3 Feet High and Rising

Not bad - it was a bit bloated and while the skits were nice and short it didn't feel like they were used to their full potential. Some bops some flops. All around pretty good. 3/5

Catchy but not my sort of thing Not a massive fan of the skits, and also found it a bit too long 3 ⭐️

Definitely doesn't sound dated but I'm never gonna love this

I feel like I lack the full knowledge/context to judge this. It holds up well and feels very influential. The beats in particular felt timeless. But, it didn’t really grab me.

звучок хороший, чисто тех времен. q-tip поработал на славу. за остальных вот читак не скажу так, не хватило изюминки , харизмы

This one sounded like it was Transmitting Live from Mars.

I haven't yet developed the skills to adaquately evaluate a hip-hop album. Do I admire the magpie eye and silver ear that samples Peg and Standing on the Dock of the Bay in the same song? Even if those moments don't go anywhere? That's unfair - Eye Know is great, but is it as great as Peg? Do I admire Eminem's dexterous music hall flow over the more pedestrian De La Soul vocalists? Even when they are warmer, more fun, and welcoming? I don't know. I like the Bonzo Dog Band, so I'm not opposed to skits in principle, but do they have to make the records so long? Are mixtapes that long? Are they actual C-90s? I don't know. I suppose a classic rap record should be something like the experience of a soundsystem at a street party. Three Feet and Rising is definitely the closest to this that we've heard: it feels like they're mixing in real-time, rapping in the same room. A positive addition to my 2345 train to Larne. Almost forgot that De La Orgee is awful. 3 The energetic sample-splicing is fun. And it almost felt sometimes like it put this album more in touch with Prince’s 1999 (yesterday’s album) than with the two rap albums at the start of the week (Eminem and Jeru the Damaja). Some of the raps were amusing - I enjoyed Tread Water especially - even if they felt a little flat in delivery. I think De La Soul genuinely uncovered a little musical gold as well - Eye Know. But… the skits are tiresome and after an hour I can’t have a sense of their ‘album’ as anything but an utter shambles; a 15 year old’s messy bedroom. Nice kid though. 2.5/5

Hip hop is not my scene but this has some good moments. "The Magic Number" is still a good tune as is "Eye Know".

I was familiar with "Me, Myself, and I" and with the group's sound in general, but didn't know this album. I like overall groove. I also like that the content is not all gangsta-this-gangsta-that. In the end, while it's all pleasant to listen to and I could see myself trying this album again, I didn't feel hooked. Also, kind of random but the Ogree song was unexpected and not really SFW.

its fine, 3/5

solid but did not blow me away

ok de wurlitzer am afang isch fire ich merk irgendwie dasses guet gmacht isch und finds toll dass es e gschicht verzellt und e vision vertritt :) & die viele verschiedene instrument im hintergrund sust ischs eif grad weniger min mood 🤔, harmonisch-melodisch passiert halt nedeso viel

The goofy vocals are.. goofy - but the beats and samples are so fantastic. The record is weighed down a bit by filler tracks and skits that don't always land, but in general, I had a good time with this album.

Skön tidig hiphop!

None of the songs really jumped out at me.

Love the intro. Feels like a very 90's album, so it's pretty forward thinking for 1989. Loses a lot of momentum in the second half, but is a decent album overall.

fun and refreshing, but a one-time thing for me. I can tell why it is a great and game-changing record though. I guess I am not really into hiphop. probably won’t come back. Eye Know is the best one.

First De La Soul album. I like their sound- captures the early hip hop sound with great kyricism and backing vocals. However, some parts got a little one note with their attempy to be humourous, which didnt always land. Still, found myself enjoying a lot of the songs. Overall- 3.5/5, but not quite a 4

This album is a strange experience. On paper I love what De La Soul are doing. But I look through the track listing post-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 - 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. Fave Tracks: Eye Know, Me Myself and I, This is a Recording 3.4/5

Despite not being a hip-hop fan, I have to admit this album is pretty good. Not that surprising, honestly, since I've always favoured this type of jazzy early hip-hip. I'm probably not going to revisit this anytime soon, but I'm glad I listened to it. Key tracks: Me Myself & I

Not my usual genre but I thought it was entertaining for one listen.

super catchy and fun loving album - a ton of fun

A fun listen that I have put off for many years. The runtime always prevented me, but finally, I listened. It was fun, but it’s way too long.

