying with each listen but the tracks are exceptional so great album overall.

Loved this when it came out. It still holds up pretty well though it starts to drag near the end.

Some decent tunes but could have been edited to remove a few of the lesser tracks.

Rap and Hip Hop are really not genres that I listen to. The use of samples on this album were pretty good. I just can’t see myself listening to this album again.

Gah I've tried a few times to like the album and just can't do it. Obviously some classics on this. Just can never get over the runtime and don't gel with the skits inbetween

It was a fun listen, albeit a bit too long. Hip hop pop with a little goofiness thrown in.

What I love most about De La Soul is how funky each soulful track is. Their grooves are infectious and they deliver every rhyme casually yet filled with intention. 3 Feet High and Rising does a great job presenting this group and all of their talents. Some of the skits between songs are schticky and, as I’ve said in previous reviews that included such material, don’t add much value to the album so my preference would be that they were left off. Otherwise I enjoyed this listen and am a fan of the band.

De La Soul is Dead. If you know, you know. p-p-put it on vibrate! RIP Trugoy.

Quality pop flavored hip hop, nothing to dislike about it. In fact, I really enjoyed it. Fun listen end to end, no complaints other than the goofy skits.

Wierd. I know these guys from the salmon song, and was not surprised by the children music sound to it, but then with the wierd sex stuff mod to late album it was a very strange combo. Don’t love it

Incredible rap album. Loved the skits, loved the clear, colourful and story driven lyrics. Some of the lines painted pics. Was fun to listen to as a full album and get the full story. 1 song added to playlist.

This is an album I was looking forward to. It’s got plenty of nice grooves and is mostly easy to get into and listen to. It feels very “after-school special” in so many ways, which makes the stuff that doesn’t (like De La Orgee and a few others) feel really out of place. Even though there’s a lot of effort put into making this feel like a complete listening experience, I could probably just take the hits going forward. They seemed to be the best songs.

Not my jam...

Landmark album

some fun stuff in here, but mostly forgettable. wont go back to listen to this. their samples are cool. 3 songs i really liked and stood out but everything else meshed together. 5/10

Liked Me, Myself & I and DAISY Age. Rest of this was kind of lifeless

One of the classic albums in hip-hop history, and I think rightly deserving of its place. Absolutely groundbreaking in 1989, along with Paul's Boutique it just took sampling so much further forward (and also sparked years of legal disputes). I don't think anything else really sounded like this at the time. The hits speak for themselves (edge to Eye Know with the "Peg" sample I think, but Me Myself and I is also just such a fun song) but there were some gems in here I didn't really know, such as Ghetto Thang and Buddy). Probably an extra half star for sheer influence here, but this provided a sonic template for so many others to follow.

I have a hard time imagining people not having at least a little bit of fun with this album. In a decade that was seeing the rise of gangsta rap, De La Soul provides what feels like an antithesis. There's an undoubtedly playful vibe throughout the entire record. While it's not perfect, there are just enough hits sprinkled in to keep your attention throughout. One of the most clear examples of passion and creativity in the genre. Highlights: (3 Is) The Magic Number Eye Know (feat. Otis Redding) Tread Water Me Myself and I

Great beats fun vibe

Not my style

8 / 10 - Gute Laune Hip-Hop - Samples aus vielen verschiedenen Genres und Äras - höchst einflussreich für alternative hip-hop und "Jazz Rap" Favs: - (3 Is) The Magic Number - Me Myself And I

Listenable hip hop but once is enough

Whimsical and fun, sometimes a little too goofy for me. The sound is very warm and fits the tone of the lyrics really well.

Good, bit repetitive

Um álbum importante da história do Hip-hop, porém dia bem datado. QoA Cloudscape.

A little more kitschy than their later records, and my personal least favorite of their first 4 albums, but still a classic with SO much creative sampling and quippy lyricism throughout.

This album gets better every time I listen to it. At first I had a tough time, making up the vocals, and I still don’t really know who is wrapping most of the time, but the instrumentals are crazy, and there are so many funny moments that, as a fan of MF DOOM and Open Mike Eagle, I can’t help but deeply appreciate this album.

A record that makes one feel alive.

- Clever and Slick lyrics - Great beats - Singing about not-so family friendly topics, but they seem so happy doing it that you might not notice - Liked 'The Magic Number', 'Eye Know', and 'Me Myself and I'

I liked this. Enjoyed the whole album. Liked the Magic Number and Eye Know the best.

Loved the energy after several snoozefests!

