Reviews (page 9 of 13)
While I'm not sure if I'll come back to this album in the future, I can't in good conscience give this anything less than a perfect score.
Four or so awesome singles, but just a bit too much of the skitting guys for five starts.
HipHop Rhythmisches cooles Album; schöne Beats
I am generally not a hip hop fan but I enjoyed this album a lot!!
Este era el cambio que necesitaba después de escuchar discos mediocres durante toda la semana.
Confusing and forgettable
Funky, funny, a little too repetitive in some songs, not quite my thing. Can U Keep A Secret is funny. Skipped a few songs.
Muss ich noch einmal hören. Hat Spaß gemacht zu hören, aber kein individuelles Lied konnte mich zu sehr überzeugen
Not bad overall, but don't think I would go out of my way to listen to this again.
Interesting and fun.
I enjoyed the groove and there were parts I didn’t enjoy. I’ll give it a three just for the hell of it.
It sounds like they had a lot of fun making this album. I didn’t have much fun listening to it.
So when everyone zigged to killing muthaf'ers and cops, De La zagged to fun and frolicking. That's positive, as is the use of such a broad range of samples. Well done. They also apparently invented the hip-hop skit which became prevalent on many albums, but my thought about that is it's fun the first time, but gets real annoying afterwards when you're just trying to bounce to some dang beats.
Unique. Always a good vibe too.
70+ samples.. no clearances...because these kids were just having fun.
A classic for sure, even though I personally prefer their next 2 albums
The background of the album it's funny The production incredible in some tracks as well as the lyrics
Wonderful album. Not all of their wacky hijinks pay off, but most of them do, and do it well. I also appreciate the overall less misogynistic and less violent lyrics, it fits the overall positive attitude of the album really well.
A highly-lauded album often credited with helping spark the alternative "hippy rap" movement of the early 90s. It retains much of its carefree, playful charm, but its extremely long runtime is simply not justified.
I'm simply not a hip hop lover and this didn't change my mind.
A pleasant listen
i love all the 90s trip hop, conscious rap, etc.
are these guys supposed to be funny? the rhythm is not bad i guess...
The only problem with this album is the problem with so many classic hip hop albums, there’s too many skits. In spite of that, this album hits so hard. The three song run of Tread Water, Potholes, and Say No Go rules. Plus Eye Know and Me Myself and I are absolute classics. Hell even De La Orgee, a song that always played on shuffle in my car anytime I had a first date in my car and I’d have to embarrassingly hurry to change the track before she noticed, makes me laugh. Just a great album
The Intro: Look how wacky and crazy we are!!!11!!! After that it's OK. 3/5
One of the seminal rap/hip hop albums. Yes it’s sketchy at times and the vocals are surprisingly badly recorded and mixed. But it’s a piece of worlk that stands out.
Classic album of course and the hits are still loads of fun but I also quickly realized why I don't go back to the album as a whole very often: all those skits and joke tracks are really annoying and totally ruin the flow.
Despite being an 80s album, this is one of the best aged hip-hop albums I've heard, it doesn't sound like proto-90s rap, nor does it feel like a collection of 80s cliches like so many of their contemporaries. I feel like De La Soul have fallen out of favour compared to many of the acts from the 90s, which is unfortunate because I feel like this is some of the best you'll hear in the genre.
Not a fan of the skits but otherwise good
Interesting mix
Damn good album. Too many skits.
Not my thing
Not really for me, but they have fun with it. I do not like the track De La Orgee at all.
Haa. Very junior high sounding. Made me smile.
why does it need so many goofy skits, the (limited) actual music in this album wasn't even that bad
This is such a goofy album, and I truly had fun listening to it. De La Soul is old-school rap at it's finest. And, although I haven't heard this particular album, it reminded my of one of my favorite rap groups: A Tribe Called Quest (of course, they do end up making a guest appearance on a track). Even though it was funny, I didn't particularly enjoy the non-songs on this album. I thought they ruined the flow of one solid hip hop song after another, and I found the "Delaorgy" or whatever sex thing was happening in the middle, completely jarring. I'll definitely be spinning tracks from this in the future, but I'll be surprised if I ever listen to the album from start to finish again.
Sounds like three best friends got together one day in a studio and made this. Also happens to sound awesome. Love the beats, love how groovy and upbeat they are. I did find some of the lyrics to be kinda awkward and I thought the interludes were a little annoying at times but still damn good. Fav Songs: Jenifa Taught Me, Say No Go, Eye Know, Buddy 3.5/5
it has a fun personality but a bit of a sleepy listen
Really enjoyed listening to this. Never owned it on CD and glad that it’s now available to stream. It’s like it’s been made my the cool, clever, funny kids a couple of years above you at school that you aspire to be but never will.
Everyone is having a good time
Properly kicks off with Bonham's amazing beat from The Crunge and doesn't let up from there. Say No Go is a banger. For me, it doesn't hit the heights of A Tribe Called Quest, but is a great album nonetheless.
I had completely forgotten how much I listened to this album when I was younger and how ingrained it was in my mind. Absolutely banging production and lyrics with very distinctive themes running through the production, skits and rhymes. Flow can be a bit clunky/basic but I was loving listening to this again and will definitely be putting it back on regular rotation.
3 Stars and Not Rising
👍👍
Oh come on! Did i take psychedelic drugs without realizing it again? No? Well in that case, this album is genuinely one of the most bizarre albums i have ever listened to. Every song had some kind of different sound to it and used very different sounding samples to make their beats. While some of the songs are so weird that they fail to really hit, other songs however, do hit and are incredibly groovy and fun to listen to and you can just tell that these guys enjoyed making this album. However, i do feel that this album is another album to add to the list of hit or miss hip hop albums from the 1980s. Best Song: Eye Know Worst Song: Can U Keep a Secret
3 is the magic number. Very ahead of its time at the time, some brilliant sampling. The rhyming is good, if not a little odd. I would gladly never hear de la orgy again though lol
Like a mixed box of holiday donuts from Duck Donuts. Everything’s fun and funky, some are delicious, some are misses, but all are unique and make you bop your head and smile and say 👌!