Not my cuppa, but kind of a fun one regardless.

3.5 Good stuff, don’t love all of it.

Definitely different for the time period music-wise. The relaxed flow is still a bit 80s sounding. I wish there were fewer skits/interludes. Highlights: "Change in Speak" (horn breaks are cool), "Eye Know" (love the "Peg" sample), "Me, Myself and I" (the big hit, good representative of the album) Notable: "Do as De La Does" (well, they sound like *they're* having fun at least), "De La Orgee" (oh no...)

This is one of those albums where, whenever you listen to it, you think to yourself "why don't I listen to this more often??" My standouts: Ghetto Thang, Eye Know, Say No Go, Do As De La Does, This Is a Recording

Intro - funny The Magic Number - Didn't think much of it, but then 80s rap beats are not my thing Change in Speak - good groove. Love the brass section. Cool Breeze on the Rocks - adding this here for completion but what is there to say about this haha Can U Keep a Secret - funny but that's it (adorable laugh at the end) Jenifa Taught Me is one of the best so far - loved the Chopsticks interlude, and the cool beat coming in after Ghetto Thang - the groove on this one is amazing. Best on the album so far. Transmitting Live from Mars - love the groove on this one, and the French at the start. Eye Know - so cute! Love the Peg sample. Take it Off - fairly boring A Little Bit of Soap - love the sample Tread Water - pretty fun Potholes in My Lawn - pretty good groove but fairly boring overall Say No Go - fairly forgettable Do as De La Does - abrasive and not great Plug Tunin' - not bad. Pretty dull De La Orgee - ridiculous haha Buddy - pretty dull (has the hilarious signature rap "ha HA!" that I love though) Description - plodding Me Myself and I - WHAT an excellent start. Love the hook throughout. This is a Recording - VERY cool groove. One of the best songs on the album. I Can Do Anything - funny D.A.I.S.Y Age - pretty muted and boring, so a disappointing end to Summary: Love all the samples, love the grooves, love the talking bits, little asides, and jokes. A great time overall.

Why is this album 23 tracks long? As much as this album is a golden-age classic, the bloated run-time its greatest legacy. The world could have done with more Eye Knows and less gameshow skits or De La Orgy.

This is definitely a go to when you want to kick back and relax with some old school jazz rap in the background, hell yeah.

Another I own and like, in particular Eye Know with the Sitting on the Dock of the Bay whistle sample

64/100

Cooles funky Hip-Hop Album.

Good fun, but I'm so sick of these skit heavy albums.

Fav Tracks: Eye Know, Tread Water Least Fav: Take It Off, De La Orgee In terms of 80's and 90's hip hop albums, this one has a bit more filler and sounds a bit more dated than some, but overall it's got some fun tracks. But I could absolutely have been better off without the orgy track.

Pretty good. Better and more creative than a lot of stuff from that period. Not much stood out though

I have no memory of this album

Good tunes

Not my favorite. More a fan of the hardcore lyrics and different, edgier flows. Respect what they did for the genre but not for me.

Wanted to like it. I didn’t really. I. Fact it was super corny with all the between song questions.

♥️

Intro n/a The Magic Number 3.4 Change in Speak 3.1 Cool Breeze on the Rocks n/a Can U Keep a Secret 3 Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge) 3.2 Ghetto Thang 3.3 Transmitting Live from Mars 3 Eye Know 3.3 Take It Off 3.3 A Little Bit of Soap 3.4 Tread Water 3.3 Potholes in My Lawn 3.5 Say No Go 3.3 Do as De La Does 3 Plug Tunin' (Last Chance to Comprehend) 3.1 De La Orgee 3 Buddy 3.3 Description 3.4 Me Myself and I 3.2 This Is a Recording 4 Living in a Fulltime Era (L.I.F.E.) 3.1 I Can Do Anything (Delacratic) n/a D.A.I.S.Y. Age 3.1 Score: 3.215

It's probably already been said but I liked the similarities here to A Tribe Called Quest, the laid back style was enjoyable with a few tracks that were really nice. That being said I would say it started to drag for me with its length vs how many tracks I would want to add to any playlists.