3/5/26 - listened during a drive to a meeting. I enjoyed it but probably nothing I would listen to again. Some of the skits were unnecessary. Best Song - Jenifa Taught Me

Hip Hop, 56 eme album =>1/5

Very vibey music

Very very fun album, hard to choose between a 3 and a 4. It's not something I'm blown away by and there are definitely songs I would not really care about ever revisiting BUT there are enough songs which are vibey for me to give it a 4 I guess.

I am a goofy kind of guy but this album is even too goofy for me. That said, the Steely Dan sample on Eye Know was a stroke of genius.

Bisher interessant

Good fun to listen to, and a couple of classics on here. A bit long for my taste: I would prefer to lose the skits, although I get they're part of the character of the whole piece.

Old school

Hip hop but sadly not quite as good as I wanted it to be.

Fine but didn't enjoy that much

Diggin this old school rap hehe. There was something so pure and almost naivety to the older stuff. Rap has morphed into something so weird. I can't get into the newer stuff.

Very fun album. I love how random the lyrics are at some points like it’s just a bunch of improv comedy skits made by a group of friends. Overall very entertaining with a few bangers that I’d listen to again.

Some fun stuff in here. Nice sound.

If you listen to this and DON'T smile, something is definitely wrong with you.

so fun easy listening

Too many annoying skits but some classics on there

Not for me

FUN

zzz

I’ll go out on a limb and say this is the best hip hop album ever made, and hands down my favorite. I played this nonstop when it came out, and have had many of the songs in heavy rotation ever since. The lyrics are masterful, fun, and funny and the sampling and production is so good and complex that I would argue it hasn’t been equalled (especially since now the cost of clearing all the samples would be astronomical). The album just feels like a group of friends having fun on the mic and in the studio, and it’s also the album that introduced Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest (whose Low End Theory might be the only other album that comes close to this one). I’m awarding this one: 5️⃣⭐️🌼⭐️🎉⭐️👏⭐️

Buena

4/5

Great hip-hop pioneer album from sample wizards

Hell yes 4.25/5

Funky and infectious, De La Soul sounds like a natural evolution of hip hop and rap working its way from old school to the more modern sounding rap that Nas would deliver on “Illmatic”. Entertaining to listen to, never dull. But the rhymes include references I’m not privy to since I come from a different culture. I can still appreciate the sound. What happened to De La Soul? They should have been bigger. 3 stars ( 1 for each foot )

This didn’t feel like an hour long album. It was a bit odd but fun!

boh non mi ha fatto impazzire

What's left to say about this? A friggin' masterpiece and a reminder of the road that hip hop didn't end up following.

It’s alright

Absolute classic oh hip-hop.

No me gustó, no es mi estilo

Junto con Digable Planets son uno de los mejores grupos de Hip-Hop dela historia. El colectivo Native Tongues son una de mis debilidades, aquí por ejemplo canta Q tip en la excelente Buddy. No proceden de suburbios marginales sino de la Universidad. No por ello rehuyen temáticas habituales en el rap (Ghetto thang a base de Trans-Europe Express de Kraftwerk ). Su calidad musical está fuera de toda duda y su estilo e imagen son únicos. Con samples fuera del circuito habitual (A Little Bit of Soap de los Jarmels, Five feet high and rising de Johnny Cash en The magic number...) y una temática ajena a las luchas de bandas y violencia, se ganaron el respeto de crítica y público. Pero De la soul eran y son más, son una banda que no se ajusta a ningún estilo, en constante cambio. El megaéxito Me myself and I no es el único gran tema de este fabuloso disco: Can U Keep a secret o Eye Know (con sample de Steely dan) por ejemplo. 24 temas en poco más de una hora y hasta 8 sencillos nada menos lanzaron. Tanto este como el siguiente De la soul is dead son absolutamente recomendables.

240226 15:10 3.5

There are too many hip hop albums with a full track of just moaning (or something similar). Otherwise this aged pretty well compared to other 80s hip hop

Points off for De La Orgee, but all in all, a great album

Good front to back.