This was a pretty fun album.
Top grade hip hop with a fine sample of sampling
One of these tracks are not like the others!
Album gets wackier during later songs, but I like it more that way.
Interesting to see this album released just as gangsta rap was gaining a foothold. This is the complete other side. Interesting sampling, really varied. Charmingly irreverent. Here, the wackier the songs, the better. Tread Water is cute with talking to all the animals. I can't imagine myself listening to this album often, but I can definitely appreciate it for what it is. Main takeaway: wash yo ass with soap. Fav tracks: Eye Know, Tread Water, Me Myself and I
Love the vibe.
Day283 - glad to see this one on apple music now. it’s one of the best rap albums ever
If you wanted to listen to a kid friendly version of hip hop, these guys are your people. PM Dawn is a good path to lead kids down too. There are plenty of samples in this album, which is a bonus to me. That seems to be a dying art in hip hop these days. This album, to me, doesn’t tell a story. It’s more of just one short story about who knows what after another. This was ok. Stuck with the rest of the albums that were just ok. Choice cut: A Little Bit of Soap
An album that has been on my list for a while and I'm glad I finally gave it a listen. I get the hype around this album- the raps and samples are great. Some weird sketch-like inclusions but that's typical for late 80s/early 90s rap. You can see how this album influenced many that came afterwards. 8.5/10 (4.25/5)
De la soul! Jag är alltid på bättre humör efter jag hör dom.
Looong love fest with these guys, I've had this album (1st cassette, then cd now mp3) in some shape or form since it came out. These guys are also the sample kings and it took many many yrs to clear all the samples before they were allowed on spotify. Clever lyrics, catchy beats, fun shout outs (in 1 song Trugoy says 'why not, let's go to Laces', a roller skating rink on LI that I used to go to as a teen) that endear them ever more to me - plus they sample Steely Dan so they must be cool : )
I'm a fan. It's an upbeat, genre-bending album. Also, once you've heard "Me Myself and I," it will stick in your head for days - DAYS. There were a few other gems I hadn't heard before, too.
Voices, rhythms, rhymes, wit, joy, and pain all bundled into a hilariously genuine and human package. Full of inside jokes and pop culture references in both lyrics and samples. A dynamic ride.
It's De La, easy 5 stars
Classic hip hop from a time when finding poetry in the genre was not easy. Price Paul’s beats are also so iconic and distinct that they instantly transport you back to the 90s
Largely inoffensive and laid back vibes but just went on far too long
Funky raps. A whole different kind of vibe. More friendly and approachable in gangster rap. Good vibes for a good time.
Not great. Many better from that era.
Not my cup of tea. Not even my cup of tea for the genre. But it’s not bad.
It's De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising.
Before gangster rap took over. Great samples on this album
-yaay this is a fun one. Some really catchy beats in here, though some of the filler and skits got on my nerves. Oh well so was the style of 80s (90s)? hip hop -Aside from feeling a little long this was very well-made and enjoyable so no other complaints -Favorites are Jenifa Taught Me, Tread Water, and Me Myself and I
Another classic of my formative years--via Graeme. Introduced me to different aspects of hip hop.
Overall, a very good album. (Came back to this and upped it to a 5/5)
Awesome, super fun to listen to
First warm day, windows down kinda vibe
Some absolute classics in there. Other stuff is very of it’s time!
A classic which in the 80’s was a total game changer to how hip hop was perceived opening up a whole new audience. Some of the best samples ever utilised and almost made Hall & Oates cool.
Amazing record, well ahead of its time. I've heard so much about it, but I'm so happy to finally get the chance to fully listen to it. It does not disappoint, very familiar sounds and it's been sampled a lot by other artists. Seminal album. Full whack from me! Also, how is this released in 1989?!
It was fun at first, I enjoyed the old school flow and the scratching, but after over an hour of mostly nothing I got bored. Still was fun for a bit though
Should everyone hate 'The Turtles'? Or were they well within their rights to get mad at De La Soul for sampling 'You Showed Me' (without permission) on an interlude here? Well, I've always gravitated towards the former opinion. The sheer amount of sampling in this record, alongside other '80s hip-hop records, forever makes me yearn for the days when clearing samples was simply seen as an act of appreciation. It also really sucks that the infamous lawsuit greatly limited De La Soul's music's availability on streaming - 'cause this album is gorgeous, not in the traditional sense but in a way that is not unlike ATCQ's debut for example. Samples make colors and worlds and Prince Paul's production on this album has both of those things in spades. But it's not endlessly overwhelming you with samples like say Public Enemy's 'Fear of a Black Planet' - I mean you have a song like 'Take It Off' which is nothing but a repeating drum machine pattern driving its short runtime. The opener, and one of my favorite songs 'The Magic Number' has the chunkiest drum beat on the album that's undercut by this timid yet undeniably playful bass loop. The verses are great on this but it's Trugoy's (RIP) verse that takes the cake ultimately. 'Tread Water' follows a similar instrumental formula and is paired with surrealist imagery in the verses, where talking animals offer reassuring life advice to the passerby. My favorite song without a doubt though is 'Eye Know' with the Steely Dan and Otis Redding "whistling" 'Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay' samples making this one of the most wholesome hip-hop songs we'd end up getting out of the '80s. Lyrically speaking, it could bring a tear to my eyes just 'cause of how meditatively positive it paints these ideas of love and lust. Some other great production moments are those subtle piano keys on 'Potholes in My Lawn', the brief vocal (I think?) sample transitioning the verses on 'Say No Go', the distorted and overblown drum sample on 'D.A.I.S.Y Age', and the entirety of 'Me Myself and I', a real landmark song off this album. The production here is superb, but the rapping is admittedly rudimentary even for this group - I mean just listen to the complex rhyme schemes and flows on their song 'Stakes Is High' which would be released years later, and compare it to a song like 'Potholes in My Lawn' off this album. I like it though, it's of the time and if anything, it fits the charming production here. The album's also wittingly hilarious with the slew of interludes timelining a satirical game show night. Songs like 'Jenifa Taught Me' and 'Buddy' with Q-tip and the Jungle Brothers are forever fun to listen to. It's not all fun and games though, 'Say No Go' is an undoubtedly sobering moment in the track listing here about the dangers of drug abuse, with Posdnuos' opening verse being my favorite. This song also showcases the trio's best rapping on the album from a sheer flow perspective. If you hate fun you'll hate this album. If you associate hip-hop with grit, speed, and competition you'll hate this album. But if you broaden your horizons a bit it's not difficult to understand what the appeal of an album like this. The group was determined to stick to their DAISY (Da Inner' Sound Y'all) motif - constantly reinforcing these ideas of positivity, soul, and strong character from start to finish. Hip Hop hasn't sounded this fun since '3 Feet High and Rising' - and for that, I wouldn't hesitate to call it one of the greatest of the '80s.