Expected to like this way more, still cool it came out in 89 though 6/10 Fav tracks - The Magic Number, DAISY age, De La Orgee

not a bad listen. for the most part, enjoyed the lyrics. didn't take themselves too seriously but most tracks had something to say. it is too long-was bored after about 45 minutes.

These guys were having a lot of fun!

It’s a rap comedy album. Basic drum machine rhythm. Not the worst I’ve heard.

Great beats and a vibe throughout the album. Not exactly the style of music I usually listen to but I really enjoyed this album.

This album was a trip to say the least, some songs where so funny that I was dying of laughter, and others had some funky beats that I'll be taking them with me for an exceptionally long time. Overall, must give this album a 6.5/10, as I enjoyed most of the songs but there were some that I felt like was dragging more than it should have.

As far as rap goes, this album is too tame for my taste and contains too much filler. The skits are amusing on a first listen but grow tiresome with repetition. I can see the value in the album and its significance in hip-hop history, but to my ear, it’s nothing exceptional.

A great hip hop album. I really liked this when I was in high school.

I really dig the beats of De La Soul, but this album takes a few weird twists. Interesting listen and I would appreciate to hear more of then

Me, Myself, and I will always remind me of playing NCAA Football 2007 for hours after school and on weekends. 90s rap can sometimes sound dated, but the flow of the lyrics was nice. As always, I could do without the skits. Overall it was fun to have on in the background while hanging out, but it wasn’t anything special. No complaints, but definitely can’t go higher than a three.

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I'm always skeptical of 80s rap, but this was really enjoyable. It wasn't too corny and I really liked the beats. It probably would have been a 4 if it wasn't so long.

The tunes that made the airwaves in yesteryear were superb to hear again but the album as a whole feels a bit mishmashy at times. Some random songs!

I really enjoyed some of this album and really hated other parts but on the whole found it enjoyable but too long to listen in one go

Time warp. If you wish to know what mainstream hip hop was in early '90s then here you go....

I like alot of the samples but some of the beats were too out there for me. Some classics on here though.

Great hip hop album. Not a big hip hop fan but this had me listening start to finish.

Playful and funky. Don't know if I would listen to the whole album again, but maybe some songs

Honestly it’s a solid 3.5. This was super fun and I gravitated to quite a few of the songs (Change in Speak, Say No Go, Plug Tunin’, just to name a few). Me Myself and I speaks to me as a kid who was raised on Nickelodeon. It is an album made by kids having a good time and I probably would have done a full four stars back in high school

6/10. I apologize in advance for pissing off the hip-hop-head community, but this album really isn't my thing. The concept is really cool, and so were its lyrics, but its instrumentation really bored me. It was also fairly long.

first time listening to a full De La Soul record as it was one of the last artists not on streaming. overall a very 90s hip-hop art album, which was trying to build off the roots that ATCQ dug into the 90s. overall solid project, would revisit one in a while.

Not a bad collection of tracks

It’s fine. Nice Steely Dan samples.

Funky, funny, a little too repetitive in some songs, not quite my thing. Can U Keep A Secret is funny. Skipped a few songs.

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.

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.

A pleasant listen

The Intro: Look how wacky and crazy we are!!!11!!! After that it's OK. 3/5

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

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.

it has a fun personality but a bit of a sleepy listen

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

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 👌!

Top grade hip hop with a fine sample of sampling

Love the vibe.

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

Largely inoffensive and laid back vibes but just went on far too long

Not my cup of tea. Not even my cup of tea for the genre. But it’s not bad.

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

Some absolute classics in there. Other stuff is very of it’s time!

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

it’s pretty good. feel bad for my string of threes lately but yeah i mean yeah this was good

every song very alike, good vibes

Early Hip Hop, it is pretty good

Hip hop vibey, but not hitting for me

I know a lot of people love this, but it is too backpack for me.

ganz interessante Sachen dabei

Sigh, another hip hop album. This wasn’t terrible but I didn’t like it.

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

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 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...

This album is a good time but unlikely to make it into rotation

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.