De La Soul, with their Daisy-powered vibe, were the original "hippie" rappers, but they were always able to keep a fair bit of hip-hop cred because they were completely authentic, they actually had the lyrical and verbal chops to justify their popularity on an artistic level, and Prince Paul's production was very funky and creative. 3 Feet High and Rising is a pleasant listen, even if a lot of the music sounds dated. I'm also not a fan of skits crowding up albums. They can be fun the first time through, but I get tired of them very quickly on subsequent listens. I know De La Soul's fanbase tends to like the skits on their albums, so this is a personal preference. 3 Feet High and Rising is a classic in the conscious hip-hop genre and was groundbreaking when it was released. Still, I think that De La Soul (and the Native Tongues crew) would make more captivating records as they developed their style. Three stars.

this was really good but there was definitely too much filler and idk how to feel about the orgy song i won’t lie

Interesting. There were times where it was enjoyable but they were few and far between. It was cool to see Otis Redding featured on a hip-hop album though. 1.5 outta 5

I think this exposes a key issue with the album a day format. I’ve spent my whole life hearing how amazing de la soul is, they’re the best hip hop group ever!!! They’re on the gorillaz hits!!! But only getting a one time through this thing, I don’t like it. I’m so sure if I sat down and listened through and got the time to enjoy this for a week or so I would really like it. I hear it’s lyrically dense and clever! But all I’m getting round one is boring production and songs about taking off clothes and talking to a fish. Second half is an improvement, starting around say no go, but it’s still not my favorite. This is one I will have to return to but I’m forced to give it this rating until I can come back and really dissect it; time that really is not allowed by this process. I will say, very deserving to be on this list.

There are so many special songs to me on this album but I would just go for those and probably not play the whole thing very often… I feel like there’s so much lore and imagery to explore in this and it’s a work of art but it’s also a lot of effort to listen to, like poetry. But tread water and a little bit of soap and three is a magic number are bangersssss

Thought it was okay - I like the first half better than the second. Gameshow element was fun.

Never heard of them or listened to them - this was a fun/unique/weird (in a good way)/enjoyable album to listen to! Will most likely comeback to this one and give it a re-listen in the future

Pretty fun album that overstays it's welcome and can be very very repetitive 5-6/10

Alright backing tracks but the vocals were just either bad or weird. Overall pretty mid.

4.7

Awesome sounds and feels. So glad I got to listen to this

Used to really love this one... but geez it's all over the place

Yeah this one’s real weird I only knew De La Soul as the guys who did the rap part for Feel Good Inc before this, so bit of a different vibe here. It’s not garbage or anything, but reading the lyrics melts my brain, they’re just a little too silly. The more music focused songs do sound good, there’s some good variety in there. The skits can be pretty funny in an absurd “what am I listening to” way. I do think it goes on a little too long, and some songs just don’t hit very much, but I’m glad I listened to this one. Absolutely the most unique hip hop I’ve ever heard.

Very interesting! I think the use of samples was wonderful and gave the songs great energy. There was good rapport among the group which made the song light and fun, and I enjoyed the callbacks to older tracks along with the more strange lyrics. Only downside is that it almost got a little too nursery rhyme for me. I think the slower rhythm with the simpler rhymes weren't doing it favors and gave the album a more amateurish vibe.

Not bad, not great. From a different time I guess, when rap/hip-hop/r&b were a little more fun and actually had to appeal to more than one demographic. Especially enjoyed the cuts between tracks.

This album is fun, there are certain moments that happen in this album and I think to myself that it’s funny or clever. I kind of vibed to this album, but it’s not my kind of music still, so it’s okay in my rankings.

This album is a strange experience. On paper I love what De La Soul are doing. But I look through the track listing after listening and I think do I really like many of these songs? Usually the moments that capture me are the fairly on the nose samples of my favourite songs like Peg in Eye Know, Hall & Oates in Say No Go, the very famous Me Myself and I Funkadelic sample. After hearing those samples I want to go and listen to the originals rather than appreciating what De La have done with it. Maybe Me Myself and I is an exception there. In the end I enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would. Though admittedly, I wasn’t expecting much. The gameshow skit is funny and does add a nice bridge in between a few of the songs. I think this album is a great example of one of those albums that if you got into it when it came out and it was part of your life for years, you might be inclined to call it a classic. For a new listener though I can't say the same. Maybe if I come back to it more often I might end up giving it a 4 or more. Did I ned to hear this before I die? I’d say so

Old school.

Incredible rap album. Loved the skits, loved the clear, colourful and story driven lyrics. Made me imagine a visual with some on the lines. Best sampling I’ve heard on a rap album. 100% will be revisiting this one. BANGER

A day after the Jungle Brothers was not the best timing. I was bored by the whole album, especially when considering the prior day with a freaking De La Soul feature (which was better than anything here).