I just don't like this style of hip hop. It's incredibly boring and samey. This record is waaaayyyy too long. Can't go to 1 but it's a super soft 2.
it’s pretty good. feel bad for my string of threes lately but yeah i mean yeah this was good
Pre-listening thoughts: LETS GO I am very excited for this album. Legendary pull with some songs I already know and apparently a Jungle Brothers feature as well?! Hype ‼️‼️‼️ Post/during listening thoughts: I love 80s/90s rap and hip hop and De La Soul delivers. Their use of samples are so clever and fun (Steely Dan Peg sample is my personal fav on Eye Know). The interludes are a bit bizarre but honestly add character to the album. Can U Keep a Secret is so weird help 😭 why are we discussing dandruff?? I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me laugh which seems to be the goal. It’s just such a wildly fun album that makes you feel like you’re sitting in the studio with these guys goofing off. But there’s also such innovation here that would be criminal if overlooked, I mean the samples alone are one thing, but the production is so clean and the lyrics really solidify this new age of hip hop. 9.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: yes!! Fav tracks: man I was listing them out and it turned out to be every song (except for De La Orgee. What) Least fav tracks: De La Orgee
A classic and one of my first cool (not gangsta) rap albums.
Pretty good!
As soon as this album popped up it brought out a big smile. Masterpiece 5/5
If you don’t enjoy this album then there is something wrong with you.
every song very alike, good vibes
Early Hip Hop, it is pretty good
Hip hop vibey, but not hitting for me
The Magic Number Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge) Ghetto Thang Eye Know Potholes in My Lawn Say No Go Plug Tunin' (Last Chance to Comprehend) Buddy Me Myself and I
Being the first R.E.M album Ive listened to, seems like a high mark to me. Everyone hurts and Man on the moon! Being their eighth album im not entirely sure where that lands in their discography but it was a great standalone album.
Yesssss too good.
I know a lot of people love this, but it is too backpack for me.
Early on I was thinking "eh it's fine" so maybe a 2, but then it ... just ... kept ... going.
ganz interessante Sachen dabei
Sigh, another hip hop album. This wasn’t terrible but I didn’t like it.
Not a fan of rap
Not really my genre, but I did enjoy this album. Their voices are nice to listen to and their flow was pretty good, although a little stilted (like vintage 80s hiphop in some places), but it was done with a level of camp that I appreciated. The sampling was well-chosen, but sometimes the execution was a little sloppy (like where I could hear the drums of the sampled tune were conspicuously out of sync with the base track and poorly blended in the final product). Overall a good listen, although I don't really want to listen to it again, nor any of their other tracks. Three stars.
Chaotic, wild, and pretty funny. Not every track lands for me (and I'm not at all a fan of 50 second filler tracks), but there is something here that is wildly creative. Clever lyrics and catchy enough beats make this album pretty solid, just wish there was less excess. Top tracks: Ghetto Thang, Eye Know, Potholes in My Lawn
An unusual album with a good song. (Me Myself and I)
Old school hip hop, kan ikke lige komme ind i det. Det er lidt ligesom funk, men bare mere kedeligt fordi der kun er beatet og bassen tilbage. Fint med origins, men for mig er tiden løbet fra det.
Really cool samples and mixing.
I really struggled with this one. I was ready to skip just about every song in this album. To me, there's nothing here that stands out. All the songs kinda blended together. I was happy the album was over and I struggle to find one song that I enjoyed. 1/5
Added 3 or 4 songs to liked songs - reminded me of good old times. 3,5*
what a fun album
Really loved the vibes of this album. Felt both chill and upbeat to me. I don't usually jive as much with more of the old school flow but this I liked, just went with the music particularly well to me. Truthfully probably a 4.5 BUT it is a 5 for this time period in the genre to me so I will round up.
Bangers. Beats are unique and funky. Rapping also genieten.
One of the best rap albums I've ever heard. The beats were fun and could stand on their own. The lyrics felt like a few guys just having a good time and trying to make each other laugh.
Fun album, entertaining lyrics. There were a lot of similarities to a Tribe Called Quest, but the smoothness of Q-Tip's bars makes Tribe rank a little higher in my book. I'll probably listen to this album again to catch more of the lyrics though.
i understand the concept but i'm not really sensible to it
Respect the legacy, but not my thing. Rhymes and beats weren't there, but I came in with high expectations
This album is a good time but unlikely to make it into rotation, kinda got tired of it after awhile. I know they have a huge fan base and they are anti establishment in the way that punk rock kind of is so kudos to them but for me I would have liked more.
This album is kind of a landmark in the history of hip-hop due to its very novel use of sampling, and the skit format. Overall just a few very young adult guys having a super fun time, and an important hip-hop listen.
Hip Hop "singing". Check "Vinyl" sound-effects. Check "Radio Show". Check Can this get any worse ? I'm sure there will be a worse abum in the near future but I utterly hate this one.