OK 👍 amazing haha funny lol xd

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

I'm still not into hip-hop

3.5

- gutes Zeug dabei, einiges aber auch nur so im Mittelfeld - weitestgehend aber einfach fun

Not my favorite. Couldn't get around the sensibility. Just not my jam, but can certainly see how and why many would appreciate it.

Cool, didn't love it

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

Not my style but has some fun lyrics.

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.

meh

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

Classic.

Fun early hip hop 6/10

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.

It's fine but I wanted to like it more than I did. Favourite track: Me Myself and I.

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

Enjoyed this enough while listening to it but probably won’t ever return to it

They’re fun but they leave me wanting more

I must be missing something... this record comes up every so often, and I mean it's ok, but...

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

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

#49 - I enjoyed some of the songs in the album, and the positive vibes. Might want to revisit.

It's good.

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.

Album with a funny vibe Favourite tracks: The Magic Number Ghetto Thang Say No Go Buddy Description D.A.I.S.Y. Age

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

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 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.

Pretty good beats. A little bit narrow on the spoken word range. Older hip hop. Fairly good. A little Avant gard

Really not my style of music, but enjoyed The Magic Number and Me Myself and I.

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.

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

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.

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.

I suppose it's a good antidote to all the bitching and shooting going on but it's just a little too chirpy for me. It's sample heavy but I like the jazzy nature of some of the tracks. Eye Know always works for me but album as a whole slightly annoying.

There's so much about this album that I love, but the faux game-show nonsense risks turning it into a novelty record. At best that stuff is very annoying. I still need to listen to this album again though.

Ludique, tant au plan des textes et de l'interprétation qu'à celui de la mise en valeur des échantillons.

Chill

Check again when in mood for rap

Not my thing, but it’s not really bad.

interesting - a bit dated - kind of the last run of 'innocence' in hip hop, feels a bit 'childish' compared to what came next (cypress hill, beastie boys, Wu Tang, NWA, etc) VERY cool sampling techniques - bit time props to the producer

One of the first ever rap albums. While overall fairly simplistic in composition and lyrics, several songs were pretty catchy. Notably absent were the typical guns, drugs, and violence we all associate with rap (there were those weird sex noises however).

I enjoyed this. Not my favorite.

Fun old school hip hop with some brass.

The production and energy really saves it, but it is a little too 'all over the place' for my liking. You can't judge the level of rapping too much for the time it came out, and for being an hour long it doesn't feel that long.

It has an air of the rap of the time. I didn't know anything about this genre except pokerap. Nice album. Curiosity: "A little bit of soap" samples "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)", a song by Ben E King. Which samples "Stand by Me" and hence the similarity in the melody with such a well-known song.

Back in '94 i was listening alot to Arrested Development's Zingalamaduni, and this album takes me right back. Positive, lyrical and poetic hiphop. Playfull sampling and oldschool scratching. Im all in. I love this album. Top tracks: "The Magic Number", "Change in me", and "Me Myself and I"

This one brings me feelings of nostalgia. At the time, my brother listened to gangster rap, like NWA, Too Short, Ice-T, and the like. My sister listened to mostly metal music, but some 2 Live Crew, JJ Fad, and other party type groups. While I liked all that other stuff my siblings forced me to listen to, I really feel like De La Soul and groups like them spoke to me. I had this cassette, and played it regularly. Late 80's early 90's conscious hip hop holds a special place in my memory, and De La Soul were are the start of that journey. Buddy is a favorite on this one.

I've never sat and listened to this album before, but I am slightly familiar with them. I had the kids with me all day yesterday, driving far out to a garden center and back. If I'd been alone it would have been the perfect time to listen to this album, but I wasn't sure if it was going to be suitable for young ears, so I had to wait until later in the evening to start listening. I listen to it while at the gym, but even still, I didn't get a chance to finish it. So many interstitials! I was feeling like I was running behind and as fun as they are, I was getting annoyed with those interludes that reminded me of boys clowning around in school. Get on with it! Suffice to say, being in a rush is no way to really listen to or evaluate an album. I probably could have listened to it even with the kids present, because references to baseheads and gardening tools wouldn't have meant much to them. Except when I was peeling out of the gym parking lot in my minivan blasting sounds of an orgy, well I guess I made the right call after all. I LOVE all of the sampling and mixing, and the energy and fun. It transported me to another world, late 80's New York. I expected to see Spike Lee pop out from around the corner, with, I don't know, Rosie Perez wearing giant gold door-knocker earrings and bike shorts. Even though I was pretty young at the time, I feel like late 80s/early 90s was such a special and exciting time for music and hip hop. Listening to this makes me feel young, remembering hearing stuff like this from my childhood, but also old, realizing that mainstream music isn't often like this anymore. I'd be happy to hear some of this come on at a party, and I'm interested to hear more of their catalog.