I really like the vibe of this record. It's fun, and fresh, and bright. I even enjoy all the skits and throwaway tracks. My only real issue is the length. Like so many CD-era albums it's just too long, probably 20 minutes could've been cut. Save it for the next record, my dudes. FOUR STARS

This album is stupid

the artists sound like they're having a lot of fun playing and producing this album which makes it fun to listen to. I liked that the songs sampled well known beats from other songs into them. since the album was long, the little skits broke up and separated the album in a good way. had a hippie vibe. 6/10

The earliest hip hop album that I’ve really enjoyed so far. This is some brilliant and colorful sampling and production, with such a lighthearted flow and delivery over the top. The skits add a charm that puts into context the vibe of impulsively fucking about in the studio. Simply a lot of fun.

pretty cool rapping with great flow and cool use of sampling, pretty atypical of the genre (well i've only heard the greats thanks to the list so there's a lot of standards here)

This list has made me fond of this hip-hop style from this era, with great sampling and just a vibey feel. It really just sounds like what a Tribe Called Quest did before they came onto the scene, but lacking that extra mile. Because of that, it feels lacklustre but is still a great record regardless and deserves its applause.

Pretty meh. Like a joke album like Afroman? But not funny.

I really, really, really hate interludes/skits

Another album I recognise the cover off but never listened to. Ideal city summer album and very obviously an influence

Hell yeah another classic I know. I guess I can hit this one before I vote though, it's actually not my fav De La album. That's likely gonna be De La Soul is Dead. But, looking forward to spinning again! It's actually been a while. 1. Intro - lol I forgot about this aspect, the game show albums of De La. This is the sort of album that I really wanna make, just dumb as hell but so so good. It makes the fun they had doing this come through. "Blood sucking freaks just like your mama" IS NUTS 2. 3 is a Magic Number - heck of a start for their first ever debut track. Schoolhouse Rock sample, very very cool. Right up my alley. The mix and multisampling is noticeably looser than it would become later, but it's working out still. Even their verses are a lot less tight but again, it's still working out because they are good at it. Not as good as they'd be in some years, but still high skill. God Schoolhouse Rock Bob Dorough sample is SO COOL. 3. Change in Speak - hey it's Bra! By Cymande! De La and Tribe had the best samples in the game. Jungle Brothers too. I guess all of Native Tongues? Anyway I'm trying not to pay too much attention to the music here and get more into the lyrics which i always have trouble with cuz the sampling work is so interesting to me. While trying to do that, their verses being less tight is coming back up again. Flow still great for everyone involved (Pos is in my top 5 for a reason) but they're voices literally aren't as clear as they'd be in the future. 4. Cool Breeze - lol 5. Can U Keep a Secret - I can imagine that if you don't find this kind of humor fun, you wouldn't like this album. I really, really do though. Just dudes having a good time and every few songs making something totally classic and great sounding. 6. Jenifa Taught Me - yeah see Paul's work is a lot looser here. Think about this and then Is Dead for something like Pease Porridge. It also has kind of an uneven sample but it remains funky throughout. This doesn't come close to that, even though I'm still able to listen and enjoy. The Little Derwin break is v funny. Again I bet if you take yourself too seriously, you wouldn't like that. But I do. 7. Ghetto Thang - funky up front, really like the sampling work here. That kinda cabasa groove with the bassline is working. I should hit the lyric sheet for this one, I hear some conscious stuff in here. 8. Transmitting Live from Mars - the French? Bon bon? Again dig the sample. This one is pretty Doom-like. 9. Eye Know - banger alert, been a favorite for ages. Anyone that samples Steely Dan is in for me. Works so well with the Otis Redding. This is an art I'd love to get good at. I wonder how to put all the elements together and hear them in your head before recording. Love their flow once again. Pos is my #1 in this group but Dave and Mase always keep up. 10. Take It Off - see man just sounds like black joy. Got a huge opportunity with the album and they're having a ton of fun with it while still making good music. Dream stuff. Take that Kangol off? Okay I'll tell 13 year old me immediately. 11. A Little Bit of Soap - I actually sing this one very often lol. One of my favorite tracks from the album genuinely. Someone was mad when they made this and it's v funny. 12. Tread Water - oh yeah I bet people were thinking this wasn't serious enough when it came out. It's too enjoyable, not serious enough, etc. It is serious though, when it needs to be. But when it doesn't? They're crafting stories with humor and joy and tight verses to boot. 13. Potholes in My Lawn - yup another classic. Never realized there's a jaw harp at the top of this and with the yodeling sample but I'm simply not surprised. Cmon man, yodeling sample? And it fits? How can you be angry about that? What kinda guy are you are? 14. Say No Go - this one I'm not as familiar with. Yeah I love their flow. It all works really well together, just similar enough to each other to facilitate cohesion when they're switching off verses. 15. Do as De La Does - this one is def satire on 80s hip hop. LL type stuff, maybe a little Grandmaster Flash with the call and response. The skits in the middle are still killing me lol. The Italian guy. 16. Plug Tunin - one of the best grooves on the album and that's really saying something. I often stim that "mmmmmmmyeayuhh" at the end of the groove after "Plug Tunin" is said. Crazy delay, whole whole quarter. Chuck D mention, neat. Also this came out in 88?? Sounds closer to mid 90s. 17. De La Orgee - this is crazy lol why would this happen. Someone just screaming bloody murder at the end is nuts. Why?? 18. Buddy - and the last track being followed by this one, Hip hop royalty. Somehow they got that Commodores sample to sound even crisper than it originally is. It's so clean. I don't know if I need to say much about this one, studded with the Native Tongues talent all over, critically lauded. You know how it is. I will say Q-Tip is here who is also top five for me, but his flow is still not as beloved to me as any of the 3 in De La. Afrika is on this?? 19. Description - hell yeah Poet by Sly and Fam Stone sample. Hey Q-Tip is back. Not sure I'm a huge fan of the flow they have going on between everyone here, but I like that sample. 20. Me Myself & I - well we've hit #1 on this album so there ya go. The recording on Spofity sounds kinda weird, that "play it now" has been replaced. I wonder why. It's the same Funky Worm sample but it's pitched differently on this recording. Hmm. Anyway, big classic. "BLACK IS BLAAACK" 21. This is A Recording - sample is sick. Like very sick, that bassline and the 1-4 synth. Their flow is back to normal here. Sample is The Sequence! Makes sense. The structure of the rhyme reminds me of Trapped Into Darkness a little. The way they state the title at the end of their verse. 22. I Can Do Anything (Delacratic) - again just dicking around lol wonderful. 23. D.A.I.S.Y Age - AWB sample up front kind of a tease! Wish that kept going, I was enjoying that. I'm not sure I would have chosen to cap the whole thing off with this one, it's a little weak for that purpose. It kind of acts as a theme so it makes sense, though. Hey they had an actual sweepstakes thing at the end of this! That's really cool. Yeah that was still as much fun as I remember it being. It's not their strongest outing, but for their very first and also in 88 it's really really really good. Identity was so clear right away and it makes the album that much more enjoyable. Knowing what De La would do later, I have a hard time giving a 5 but it's a solid 4.