This is hard for me to review. I am a true fan of hip/hop and I definitely feel the vibe in this. But I have to be careful to say what I mean now... I think that De La Soul is a very solid band, and they should be respected and they are likeable. I get why they have a rabid fanbase. They are fun, interesting, laugh out loud at times, and have great surprising mixes thrown in now and then. However, punk and hip/hop share a common root value in being somewhat anti-establishment, somewhat political, sometimes emotional... I got the sense, after 23 songs (!) that De La Soul intended to keep it light and for me, it is a fine choice but I was hoping for that little extra...
Nice! Seemed like a seminal album for its time, one that set a standard for rap going forward.
I felt like I was watching a school assembly rap about not smoking, then one of their songs was actually a school house rocks song
This album is a good time but unlikely to make it into rotation
Fun and hip hoppy.
A few good songs here, though I don't really want to sit through the whole album because of the meh skits and some throwaway tracks.
Odd, but I kinda like odd. Fun listen but I got tired of it after a while tbh (sorry). Didn’t dislike but wouldn’t necessarily go back to it! Love to expand my range though
Who likes this album? Me, myself, and I (and a lot of other folks)
OK 👍 amazing haha funny lol xd
listened to again funky fresh despite being 35 years old
Was a pretty good album, set to a game show type backdrop. Not really my thing but pretty good songs. Didn’t like the talking between some of them though.
Intro: Nice humor. The Magic Number: good flow. Bit droning. Change In Speak: music a bit too loud to properly hear their voices. Cool Breeze on the Rocks: silly, delightful Can U keep a secret: asmr nope! Jenifa taught me: it’s fine. Droning again. Ghetto thang: good flow. Good switching. Message. Transmitting live from mars: different. I see what they tried to do. Eye Know: instrumentals are smooth. Take it off: transition piece. Bit of playing around. Message. A little bit of soap: I know the sampling. Tread water: symbolism. Message. Potholes in my lawn: message. Say no Go: funky sampling. Message. Good one. Do as De La does: crowd hype track. Plug Tunin’: message. De La Orgee: skipped. Buddy: artist hype track. Everyone gets a pat on the back. Throwback. Description: forgettable. Me myself and I: funky sampling. Skipped due to something in the instrumentals that bugged me. This is a recording…: message. Droning. I can do anything: beatboxing. Asmr again. Daisy age: instrumentals are distracting. Message. Decent. Very long.
Bit too goofy. It's more vibes than enjoyable
Liked it but want to do a deeper listening sessions again
This album is ketchup. People love ketchup. I want to love ketchup. I don't.
Why are yodeling
I'm still not into hip-hop
Clearly he was having fun making this album, it is goofy and has interesting sounds. However I was definitely not having fun listening to it. It sounds like hip-hop for 13-year-olds to blast and annoy the elders, and I'm with the elders on this one. There are a couple of genuinely good and catchy songs, but most of it is so obnoxiously annoying in your face I can't stand it. Stand-out: The Magic Number
Some of my favourite songs are on this album. I think I'd be more familiar with it if it hadn't dissapeared from streaming for so long. I still find skits annoying, though.
Kinda goofy and annoying. The samples aren't particularly compelling. Not good.
didn't get my going... a little weird with the whole gameshow thing...
Hh mld bss
One of those bands I heard of at the time but never really got into. There was a minute there around 1990 or 91 where I was into rap and listened to a lot of De La's Native Tongues contemporaries, The Black Sheep. Wasn't till much later that I actually listened to De La or Tribe and realized what I'd been missing. This era and sub-genre of hiphop really is some of the best there is.
Classic hip hop album that I somehow never listened to in full. It's really good. Maybe leaning a little to hard into the skits, but it's alright, because the main material is worth it. Ecutez et repetez.
Weird, but kinda fun.
Haven't listened to this through for maybe 25 years, and it still sounds fantastically fresh and cool.
#OtisReddingWhistle
own
Did not resonate with me really - but beautiful to see the predecessors of soul beats
So this is one of those albums that I appreciate but don't really enjoy. The music is there and I really like that the lyrics aren't all about gang life and clubbing. But it's also not really my thing. Would be nice if more like this had become mainstream at the time but I know well enough to know that this group and this album were hugely influential even if I wasn't aware of them as a kid.
Pretty good, sometimes funny 80's rap. I don't remember hearing it when I was young but I enjoyed hearing it. Probably not something that I would listen to very often but I do like it. Easy to get into rhythms and good lyrics.
3.5
This album was genuinely just a lot of fun. A lot of bangers on it
- Unterhaltsam und ordentlich angefunkt - Aber auch hier habe ich ein ähnliches Problem, wie bei anderen HipHop Werken aus den 80er/90er. Es wirkt etwas obsolet - Außerhalb von Kult und Pioniergeist kann ich dem leider nichts abgewinnen 2,5/5
- gutes Zeug dabei, einiges aber auch nur so im Mittelfeld - weitestgehend aber einfach fun
Nice stuff.
comfy
It's hard to rate this without considering that I've been working on this project with someone who's waiting three years for De La Soul to appear. Seriously, we're on our last week and now we're finally here! Yay! Aside from that I loved loved loved "The Magic Number" and "Transmitting Live from Mars" since back in the day. There are lots of great samples and good raps on this album. It was fun then and fun now. it's a good memory of when hip hop was kind of fun and a little nostalgic for the sounds they sampled.
Oh, the joy!! I mean the skits could have been improved/reduced, but I have always very much enjoyed this album of upbeat hip-hop with uncountable samples.
Well I haven't heard this one in forever. Wildly fun and nostalgic.
De La Soul hit my radar with The Magic Number - after all I was raised on Schoolhouse Rock. So of course I was all in. I’m sure I listened to this album many times, but I never owned it. It is an infectiously joyous work that keeps me interested. You just never know what, or who, might appear… LIBERACE! I’m not entirely a fan of interludes, but on this album they work better than most - like when my siblings and I used to make cassette music shows back in the day. A lot of musical shenanigans isn’t always fun for the listener. But the shenanigans here I enjoyed from beginning to end!