I liked this. I was a bit of a late comer to hip hop. Being from the Caribbean I grew up on a lot of Calypso and Reggae. Trying to look back at hip hop objectively though there seems to be a sort of golden age of innovation and creativity. Maybe something like 1988 to 1994? Del La Soul seems to be coming from that old school golden age approach of creativity, and positivity. Lots of sampling and a DJ scratching. I didn't listen to all of every song, but it was noticable that rapping primarily about bitches and hoes, wrist watches and cars was absent on most of this. With the current state of a lot of hip hop I wonder if younger generations would even recognize this as being hip hop? I've never listened to this album but was familiar with 'Me, Myself and I'. The sampling on this album is great. I picked up on 'I Can't Go For That' by Hall and Oates 'The Crunge' by Led Zeppelin and of course inklings of James Brown songs....or what sounded like James Brown. It took real skill for a DJ to carve up a break in a song and set it to the right tempo to make a new song out of it. I like The Magic Number,.Ghetto Thang, Eye Know and Daisy Age. I'll definitely be looking into their later stuff.

maybe an important hiphop album.

beste rap album tot nu toe... leuke deuntjes, vrolijke muziek, hoewel rap niet mijn smaak is

Remember loving the hits, and it was fun to hear the first couple of skits. This was revolutionary - shame rap ended up more on the sexist, gun tilt than this whirligig of old soul and beats

Fun old skool hip hop

Nice album. Fun album.

Fun!

I liked the samples used. I like this sort of old school rap.

2.7 did nothing for me.

Fun, definitely silly. But a long album. I don’t need that many songs by anyone!

When it’s good it’s really good. But in my opinion it’s too long and a bit too childish at times.

Interesting album. Worth a listen

This is highly respected hip hop which I think influenced a lot of later alternative rap music like OutKast.

i dont like hip hop but this is the best hip hop album ive listened to

3.5, some good songs, not among the best rap albums I’ve heard though

Weirder than MFDOOM without the cool

Went in expecting to not like it much but was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed all the samples they used.

Pretty good, would like to delve into it a little more.

Not terrible, but I'm not a massive fan of the game show stuff going on. I don't think it improves the album. The music is pretty decent in places and goes on a bit in others. It was pleasant enough but lacks the edge that I look for in the sort of hip hop I come back to.

fun album, but a bit too long. and i can do without the cheesy skits.

It is a really nice album. Far from the style we have been accustomed to.

Super fun

Liked some of it, really the ones I know from the 80s/90s. Not really my thing, but it's ok.

This is a fun album! Great use of samples, good rapping and many good songs. However, as often before with hip-hop, the album is far too long. I'm full after 40 minutes and then it goes on and on. As a sidenote; there is not enough scratching on newer hip-hop!

I enjoyed this one mostly, a low 3.

Going in I already knew this wouldn't be my jam cause I'm not a big fan of hip hop. But I enjoyed listening to this as I found I have heard many songs from De La Soul in samples within other bands music (Lovage, and maybe Portishead) and can see how influential this album is stylistically.

3.5 Overall too long and a lot of throwaway tracks that do nothing for the album. But that was common for hip-hop back then. Love the flow and Eye Know is an incredible track

Funky beats. Easy listen

Pretty sure this already came up for me. First rap album I ever owned, on cassette. I think at the time I just listened to The Magic Number and not much else. Pretty sure I'm not alone in that. I liked them, but they weren't no Vanilla Ice or MC Hammer, now that's some legit rapping right there.

A really enjoyable record! Loved the late 80’s east coast hip hop vibes lots of cool samples. A bit too long for repeat listens but I really enjoyed the back half of the album 😊 Definitely will be adding a few tunes into my playlists Highlight: me myself and I

Ah, such joy and good times with some great samples. But I can almost taste the bright yellow Reeboks.