Finally something fun and awesome! Love these guys, instant dance party!

Some good songs, old school hip hop, but hit to be repetitive

Good feel group from my youth. De La Soul always knows how to cheer you up. Listening to a whole album of theirs was a bit much, though.

Still one of the best rap/hip-hop albums ever.

Well done, but not my thing

It was fun!

Repeating my self as usual. Younger me would have probably rated it higher.

1. intro - 1 2. magic - 1.5 3. zpeak - 1.5 4. breeze - 0 5. zecret - 0 6. taught -1.5 7. ghetto - 1.5 8. marz -1.5 9. eye -1.5 10. take - 0 11.soap-1 12. Water - 1.5 13. Lawn- 0 14. Say- 1.5 15. Does - 0 16. Plug - 1 17. Orgee -0 18. Buddy - 1.5 19. Description - 0 20. Me - 1.5 21. Recording - 1 22. Anything - 0 23. Age - 1

Another album cover that made me shudder in anticipation for awfulness. But this was less terrible than expected, which could just be because the last albums have not been great. Anyway it was decent, not the kind of album I would go around listening to again, but didn't hate it.

Really mixed feelings on this one. Massively hit and miss. On the positive side, this was a refreshing difference from most of the other hiphop that has come up on this list so far. It was upbeat, comedic, silly, fun. On the negative side, as an album, there's too much nonsense and not enough music. Also, as much as I enjoyed this more than most of the other hiphop that has come up, it's still not my thing, and this album hasn't changed that at all. This album sort of comes across as just a group of friends messing about, so I'm sure they had a lot of fun recording it, they're probably fun people to be around, but listening to it as an album... meh. Rating a 3 just to differentiate it from other hiphop, which I've generally rated lower. Probably deserved anyway since it's inventive in the face of all of the gangsta rap from the same period.

No song was memorable because they are all so short. It sounded like they were having fun while recording which gives the whole album a good vibe. I can't deny this album is a fun listen, the beats are distinct between songs and funky. This is the time where repetitive beats works because each song is so short it doesn't matter. De La Orgee made me very uncomfy, different times I guess.. other than that I found the lyrics refreshing compared to a lot of other hip hop albums on the list Felt like it would have benefited from being shorter but I would never give it higher than a 3 low 3

I like a bit of Hippy Hop

Groovy. Selline mitte-nii-sügav ja pigem igapäevane lüürika, mulle täitsa meeldib. Oma ajastu jaoks vast revolutsiooniline kõla. Hea kraam, võiks veel kuulata. 4.3/5

3+ Being told you have dandruff and b.o. whilst being lyrically and musically soothed - lovely Strong start, tails off massively - Too long Imagine going into recording booth and making sex noises and thinking it's a good idea to put it out.