4.5
Not my favorite. Couldn't get around the sensibility. Just not my jam, but can certainly see how and why many would appreciate it.
The quest to find hiphop I like continues. This one started promisingly enough but again the use of peculiar sound effects just didn’t work for me.
Cool, didn't love it
Such a joyous and fun album made by creative young friends, with big ideas and the best of eccentricities. This was a joy to listen to.
Chill but energetic beats with some fun rhymes, def great
A must have album.
Album 512 of 1001 De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising Rating : 3 / 5 One of the better hip hop albums I've ran across.
This was a lot of fun! Kinda long tho
Classic hip hop jams
i relistened to this album in full yesterday while sitting on my balcony in the Texas summer heat, and honestly it was a perfect way to listen. funny that it’s my album of the day today. De La Soul is Dead in my number one De La album, but 3 Feet High is classic. great vibes and so influential! glad i got into the group last year. i love their music so much 🥹
Banger of an album. Always fun to spin!
love this album <33333
I've listened to some other De La Soul album that I liked much more, but this was kind of meh.
Great
It’s good. Really good but I don’t think it’s in my favorites of the 90s. Tribe called quest was just more my taste. Loved the flows, the beats were pretty good and the q tip appearance as well
Just an incredible album and absolutely mind-blowing when it came out. Such creative lyrics and sampling - I don't think there's a better example out there of sampling - and the interludes were actually entertaining. It's been a while since the first time I listened to this, so there weren't as many surprises, but it was fun when you figured out some little easter egg, like which song was being sampled (they did such a good job with that) and like when I realized "Trugoy" is "Yogurt" spelled backwards.
Best yet
Classic
Classic early hip hop. Some of the filler/skits are skippable but otherwise a solid album.
Not my style but has some fun lyrics.
Fun hip hop album with loads of weird stuff on. I think it would be improved with cutting out some stuff. Still feel like it deserves a 4 though
Still dont get De La Soul - feels super novelty...
Some good tracks and very influential but felt like a sketch lots of times
I’m not qualified to speak to the magnitude of this album. The rap is solid for the time, and the concept is fun and enjoyable. The rap is dated but the flow is fluid. However, it is not a part of my rotation.
Leave my dandruff alone. Why is this album like 85% skits and 15% music. Listening to this felt like trudging through a scorching desert and each time an actual song started, it was like finding an oasis.
Goofy and fun. I feel like I saw them at Red Rocks with Flaming Lips and Cake. I remember it being a great night.
Lotsa good tunes
meh
I really liked this! I think it dragged slightly in some areas but I think this sound is so fresh and totally stands up to contemporary ears. Interesting to see some obvious references that have been borrowed since.
It was pretty good. Improvement over the snoop dogg album I listened to for sure. Lots of really good samples, loved hearing Steely Dan in Eye Know. Sounds pretty ahead of its time; difficult to tell it was made in ‘89 - three years after Peter Gabriel’s ‘So’, for example. Will definitely return to this in the future even though I’m not a big fan of hip-hop stuff. 6.5/10
A classic and opened up hip hop and rap to a n audience not keen on guns and hoes. Loses a star for interminable skits but the classics are undeniable.
This is probably one of the easiest 5s for me. I loved this album when I heard it. The creative sampling on top of the fun energy and lyrics blend so well. And I'm a skit lover as well so I thought the game show was so great. I have the original album on vinyl and CD, and they had the proof of purchases in the albums that you could mail in to Tommy Boy too. This album being locked from streaming for years sucked but I'm so glad it's widely available and got represses.
If Hip Hop had a musical comedy category, this album would be at the top of the list. Fun listen.
Great album that still holds up! I was 21 when this came out, but in my memory it seems like this was around high school that it came out. I think it’s because it reminds me of a simpler time in hip-hop, when it wasn’t all about “bitches & hoes”, and inner city violence. I had cousins who were living that thug life, but we weren’t. De La was for the music nerds, with the sampling and genre mixing they revolutionized. I mean, no one was mixing in country yodeling into rap at the time, and they made it work. A classic for a reason, no doubt.
It was a good jam in the beginning, but got kinda old. Just a bit too long. They were a good vibe but idk it just couldn’t hold my attention for that long
++: The Magic Number, Change in Speak, Cool Breeze on the Rocks - The Melted Version, Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge), Transmitting Live from Mars, Eye Know, A Little Bit of Soap, Tread Water, Potholes in My Lawn, Say No Go, Plug Tunin' (Last Chance to Comprehend), De La Orgee, Buddy, Description, Me Myself and I, This is a Recording 4 Living in a Fulltime Era (L.I.F.E), D.A.I.S.Y Age, Plug Tunin' +: Intro, Can U Keep a Secret, Ghetto Thang, Take It Off, Do as De La Does, I Can Do Anything (Delacratic) 9,5/10
Dieses Album ist ein Einheitsbrei aus Acid, Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul und Rap. Es fühlt sich an, als hätte man alles, was mir nicht schmeckt, in einen Smoothie gepackt und ich müsste ihn trinken. Das alberne Geschnatter und die fehlende Melodie machen es für mich ungenießbar. Musikalisch gesehen fehlt dem Album eine klare Richtung. Die Mischung aus verschiedenen Genres wirkt chaotisch und unzusammenhängend. Die Tracks scheinen oft ohne erkennbaren roten Faden aneinandergereiht zu sein, was das Hörerlebnis anstrengend macht. Die Experimente mit verschiedenen Stilen und Klängen führen zu einem überladenen und verwirrenden Klangbild, das es schwer macht, den einzelnen Songs zu folgen oder sie zu genießen.
Classic.
Another addition to one of my album "obsession" years (1989). While not my usual genre, this is great fun, well produced and very listenable; I can appreciate the impact.