It's different, I liked the flow of it overall.

Fun old school hip hop album. Standout songs: Tread Water Buddy

Eye know is the clear standout. A little soap cracked me up. A fun enjoyable listen. Clever

Feels basic

Top Three Songs: 1) Transmitting Live from Mars 2) The Magic Number 3) Description Bottom Three Songs: 1) De La Orgee 2) Take It Off 3) I Can Do Anything (Delacratic)

From an era or more intelligent hip-hop

Very hip-hop. I felt called out about my dandruff, and the Jennifer song was getting a bit personal :( there were some entertaining tracks, although I’ve got to give minus points for the sex sounds (what is it with these albums and soft porn???) Overall, it’s not bad, just not my thing

This was a fun, if cheesey 80s hop hop record. All the standard stuff that entails applies.

Some good innovative tracks but overall too long. Good use of samples.

Early hip-hop lite - kind of jokey and not overly serious. It was only okay but time doesn’t treat it well.

This is a goofy and fun album with some cool samples.

Its a pretty good early rap album

super fun listen. i thought the moaning track was a bit weird but. 3.5/5

Super jovial energy on this record, seems a little dorky (but I mean that as a compliment). It's fun, though admittedly, I find it to drag on a little. Favorite tracks: "Buddy", "Me, Myself, and I", "Potholes In My Lawn"

Rating: 7/10 - Solid, in rotation for genre. Might recommend, probably won't. Genre: 90's Hip Hop. Fun, good casual vibes. Solid drum kit beats. Underground feel. Not a must-listen but not bad either.

I'm not a huge fan of hip hop but this was a fun listen, I knew the singles of course, magic number, eye know and my favourite me, myself and I but there were other fun tracks, especially 'this is a recording' The downsides were it was a bit too long, some of the filler tracks I wasn't a huge fan of but overall glad I listened to this

3.5

Why do I have a feeling these guys are a precursor to the bloodhound gang

Good beats. Whimsical, unique and fun. Reminiscent of a simpler time. A bit too long. 3/5.

Full of life and fun, but ultimately not my thing. I didn't get past the first playing, but it was in the background whilst I was working and I somehow feel it deserved a little more attention. Hasn't made my list, but might well get a revisit

they know

Will need to listen to it again

I feel I should have liked this more than I did. Pleasantly surprised to hear the Jungle Brothers on one track.

Fun old-school rap album with classic rhyme schemes and solid beats. Definitely grew on me by the end of the album but I’m not sure if I’ll return to it.

Didnt really know what to expect but i liked it quite a bit. It was nice to put in the background and work on some other things. Didnt really like the orgy one though.

Didn't hit for me maybe revolutionary at the time, def a vibe but nothing stuck out. Wish I liked it more

Just fun old school hip hop

Two albums in a row where I've mentioned seeing them at a festival. This one was Glastonbury festival on the pyramid stage. We were walking generally past. The weather was utterly abject. Dark clouds overhead and rain coming down. I decided to buy a pear cider. We take a look at the main stage, and who is coming on? De La Soul. At that moment, the clouds part, a ray of sunshine breaks out, and I'm standing there with a pear cider in my hand and a big grin on my face, watching some super happy fun-time music. It was magical. Anyway, I like the upbeat energy of these guys, but most of the album isn't as good as the big hits. I guess we'll always have Glastonbury.

Twas a vibe. Started off strong and ended not as well. Added the magic number to my liked songs

This gave me a good mood :)

Album was okay. Respect the origins of some rap and hip-hop though.

Good album, it was fun.

Okay at best

Un 3 porque Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge) me ha hecho gracia. Si no ...

Fun, but crude

Good

Nice, but a bit long

Vieux hip hop mais quelques banger

Con este luminoso disco de De La Soul el hip-hop amplió sus horizontes en formas y contenidos. En su paleta de sonidos coinciden pop, soul, disco e incluso country. Me gustan la optimista "Eye Know" y la sensual "Buddy".

Not heard of this. Hip-hop/Rap from 1989. Interesting way to start an album haha. Three is the magic number! Recognise that, added the song to the library. High 3.

see i just don’t feel like this needed to be an hour long. cool samples. wrap it up.

