De La Soul
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Hey how ya doin' --"Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (1991) by De La Soul |
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De La Soul is an American hip-hop band known for such compositions as "Me Myself and I" (1989) and "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (1991).
They are known for their eclectic sampling and quirky, surreal lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising (1989) contrasted to the contemporary gangsta rap such as NWA’s Straight Outta Compton (1988) and Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988). The members are Kelvin Mercer, David Jude Jolicoeur and Vincent Mason. The three formed the group in high school and caught the attention of producer Prince Paul with a demo tape of the song "Plug Tunin'".
With its playful wordplay, innovative sampling, and witty skits, the band's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), was hailed as a hip-hop masterpiece. It is also the band's biggest commercial success to date, with their subsequent albums selling progressively less, despite receiving praise from critics. A measure of 3 Feet High and Rising's cross-over appeal was the fact that it was voted Album of the Year by NME Magazine, a title better known for its taste in guitar-based music. De La Soul has influenced numerous other hip hop artists such as Camp Lo, Black Eyed Peas, and Digable Planets. They were also instrumental in the early stages of rapper/actor Mos Def's career, and are a core part of the Spitkicker collective. They are the longest standing Native Tongues Posse group, after the Jungle Brothers.
Discography
- 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
- De La Soul Is Dead (1991)
- Buhloone Mindstate (1993)
- Stakes Is High (1996)
- Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000)
- AOI: Bionix (2001)
- The Grind Date (2004)
- Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present... First Serve (2012)
- And the Anonymous Nobody... (2016)