I don’t think this one got 5 mics but it’s 90’s hip hop at its best. Sample heavy, stupid skits, lots of guests. RIP Trugoy.

Gražu, senasis hiphopas.

I find early hip hop just really boring, musically.

5, it’s the albums rating. Yes it is. It’s the albums rating.

Not bad early Rap.

innovative hip-hop, dance rhythm but lyrics passed me by

All the link pieces date it a bit, but then it launches into an all time classic bit of hip hop. 3 is the magic number is still cool af. So many amazing tracks on here. Loved the quirky nature of De La Soul. Feels a bit more cerebral and musical than most of the gangster stuff that soon followed. Looses its way a bit as an album, but when it’s good it’s absolutely brilliant. Helps that there are so many amazing samples on it. Made in the era before sample licensing killed off this kind of eclectic sample based music. Amazing it was also made before sampling was particularly easy to do as well. 3.5 rounded up to a 4

Firstly what a cool cover, still looks so cute and fresh! Some of the songs are very fun but also some didn’t really connect for me. (3.5 stars)

I wish I could enjoy this kind of music, but it just sounds so dated to me.

No. 106 90s hip hop at its finest. Front to back play, no skips required.

This album is one of the few where I find myself enjoying the skits (except for De La Orgee that one can go). Just a great hip hop album front to back with fun beats, creative sampling, and good flows.

very overrated album, there is some absolute shit on this album, most notably take it off, there are far too many interlude type tracks on the album (a similar issue i had with mmm food) it breaks up the experience of listening a lit and gets very boring after a while standout tracks are: eye know, Say no go, Buddy the best tracks on the album are the tracks with features

8/10 - now this is quintessential 80s hip hop, not offensive, just fun rhymes but still deep when it wants to be

Best Song: (3 is) The Magic Number. Such a great kickoff to the album. Great rhymes and a killer chorus. Worst Song: Take It Off. It's not clear whether this is a skit or a song, but for me it fails at being either. Overall: Fun, sprawling, jazzy, upbeat. This is a great album, The wordplay is great, the beats are great. The whole album feels like a party.

corny as hell (complimentary)

This is my kind of hip-hop. It is smart and fun and yet doesn't take itself too seriously. The beats are solid. This is a great way to spend an hour. "Golden age of hip-hop" indeed

decent album - some cool licks #musicsky 3albumsky

Super

Super !

Highlights: (3 Is) The Magic Number, Jenifa Taught Me (Darwin's Revenge), Ghetto Thang, Eye Know, Tread Water, Say No Go, Me Myself and I, This Is a Recording 4 Living in a Fulltime Era (L.I.F.E.) Lowlights: Can U Keep a Secret, Do as De La Does This was a great fun listen, but the skits and interludes still don't really work for me. Seeing how I felt the same on a previous Rap album, maybe that's just something I don't get. Some of the mixing also sounded off to me, but maybe that's an effect of them needing to adjust samples.

Beats. Lyricism and Flow are fun and cheesey. This was THE 80's hip hop album until Rakim hit the scene

The beats are very nice and I automatically start to bop my head while listening to this album. However HipHop is not really my style of music but I still enjoyed it.

álbum legal, tá? but I barely listen to it

Tja, dat is vroege hiphop

subir le spectacle de rap des enfants mais en fait la vie est belle

skrit skrit c'est comme ca que j'imaginais le rap quand j'ecoutais pas de rap boum boum clap mais est ce que ce serait pas l'oeuf ou la poule du rap ?

I feel another apology coming on, this band was marketed as a sort of hippie hip hop group in the UK so I avoided them, but this is really exuberant, innovative and sharp. I am not a huge fan of samples and this album is full of them, but where else can you get Steely Dan, Otis Redding and Booker T Jones together in the same song (Eye Know) in such a way that it feels fresh. It remains only for me to ask..how many fibres are actually intertwined in a shredded wheat biscuit?

wasn't a big surprise for me that the album left me unharmed but also unimpressed.

8/10

Not as good as I remember. Magic Number / Eye Know / Potholes in my Lawn / Me Myself and I are still laid back classics. Unfortunately there is alot of filler tracks and crappy skits that disrupt the listening experience and unfortunately means its a 4 and not a 5.

