De La Soul | Artist
De La Soul is an American jazz-hip hop trio formed in 1987 in Amityville, New York, by Posdnuos (MC), Trugoy (MC) and Maseo (MC, DJ). They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres. The trio met in high school and caught the attention of producer Prince Paul with a demo tape of the song "Plug Tunin'". Their 1989 debut album 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), with its playful wordplay, innovative sampling, and witty skits, has been called "a hip hop masterpiece". The band followed up with three more superb albums De La Soul is Dead (1991), Buhloone Mind State (1993), and Stakes is High (1996). Following this creative peak they released a further five studio albums which, while consistently good, have not achieved the excellent standard of their earlier works. The 9th studio album, 2016's And the Anonymous Nobody, features guest appearances from artists such as Damon Albarn, Little Dragon, David Byrne and Snoop Dogg. De La Soul won a Grammy for their 2006 collaboration with Gorillaz on the single "Feel Good Inc". Due to the copyright complexities of music samples, De La Soul's back catalog was not released on audio streaming or digital media stores until 2023. Initially it was owned by Warner Music Group, which was reluctant to clear samples only intended for physical media distribution. In 2017, De La Soul's catalog was purchased by Tommy Boy Records with the intention of making it available for digital services. However, as they were unhappy receiving only 10% of the revenue, with the rest for Tommy Boy, the group postponed the release. De La Soul's first six albums were finally released on audio streaming services in March 2023, with all their Tommy Boy releases now owned by De La Soul's company A.O.I., LLC. Founding member Trugoy aka Trugoy the Dove, whoes name when reversed spells yogurt, because he liked yogurt, died on February 12, 2023, at the age of 54 from congestive heart failure. His death came only weeks before the release of De La Soul's music on streaming platforms following their long-fought catalogue disputes.
Artist Website: wearedelasoul.com
Featured Albums: De La Soul
Related Artists: A Tribe Called Quest, Soul Rebels