Dentro do contexto hip hop e rap, é um dos mais legais. Temas interessantes, letras compreensíveis, batidas reais e não somente eletrônicas. Porém, como sempre repito, rap é música fortemente de nicho e não tem a intenção alguma de ser agradável a todos. POrtanto, como não sou do nicho e não gosto do estilo, sempre tenho preguiça de ouvir os raps propostos. Mas esse é bem legal.
Now THIS is what I'm TALKING ABOUT. Flows are so good, and it's so interesting to listen to pre-90s hip hop. Love love love it.
Rambunctious and fun. Not sure I'll listen to often but I definitely enjoyed.
Fun early hip hop 6/10
*mostly rap, no music that I heard.
If only all hip-hop was this much fun. Magic Number suffers badly from overplay, but the rest bounced along with great lyrics, production and them.
I don't know how to describe this album or this era of hip hop other than... Ghetto nursery rhymes? I don't know. It's the same style on each song. There is this theme of a game show that is payed through out thwt is supposed to be funny and silly.... And it misses the funny mark. It's annoying. This group sounds like elementary school kids trying to rap. Bored. I thought I liked this era of hip over modern day hip hop but I think because I'm not a huge fan of modern day hip hop, I convinced myself that I like old school hip hop. I was wrong. At least not this ghetto nursery rhym hip hop.
Love this era of hiphop. Always love a collab with Q-Tip. Really fun stuff.
This is another in the DNF club, I don't know what is going on here, but they released a hip-hop album during the time hip-hop was the most musical and sucked all of the skill and talent out of it. If I could rate this less than one star, I would.
So, I see why it's known as the golden age of hip hop after this. I rarely get into hip hop much, although I appreciate what it does. However, this is one of those rare albums that I truly enjoy. It feels unique, full of personality, intelligence, awareness and some smatterings of humour. The beats are good too.
Slow, live intro. Conveing story through talking. Goofy first song. Old school hip hop. Skipped first song. Cannot hear through second one. Seems to be the grandfather of modern hip hop. It's like listening to age old classical music. Listened to Lamar instead. Liked that a lot more. Felt like Jazz at times. Maybe I should read the lyrics along for More enjoyment. Let's see
Sonically ahead of its time. 3 MCs with tons of talent only elevate it further. Deserving of it classic status and a must listen for hiphop heads.
This album is clearly a staple in hip hop for the backpack/alt rap sound. Although I recognise the importance of it, it sounds outdated to me and doesn’t hold up as well as a tribe called quest’s low end theory. Enjoyed some of the skits and some of the flows throughout Best song: BUDDY (Q tip feature was nice) Worst song: DAISY Age
Very fun album - I knew "Me Myself and I" already but had never listened to more from De La Soul despite their excellent reputation.
Obviously a classic, it was a little before my time and I’ve never quite grasped it as a masterpiece, although I enjoy it a lot. I love “conscience” hip hop and love rap from this era, and I really like a lot of songs on here. I probably need to listen to it more often to fully get it. That said, it’s objectively really good and I enjoy it a lot, especially Magic Number and Eye Know.
Poetic simplicity, I like it. I'll listen again . I'll give it points for creativity, kinda like poetry jam in a cafe vibe, but it wears on me after a few songs. 2 stars
Foundational hip hop record.
It's fine but I wanted to like it more than I did. Favourite track: Me Myself and I.
Volvemos a éste hermoso reto después de unas vacaciones que combinaron descanso de la oficina y estudio con éste debutazo de De La Soul. Imposible detenerse a analizar canción por canción. Lo mejor es dejarse llevar por el disco como una unidad irreductible. Excelente trabajo.
Uno de los álbumes de Hip-hop más creativos que he escuchado y, probablemente, uno de los más influyentes para la corriente "alternativa" del género, con samples sumamente creativos y flows interesantes que no se sienten repetitivos en ningún momento. Altamente recomendable.
Pretty cool but not necessarily my style of rap
Not the best for listening in the office
This album was fun! Don’t know how much I’ll return to it but an enjoyable listen
Despite never listening, I have heard good things about De La Soul. They were only recently put on Spotify due to sample-clearing issues, which may explain the blind spot for me and modern listeners. I like alternative hip hop and this album could be considered the genesis of that subgenre. It's a fun listen, and they were clearly having fun messing around making this. You can hear its influence on many modern projects. I really dug the "sampledelia" instrumentals, extra impressive since this was before easy sampling tech. I found some of the dialogue and in-jokes kind of corny and annoying, and this album holds the dubious distinction for inventing the dreaded "rap skit." The lyrics sometimes almost gave me the juvenile vibe of a "t3h PeNgU1N oF d00m" (soooo randommm). I'll blame my lack of lyrical connection on unfamiliarity, which will improve on subsequent listens now that it's on Spotify. The music is just too good and the album too influential on a genre I like to rate it a 3. *Saw a couple reviews that said this was "hip hop's Sgt. Pepper" and the timing is ironic because we got Sgt. Pepper the following day.*
Enjoyed this enough while listening to it but probably won’t ever return to it
Maybe just from the album cover, I thought I would and wanted to like this more than I did. A lot of it sounded very similar and was not in my wheelhouse. Saved from a 1 by a cool Steely Dan sample (“Eye Know”) and another from Hall and Oates (“Say No Go”).
They’re fun but they leave me wanting more
That's not my taste in musik.
Great classic hip hop album. 8/10
I must be missing something... this record comes up every so often, and I mean it's ok, but...
This was a fun romp through junior high, except this time I got to listen to all the songs I couldn’t listen when I was younger. I don’t know how much I would listen to this album again but I did get a new perspective and respect for it. Ghetto Thing was an intriguing callout to hood life predating the power of Gangsta rap or Public Energy. Favorite track: Jenifa Taught Me was just a classic misogynistic teen-boy-mentality that made the 13 year old in me snicker.