Happy hip-hop. So much better than gangsta rap. Some great samples - especially having listened to Steely Dan a couple of days ago on this list. Beyond the big tunes, the rest a bit filler, but the album flows well.

We had this album when I was a kid and I remember my dad playing it a lot. Love to see a reference to Schoolhouse Rock. Sometimes when I see big potholes I get that "Potholes in my Lawn" poppin' up in my head. I like "Eye Know"

Good

Not enough songs talking to fish; too many songs referring to penises as jimmy

Eye Know still legitimately sounds good. About 3 other classics (Magic Number, Buddy, Me Myself and I) that sound fine, but only in context that they're nearly 40 years old. To reach 23 tracks mean lots of awful skits and filler songs

I like it when early hip hop is all "my name is Matt and I'm hear to say." "A Little Bit of Soap" is giving Tracy Morgan in Werewolf Bar Mitzvah vibes. Like the vibe but only a couple songs make me pay attention.

Jup, Old-School Hiphop ist einfach groß. Ich bin einfach auch nicht so der Gangsta, da kommt mir entgegen, dass das hier nicht so im Vordergrund steht. Es ist vor allem sehr viel Spaß, sehr gute Beats und insgesamt auf der musikalischen Ebene Top. Daumen hoch.

Such a monumental album of my youth

Chopsticks and yodelling in the middle of tracks says it all for me! Quite a few tracks with a single basic theme all the way through, extremely repetitive. I remember a couple of tracks which were decent, but there's way too many I wouldn't want to listen to again.

This album has such a… joyous quality to it. The grooves are infectious, the lyrics are fun and witty, the flows are perfect. This whole album just makes me wanna smile.

this was so enjoyable to listen to. kinda childlike and silly. very fun

3.5

Such incredible sampling and exactly the type of 90s rap I love. Though not every song was my favorite and some had beats that were a bit repetitive, this reminded me a lot of A Tribe Called Quest. Still having its own vibe and feeling extremely fresh for being from 1989. Super intricate production and a great listening experience.

Wow. That intro into Magic Number? I like this. Ghetto Thang, Potholes in My Lawn, and Buddy (ft. Jungle Brothers) were all standouts.

Nothing better than hearing a sample of Peg by Steely Dan A great. So many good samples, sounds fresh, entertaining, bouncy, great vibes. Potholes in my lawn 4

Pretty awesome beats on this seminal hip hop album.I'll give it a 4

Fun album

On the upside they don't take themselves too seriously, but ironically this is also an indicator of the album being disposable POP rather than something to be included on a 1001 greatest

Somewhat banal. Not great, not horrible, just good. 3 non-descript stars.

This is actually the first hip-hop album that I've enjoyed listening to for a while, at least. However, after about 45 minutes (still impressive!), it started to get on my nerves. I won't be listening to it again anytime soon, but at least I didn't feel the urge to turn it off immediately. 3/5

I appreciated the variety in this album, too many tracks I would skip in repeat listenings though.

It was very entertaining. I didn't quite understand the whole TV gameshow thing but it was kinda funny. This somewhat old jazz rap is very good. In the first song they rap about being 3 dudes in this project is the perfect combo, and I thought at first that people tried to separate them at the beginning. Couldn't really read much of the lyrics since I'm listening while working, but very good and entertaining overall.

Such a solid debut album. Great beats, just the right touch of humour, and honestly just so chill. I'd want this on vinyl if it weren't for the random sex interlude. 🫠

An absolute essential, and it's on my shelves, but despite being classic late 80's hip-hop, it doesn't have the lasting impact of say Cypruss Hill, Public Enemy or NWA. It sounds a bit 'soft' in comparison. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★☆☆ (6.5/10) Total reviewed : 219 Already owned : 50 Purchased : 10 To buy list : 4 Nope : 155

Pretty cool and unusual for Rap music from that time. I really enjoyed it.

Mejor de lo que esperaba, pero definitivamente el hip hop no es para mi.

Before: I know I do like De La Soul a bit but I can't name a single song of theirs I like. I had a brief infatuation with hip-hop back in the day. I guess it's my favorite genre from that realm. During: It's a fun and enjoyable listen. I like it more than I dislike it. However, it's not something I would go out of my way to listen to. After : Given it's historical significance, I'd say it does deserve to be on this list, but personally, I have to rate it a 3.

Cool. Spunky.

Hip hopin klassikko, josta minä en välittänyt sitten yhtään. Ärsyttävän lapsellisia biisejä enimmäkseen, vaikka joissain sanoituksissa jotain ideaa olikin.

