HIP-HOP AT 50: DE LA SOUL'S MAGIC NUMBER
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, and we kick off the year with great news about one of rap's most imaginative catalogs.
De La Soul's first six albums are finally coming to streaming services on 3/3, which marks the 34th anniversary of the trio's kaleidoscopic debut, 3 Feet High and Rising. After the Long Island act's team spent years in (largely unfruitful) negotiations with Tommy Boy Music, music-rights company/publisher Reservoir Media acquired the Tommy Boy catalog in 2021, giving new hope to fans of the work concocted by members Posdnuous, Maseo and Trugoy the Dove.
Reservoir will roll out the six titles—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) and AOI: Bionix (2001)—throughout 2023. Chrysalis will handle distribution.
De La Soul's sample-heavy, avowedly nerdy, ultra-playful recordings (notably with visionary producer Prince Paul) pushed the genre in striking new directions. Their influential cuts include "The Magic Number" (built on a Schoolhouse Rock loop), the Grammy-nominated "Me, Myself and I" and "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays."
The battle between Tommy Boy and De La Soul over the group's masters threw off some public sparks in 2019, when the label decided not to release the albums at the last minute. "Because Tommy Boy has not had the opportunity to sit down together with De La Soul and finalize our negotiations—something we’ve wanted to do for months—we have decided to postpone the digital release of their catalog scheduled for tomorrow," the label claimed in a press release. "We know fans are eager to hear these amazing recordings and we are hopeful for a quick resolution.”
With that conflict in the rearview, the members of De La Soul can finally focus on the future—and relish their contribution to hip-hop history. 3 Feet High and Rising is currently available for preorder on De La Soul’s website, while “The Magic Number” will be available for streaming on 1/13 along with a 7″ vinyl release and a cassingle. Evidently, three really is their magic number.