As far as older rap albums I missed back when they were popular, this one was one the the few "new to me" albums that I quite enjoyed. "Me, Myself, and I" and "Eye Know" are the standouts for me but there were plenty of others that I enjoyed too. The rap skits here were dumb too. I guess I don't get the "art" of rap skits. I feel like an old man about this. Anywho, give me the tunes!
Very interesting/cool. Wasn't familiar with De La Soul at all but enjoyed what I heard and certain parts sounded familiar. Want to check out more.
Quite good! Favorite tracks: "The Magic Number" and "Eye Know." It's a fun, playful album.
An album that is generous and fun, covers alot of ground with lyrical invention not as much in music so I latch onto the tracks I like.
Ahhhh, this brings me back! De la is amazing and I was excited to see this album pop up. I had forgetten they use Wichita as a location for one of the contestants at the beginning of the album, which is where I’m from, so it was even better hearing it. You can’t not move to me myself and I. Loved the listen!
Last night, I had a dream. There's this woman - young, cool, big hair - driving down a packed New York street in a car with friends. Windows are down, sky is blue, there's an array of kitsch memorabilia in the back and on the dashboard. Hanging off the rear view mirror is a talking wireless speaker, probably voiced by Eddie Murphy. He yells that he wants to be played, and opts for De La Soul's "Me, Myself and I". There follows an extended dance sequence in which the woman driving the car, and then everybody around her, jumps out of their cars and dances on the roofs. Like that bit in "La La Land", but better, because… well, because it's soundtracked by De La Soul. And so I rest my case: after just a couple of days of listening, "3 Feet High and Rising" is an album with the power to send good vibes deep into the subconscious. Life is made surreal, technicolour, magical and fun with just an hour a day around these folks. That's something special. De La Soul's first full-length album is often credited as one of the progenitors of hip-hop's golden age. Besides the invader-of-my-dreams-smash-hit "Me Myself and I", there's "Eye Know", which draws together samples of Steely Dan and Otis Redding into a ecstatic, sunny jam. "The Magic Number" fuses Schoolhouse Rock with a drum sample originally from Led Zeppelin, while "Potholes in my Lawn", an allegory for other people stealing lines from the group, throws in a yodelling interlude for good measure. Two of the other hits, "Plug Tuning" and "Buddy" (with A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip), are more studied cool, but still get me nodding along every time. My other favourite tracks include "Tread Water", a spiritual journey disguised as an Alice in Wonderland-esque nursery rhyme, and "Change in Speak", with its irresistible horns and wriggling bassline sample. That's quite a hit ratio. While many of the rhymes may be sneered at by serious hip-hop heads (there's an awful lot of nursery-rhyme style trochaic meter, "De-la" prefixes and totally unserious tangents), the sense of fun cannot be surpassed and overrides everything. The humour is on point here: the quiz show framework baffled me at first but then won me over by the fourth or fifth listen. The schoolboy style chants like "Can U Keep A Secret", "Take It Off" and "Do as De-La Does" are ridiculous, but winningly high-spirited. And the interlude midway through "Jenifa Taught Me", in which little Darwin breaks into a rendition of "Chopsticks" while the rest of the group cheer him on, never fails to make me smile. This is my favourite hip-hop album on the list so far, and is going to be hard to top.
Sounds pretty decent for an album that’s clearly just some friends fucking around making music. 3.4 stars
Not too many band include an introduction track at the beginning of an album and it’s just garage band stuff kind of just playing around in the basement but not bad in spots
Fun, and it sounds like they were having fun too.
Ça c'est le genre de hip-hop/rap que je préfère: pas d'insultes aux 2 secondes, un travail d'instrumentation recherché et juste du monde qui ont du fun en faisant d'la musique
Fantastic really I think the slightly annoying skits are the only thing keeping it from 5⭐️ Which, considering hip hop is not my normal stomping ground, is a hell of a recommendation
TIL that 3 Feet High and Rising pioneered the trend of short skits between album tracks. Could I love this album more? It seems that there’s an argument for that but I doubt it. It’s the first hip hop album that I owned. I dunno if I’ve ever owned a better one. RIP Trugoy the Dove.
anal bum a day 1 My first experience with De La Soul was right when I was getting into music, I found out about their stuff through a frequent collaborator of theirs, Damon Albarn with Gorillaz. Unfortunately, I think this album falls a little flat compared to the praise that it gets. There's some fantastic stuff on here, but the album is so bloated that it's just a slog to get through. There's really only 3 standout tracks, those being: The Magic Number, Eye Know, and Me Myself and I. All that being said, it's still a great album. While the verses really aren't all that crazy, the high points are high enough for me to enjoy it. 7/10
its 90's hip-hop and i like 90's hip-hop but it drags on and gets repetitive after the first half of the album
This album was going fairly good for the first few tracks but I soon became tired of listening to it as I felt I was listening to the same track over and over again throughout the latter half of the album. I feel like the main issue with this album is that it drags out way too long
overall okay album. unreasonabley long for what the album is making it super repetetive for me atleast. overall though the production is very nice
Great album! I’m more familiar with De La Soul is Dead, but this one holds up well in comparison.
Loses a star for the skits. Never was a fan of hip hop skits. Otherwise an underrated masterpiece debut from De La (and Prince Paul). Truly, this wouldn't have been as big a hit if Prince Paul hadn't worked his magic. Love the rap, but the beats so wonderful.
One of my favorite hip-hop albums. They also fell prey to the cutesy interludes.....unfortunately
Classic hip hop at its finest. Really good album some classics on here.
#49 - I enjoyed some of the songs in the album, and the positive vibes. Might want to revisit.
It's good.
Another great addition to the hip-hop selection here. Picked this one up on second-hand vinyl about 20 years ago and it was nice to get reacquainted today.
fav song – “Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin’s Revenge)”
I love 'Buddy'. I could listen to that forever. 'Say No Go' is also very good with its extensive sample from Hall & Oates. Overall, this album is a walk down memory lane, but a lot of it falls somewhat flat.