Interesting album. New to me

A nostalgic feel good classic

I had fun listening to this! I kind of wish they had leaned a little further into the silly, corny side of their sound. This feels a little like some deeply dorky guys who want you to think their cool but are ready to hastily play it off as ironic if you don’t.

Un 3 porque Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge) me ha hecho gracia. Si no ...

300-odd albums in and I think I've finally found hip-hop that I can unequivocally say I like. There's a upbeat style and a jazzy, hippy vibe which makes the record far more feel-good than most of the genre's offerings. Plus I think it helps that in every video these guys look like they've walked off the set of Saved By The Bell Okay, I can do without the skits. And I'm not a fan of all the weird 'half-songs' that are more than a quick bit but also clearly not a full effort (Can U Keep a Secret, Take it Off, De La Orgee etc.) But there's a good half dozen or so solid tracks on this! 3.5/5

Yeah, ok.

Pues fue una grata sorpresa la verdad, so far is pretty good😌👍🏻

Classic.

So many songs! Felt like 6-8 not 24. Fun background party music. Nothing grabbed me.

Wow... that was unlike any hip hop album I have ever heard. It almost felt conversational at times or as if three dudes were just sitting on a couch and experimenting with harmonising and chanting mantras at one another about the most random, weird shit. Strangely upbeat, full of sounds and samples not often aligned with hip hop in the modern era. Never boring, occasionally bemusing, but consistently entertaining.

Fun and interesting but not quite my thing.

Something new for me - I liked that the lyrics and beats were a bit silly and that the sound samples were new and original for the time. I probably won’t listen again but am glad I did.

I don’t normally listen to hip hop/rap. I listened to the whole album while I was working out and working on a DIY project. It wasn’t bad. I liked some of the songs and the beat. Clever lyrics. Not what I expected.

Some modern songs some very old school however all generally pleasant and fun. 3.5/5

Three is the magic number.

3.5

I really liked Plug Tunin

This is tough album to rate, imo. But one thing for sure, De La Soul could have used a De la Rocha, as in Zach. Opening track is the best song off the album and a great opener. Took my son to realize this is from Schoolhouse Rock. Thought the music and sound was reasonably enjoying, but after a while, thought a lot of it started to run together. I rememeber Me Myself and I from my college days and is another solid song, but really, there is no oher song I could recall that stood out. Except the very cringeworthy, hope your coworkers don't hear, De La Orgee. What the hell? So different than every other sound and just terrible. Kinda felt a little like listening to the opening of the Fresh Price of Bel Air. Just too many times, though. Like I said, I struggled with this and thought pretty decent at times. At least it wasn't gangsta shit..... Conclusion, it was OK. Just OK. Nothing I would download or revisit. But nothing too bad either. 3

Cool concept...

Cool album, definitely to be part of the 1001 even though not my favorite genre.

Rap progresivo. Ni fu ni fa.

Not my favorite

I’m trying my best to embrace hip hop more. My brain is so geared to enjoy melody that when music prioritizes rhythm I tend to become bored very quickly. There’s still some fun to be had here. This comes across as a goofy concept album complete with samples from Liberace and random French speakers. I liked some of the tracks. But overall I thought this was just ok. 3/5

I was obsessed with this in 1989. In 2023, I think all of the bona fide songs still sound timeless, but all the skits and interstitial stuff have lost their charm and seem like filler. They contribute to the album's personality, but it's too much.

- The album is fresh and fun throughout. - A bit too long. - It's my first De La Soul album. Cool find!

I recognise De La Soul from their various contributions towards Gorillaz tracks. I’d argue that the rap is the best part of Feel Good Inc, so I go into this album feeling quite optimistic. Songs I already knew: The Magic Number Favourites: The Magic Number I quite enjoyed this, but I doubt it’s enough to have me coming back for more. The lyrics tended to be a little tongue in cheek and humorous at times, and the flow was great. It’s the funky style of old school rap that I tend to enjoy most, so I can’t fault that. I’m not sure why this didn’t knock my socks off like few other rap albums have, because I don’t feel I can fault much. It just felt fine.

It was ok

Good ole fashioned rap.

