de la soul
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De La Soul is an American hip-hop trio of Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo, formed in 1987 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and contributions to the evolution of jazz rap and alternative hip-hop subgenres. The three formed the group in high school, catching 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', has been called "a hip-hop masterpiece." They are original members of the progressive collective known as the Native Tongues, which included A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, Black Sheep, Monie Love, and founding members the Jungle Brothers. Their output throughout the '90s, 1991's 'De La Soul Is Dead,' 1993's 'Buhoone Mindstate' and 1996's 'Stakes Is High,' while not as commercially successful as their debut, were all formative for hip-hop and are now widely considered cult classics. After 2004's critically acclaimed 'The Grind Date,' and winning a Grammy for their collaboration with Gorillaz on their single "Feel Good Inc." in 2006, De La Soul went on hiatus sans a few singles and an EP, returning in 2016 with the crowd-funded 'And the Anonymous Nobody.' In 2023, after years of legal battles over rights and ownership, De La Soul regained access to their back catalog from Tommy Boy Records and finally released their classic albums on streaming services for the first time. Unfortunately, it was bittersweet after the unfortunate passing days before the release of original member Dave 'Trugoy' Jolicoeur, who passed away at 54 after suffering from congestive heart failure diagnosed in 2017. Industry rumors suggest an untitled tenth album may be released with production from Pete Rock and DJ Premier. Individual aliases: Dave Jolicoeur AKA Trugoy The Dove / Plug Two / Plug 2 Kelvin Mercer AKA Posdnuos / Plug Won / Plug 1 Vincent Mason AKA Pasemaster Mase / Maseo / Plug Three
discogs
De La Soul is an American hip-hop group formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. 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 members are Posdnuos, Maseo, and Trugoy (until his death in 2023). 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, has been called "a hip hop masterpiece." The album was the band's biggest commercial success to date, with subsequent ones selling progressively less, despite receiving high praise from critics. They were influential in the early stages of rapper/actor Mos Def's career, and are a core part of the Spitkicker collective. They are the second longest standing Native Tongues group, after the Jungle Brothers. In 2006, the group won a Grammy for their collaboration with Gorillaz on the single "Feel Good Inc." In early 2015, they announced plans to release a Kickstarter funded upcoming 9th studio album and the Anonymous Nobody... in September 2015; it was released on August 26, 2016. The album tracks are said to be the result of multiple improvised jam sessions. The album also features guest appearances from artists such as Damon Albarn, Little Dragon, David Byrne, 2 Chainz and Snoop Dogg. Studio albums 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)
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