De La Soul

De La Soul

De La Soul is an American hip-hop group from Amityville, New York, active from 1987. The group is made up of Posdnuos, Maseo and Dave Jolicoeur, and is also associated with Native Tongues. They work in alternative hip hop, boom bap, conscious hip hop, East Coast hip hop, hip hop and jazz rap.

Career and style

The group forms in high school in the Amityville area of Long Island. It first draws attention with a demo tape of the song “Plug Tunin'”, which reaches producer Prince Paul. De La Soul becomes known for eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, playful wordplay and skits, and for its role in the development of jazz rap and alternative hip hop.

Debut and later albums

Its debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, is widely regarded as a landmark release and is its biggest commercial success. Later albums sell less than the debut, although they continue to receive strong critical praise. The group’s studio albums include De La Soul Is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate, Stakes Is High, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, AOI: Bionix, The Grind Date, Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present... First Serve and and the Anonymous Nobody....

Collaborations and recognition

De La Soul is a core part of the Spitkicker collective and is the second longest-standing Native Tongues group after the Jungle Brothers. It also influences the early career of rapper and actor Mos Def. In 2006, the group wins a Grammy for its collaboration with Gorillaz on “Feel Good Inc.” The album and the Anonymous Nobody... includes guest appearances from Damon Albarn, Little Dragon, David Byrne, 2 Chainz and Snoop Dogg, and its tracks are said to come from improvised jam sessions.