I always want to like De La Soul more than I actually do when I listen. And I can never quite put my finger on the disconnect. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good alternative hip hop. It’s chill and enlightened and everything, but I always walk away thinking that Tribe, Jurassic 5, and Dilated Peoples all click much better for me. But that “High and Rising” book I mentioned in the Tribe interview digs into De La’s incredibly important place in the history of hip hop, and their discomfort with aspects of that place. Label disputes and artistic reinvention left them on the outside looking in. Meanwhile, the violence and misogyny they were providing an alternative for went mainstream.
I always think I like De La Soul, and I do, but the problem is there is not much differentiation across the album. They have a solid vibe but its only one flavor.
I don’t know how accurate this take is, but it seems like too many albums from the late 80s and especially the 90s are way too long. 65 minutes is a lot to ask. Big shout out for the Steely Dan sample on Eye Know though.
Funny how something that once sounded groundbreaking now sounds almost amateurish.
Album with a funny vibe Favourite tracks: The Magic Number Ghetto Thang Say No Go Buddy Description D.A.I.S.Y. Age
Listened Before? N I enjoyed this one, more 90s hip hop that continues to move the needle in my collection. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Eye Know
first listen in entirety. ive been meaning to check this record out properly for years. I enjoyed it but I'm also not blown away
Look, this is obviously an unimpeachable classic and five stars, but I started to skip the skits after learning that we only have a limited amount of time on earth and you don’t strictly have to use it listening to what teens in the gifted and talented program thought was funny 35 years ago.
Just the feel good album of all time! Guaranteed to lift your mood.
I get the appeal but this genre of music is not for me at all.
Hip hop is definitely not for me. I couldn't finish it.
lots of cool samples. Very old-school. I would listen again.
Too long for its frugal sprinkling of strong tunes, it’s kept aloft by the charm of the style it mints. I’ve owned this for years, but never could concentrate long enough to hear the whole record. Overall glad I just did.
I have this pretty much memorized despite never owning it. The songs would probably vaporize without the superlative sampling they are constructed around, but that's what makes it so much fun.
It was decent. Some of the songs were really fun. I'm sure it was influential at the time.
It seems like they had a lot of fun making this album. However, that did not lead to a fun listening experience. This album felt like it was 80% skits and bad joke songs. The joke songs seemed like they were written by 8 year olds. They were all about doo doo and bad breath and stinky people. The rest of the songs on here were mostly just ok rapping with a couple decent exceptions. The beats on the real songs were pretty cool though.
That album is a trip. This is the common mans rap album. It has funny, interesting lyrics and familiar music to go along with their quirky style. Of all the rap I have listened to, this is one I have enjoyed way more than I expected.
I mean what to do with it. I think it was probably really popular for how new it was when it was released, but it is just a little odd now.
Great summer listening!
Someone let these guys loose in the studio and it sounds like they had a great time. A landmark album in hip-hop. Clever, playful rhymes backed by clever, playful sampling. 10/10 Probably the most fun I've ever had with a hip-hop album.
Pretty good beats. A little bit narrow on the spoken word range. Older hip hop. Fairly good. A little Avant gard
It took me five days to finish listening this horrible album. Can we really call this music? The best music of the album is the last one, because after it there's no more suffering.
Hip hop classic full of joy.
just as good as I knew it'd be lol. shit bangs. especially when they just throw crazy samples at you like the cool breeze song, steely dan samples. funny sexual euphemism throughout
After getting past that opening skit, this album bursts energy in the opening song. Then the unique style of De LA Soul unveils itself throughout the album. This is a 5 star album for me, despite those skits.
I just never connected with this album. Seemed like the only songs that stood out were because of the sample used.
great interludes and also great tracks
Really not my style of music, but enjoyed The Magic Number and Me Myself and I.
goofy but in a good way
Loved this. Had no idea what to expect, but these guys were fun. Definitely coming back to it.
I know this is a seminal album in the progression to alternative hip hop but there just didn’t seem to be enough for me to go on.
Not my usual style but I enjoyed it. I liked The Magic Number, A Little Bit Of Soap, Tread Water and Me Myself And I.
Super fun old-school hip-hop album with catchy beats and rhymes.
Perfect album!
Amazing! Very fun, I’m feeling good listening to it.
Fun, funny, bangin', psychedelic, all around great. Absolutely essential listening.
A very influential group that were early pioneers in the Hip-Hop genre. While I only keep a small amount on rotation with De La Soul, their music aged very well for being so early in the genre
One of the most childish records I have ever heard, that is nonetheless really good in its own way.
While not really my thing, I was intrigued by this. It was never boring. 3.51/5
I remembered I liked this, but I liked it better than I remembered. Sounds newer and fresher than it is. Favorite song: Eye know
One of the best hip-hop albums of all time, incredibly impressive debut (especially for the time period) production on this albums goes so hard.
I understand that at the time this must have been a groundbreaking album but I didn’t relate to it that much.
Funny and groovy. A classic old school hip hop album.
I don't like everything, but it's quite decent. They use good samples and their flow is good for the most part. I can do without the skits though. The best song was Eye Know.
A truly delightful hip hop record that embodies the playful and freewheeling late 80's spirit of the genre. Good times tunes packing much more than meets the eye.
Too many unfunny skits or gross out joke songs but every song that isnt one of those kills it
Their energy is infectious despite (or maybe because of) their juvenile behavior, much like watching children playing at recess. Guessing samples from songs of my youth is a game in itself.
Really good album with great sampling but longer than it needs to be.
Want to like this so much more than I actually do. The humour and sass is fantastic just gets a bit samey fairly quickly
This one defo has the feel of a debut album. Seems to vary quite a lot between the jazzier hip hop and a more stripped back old school hip hop sound. Clearly a tonne of in jokes and they’re defo having fun making it. It’s all ok, and I preferred the jazzier stuff, but no single song (including ‘the hits’) really stands out to me.