Good beats, but the skits were kind of weird and the album was way too long

Det här är ganska skönt. Kommer nog lyssna igen på en del låtar. Dock med tidig rap så tycker jag att den ibland tenderar att vara lite väl basic (gäller även nwa)

Det är ju kul och bra. Sen har man "levlat up" och mognat. Man lyssnar på annan hiphop, och detta blir lite barnsligt i jämförelse. Men många låtar är ändå rätt catchy.

Är man en äkta hiphopskalle är det här ju ett album man "ska" älska. För mig själv som fastnade för hiphop under den gyllene eran på 90-talet så har det dock alltid varit svårt att omfamna 80-talets hiphop (gudarna ska veta att jag har försökt), eftersom den objektivt inte är lika bra. Utvecklingen var verkligen exponentiell under den här tiden och det är stor skillnad på produktioner och beats, men framförallt på texter, flow och "rhyme skills" överlag. Ger albumet en trea för att det ändå är välproducerat och för sin tid var banrytande med mycket bra samplingar som tog steg mot den riktigt bra hip-hopen, men det finns mycket "nytt" som är så mycket bättre. De enda spåren jag verkligen gillar från den här skivan är Eye Know (där för övrigt Steely Dan är samplade) och Buddy.

This was a very funky listen and obviously a pretty influential album. I do like old school hip hop. I'm ashamed to say that this is the first time I have listened to this record and my fav track is Eye Know, but they are all awesome!

This was such a fun album - I really enjoyed it! I enjoy hiphop the most when the artist isn't taking themselves too seriously! Fave track: Buddy

It's good but it's not a favorite of mine. In the old school hip hop department I'd rather listen to stuff like A Tribe Called Quest or Pharcyde, which are both more engaging for my taste.

Meh. Uneventful east coast rap.

I can't tell how this formation made its way being surrounded by NWA, Run DMC, Public Enemy and Eric B. & Rakim... Maybe I just don't get it? It's not bad, just not something iconic for me as the others I just named.

meh, couldn't click with it

Finally! A decent hip-hop album that isn't loaded with the same cringeworthy sexism and tiresome self-promotion common to this genre. Most of the raps on "3 Feet High and Rising" are good, except for one track, "De La Orgee", which may unwittingly speak to De La Soul's lack of stamina ... the song lasts for just over a minute. ;-)

interesting to listen to some founding hip hop

This was pretty good

Groovy baby

Highlights: The Magic Number, Eye Know, Tread Water, Say No Go, In a nutshell: old school sampling meets late 80’s hip hop, but not as you know it. I don’t think anyone had heard anything like this album (maybe Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation…?) at the time. It’s not my thing. I definitely appreciate this album’s importance to music history and I do like the fusion of rap, jazz and sampling. Also, damn you De La Soul for popularising the hip hop skit! (shakes fist at sky) Overall: 6/10

Generally good fun, not quite as good as I’d hoped when I saw it pop up but yep.

The samples are really the star of the show on this album. I liked how you could hear the start of some jazzrap in these beats. The rapping while not the most advanced flows is adequate with some fun stories and jokes thrown in. I find it interesting that this was released around the same time as "Straight Outta Compton" which really shows the difference in styles and subject matter in rap at the time. Some of my favourites samples include "Potholes in my lawn", "Jenifa Taught me" and "Eye Know" (where even Otis Redding) which I feel is the best song on the album. Main negative is that it is slightly too long.

I've tried to really get into certain hip hop but there's always something not quite there for me. Standout is Eye Know, obviously these guys are legendary but a lot of it just doesn't quite click for me.

Not a big fan of hardcore rap

C'est okay, ça me plaît, mais ça casse pas 3 pattes a un canard

très chouette hip hop à l'ancienne, je suis pas un fan du style en général mais chouette

De La was always fun

Eh, I’m still digesting it. I liked me myself and I, buddy, eye know, a little bit of soap. Need more time with it.

3-stars are the magic number I'm afraid. I've never been a big fan of De La Soul. This album was okay I guess, but the big hits are just pop songs and there's not really any depth to any of it. The skits have aged particularly badly. I know this was supposed to be ground breaking at the time, but there's other bands who did this better, much better. I did appreciate locating some samples that I knew had been used in hip-hop but I had never quite managed to place before though.

It had some bops, but I don't think I'll listen to it again.