Loving the old school rap albums

Man, this was a blast. Longer than necessary but still great. Biggest downside is that apparently this pioneered skits on albums, which was a terrible thing.

I think I'm going to give this one a 3.

The music is infectious and has a great groove, but could do without the little "vignettes" between some of the tracks. Found the album overlong as a whole. Appreciate the light hearted silliness, but at times it spills over into plain stupidity. Could do without the self agrandising in places too, but I guess that's just part of the genre.

It was just ok, not my vibe and not memorable

Definitely full of bops but can't say I'd seek it out?

Liked it a lot. Pros: fun, positive lyrics, sampling from other songs is well done, feel good vibes. Cons: sounds a little dated, beats are a little repetitive. Would have loved this in the 1990s. Reminds me of A Tribe Called Quest who I loved back then.

Ok, charming, not well mixed, meh for me

One of the best rap albums released through the 90s. Supremely underrated and similarly combative to the norms of rap music.

I didn't even realize this was streaming again. There is a sonic wall of sound that runs through De La Soul's albums that is very pleasurable

An album so iconic and important that it shoot back into the charts as it was included in a 3 CDs for £20 at HMV, in the late 90s (reaching 3 in the charts 10 years after it release ) The only sad thing is that like the dawning of the age of Aquarius the daisy age never really took off . brilliant sample heavy betas with great rap on top. I rated this from the original vinyl copy in my collection - I almost gave it a 4 as the sound quality is ropey but that would be unfair - it was a feat of engineering to cram the entire album onto two sides of vinyl . modern reproductions are 4 sides.

Not for me

Practically perfect

I don't think you can help but be happy listening to this. And Jenifa made me laugh.

I liked it a whole lot more than I thought I would. Have been listening to other of their recordings as well now!!

Good fun album, I come back to it from time to time, clever rhymes and laid back sunny beats. Ita a good listen.

Great to hear this excellent album on way to the football yesterday, so many good memories- hip hop at its very best. “Three that’s the magic number”

Good start, songs end up sounding the same; quite a long album

old hip hop is all the same. it is cute for 2 seconds and then its nothing

Utterly terrible when trying to focus at work, great listen whilst cooking

A solid album throughout with quite a few big hits. Enjoyable.

I didn't think that I would recognise so much of this

Interesting but not for me

chill

mmmm its fine but a bit long, i was kinda fed up by the end

What a charming experience. In their debut album, De La Soul presented us here a collection of very creative beats, smooth flows, a high sense of humor and a lot of interludes (which is really a remarkable aspect about it). From the 23 songs in total, I considered that 10 of them are are interludes or skits, that usually don't do anything, except for "A Little Bit of Soap", which I found to be the funniest short song, and "De La Orgee", which is a sex skit and gross to hear, but honestly, it isn't as vulgar as other sexual recording I've heard in other hip hop projects. The rest of the tracks are the real deal. The sampling on this album is excellent and it is what I think adds all the personality, with the very smooth rapping coming behind it. The vast majority of these tracks are super uplifting and fun to listen to, with the best examples I can think of being "The Magic Number", "Eye Know" and "Me Myself and I". There are also a handful of songs that sound more serious, such as "Ghetto Thang" or "This Is a Recording 4 Living In a Fulltime Era". These I unfortunately didn't like as much as the brighter parts, but still very decent. In the end, this is a very fun album. It may have a lot of filler, but the overall experience is very delightful.

One of the best hiphop albums ever made. Even though it's absolutely not my genre, I really digged it, and I could tell the artists had a very fun time making and recording the album. One minor issue that I had is that it felt just a bit too long to be a perfect album. 9 / 10

ya no me acuerdo, supongo ni mal ni bien

ríete pero me está gustando

I don't listen to hip hop. But hot damn if it ain't refreshing with rap that's not all bang babes get dollas.

Pretty bad, somehow the only tolerable songs in this are collabs

Sometimes, it's about the vibe, and holy shit, what a vibe.

Just a really fun album that put me in a good mood all day. An antidote to the endless grey and lifeless January I find myself in.

Vraiment pas fou

i like it i just think these guys crawled so a tribe called quest could fly

a fun listen, great to hear where so many samples from other songs came from, and in general i just super enjoyed it - (3 Is) The Magic Number, Ghetto Thang, and Tread Water have been faves so far

Some fun ideas but -1 star for moaning noises for a track. What is the obsession with moaning noises in the albums on here jfc.

Lots of fun clever lines. Old school feel, with a touch of a what I thought was progressive for the time.

This was fun. 5