Editor’s Note: I listened to De La Soul’s first two albums, 3 Feet High and Rising and De La Soul Is Dead. I explained how they just became available to stream in a previous post. My thoughts.
So I’ll basically just list the songs that I really liked and some thoughts about them and the overall album below. This isn’t going to be like some Pitchfork type of analysis, just an FYI.
Track 1: “Intro (3 Feet High and Rising)” They start off with a fake game show skit. “I like Twizzlers and the Alligator Bob” lol! This album is a fucking laugh riot. They ask four questions.
- How many feathers are on a Perdue Chicken?
- How many fibers are intertwined in a shredded what biscuit?
- What does “Toosh Et Leleh Poo” mean?
- How many times did the Batmobile catch a flat?
Track 3: “Change In Speak” They have an awesome sample of the song “Bra” by the group Cymande, which is a song I love.
Track 5: “Can U Keep a Secret” Another funny ass song. You can just tell they don’t give a fuck and are having a ton of fun. “Mase has big fat dandruff” lololol.
Track 6: “Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin’s Revenge)” Jennifer will pop up plenty more on the first two albums.
Track 7: “Ghetto Thang” It sounds to me like Beck sampled this song on “We Dance Alone”. It’s not cited as being sampled by Who Sampled (great resource) but it’s unmistakable to me. This album is like a masterclass in sampling as well, genius level stuff.
Track 8: “Transmitting Live From Mars” added this to a non-rap playlist (my DJ set Lounge playlist) so they can change it up. They sampled a song from The Turtles here, and got sued big time.
Track 9: “Eye Know” They sample “Peg” by Steely Dan, a song and band I truly love. I can’t not like this song.
Track 10: “Take It Off” Just a laugh out loud hilarious fucking song. “Take that doo-rag off”
Track 12: “Tread Water”
Track 13: “Potholes In My Lawn”
Track 14: “Say No Go” They sample “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” which is my favorite Hall & Oates song.
Track 15: “Do As De La Does” I had to stop this song because I was cry laughing listening to it. Again, this is probably the funniest album I’ve ever heard and this song is the pinnacle. Prince Paul (who is just scattered smothered and covered all over the album and is just amazing) opines on pocket doo doo and then there’s a bad Rodney Dangerfield impression to end the end. Just comic gold.
Track 16: “Plug Tunin’ (Last Chance to Comprehend) These dudes have the longest song names every and I love it.
Track 18: “Buddy (feat. Jungle Brothers & Q-Tip)” Song about your dick, possible circle jerk? This album makes a strong case that Karen should actually been coined Jennifer.
Track 20: “Me Myself & I” iconic
This album was released in 1989 yet it just sounds timeless like most all great music does. It’s just not even remotely dated. This isn’t an easy feat because I feel like most of the hip-hop released in the 80’s sounds really dated and isn’t very good. Hip hop doesn’t really find its footing and take off until the 90’s IMO. As mentioned this album is funny as hell and I love music that keeps a sense of humor (Ween a great example). De La Soul are cut from the same mold. They caught a bunch of shit for this album cause it’s not focused on guns and shooting people. I think since it doesn’t focus on violence and drugs it’s actually more transgressive than other hip hop of this time period.
The fact that the name of the album is 3 Feet High and Rising and there is a huge daisy motif used on the album it’s a meta-level dark humor about the fact that are going to die. I think this fact just went over everyone’s head at the time. Their second album was also titled…
Track 2: “Oodles of O’s” Just a 5 star banger, one of 4! IMO on this album
Track 4: “Pease Porridge”
Track 7: “A Roller Skating Jam Named “Saturdays”(feat. Q-Tip and Vinia Mojica)” Got the musical chills first spin with this one. Second 5 star on the album.
Track 8: “WRMS’ Dedication to the Bitty” Just a hilarious song. Not quite as funny as their debut, but still a funny ass album. “All the Burger Kind Honeys” lololol. Between this and The Humpty Dance, I’m positive that Burger King is the best fast-food joint to go to if you are trying to get some ass.
Track 9: “Bitties in the BK Lounge”
Track 12: “Let, Let Me In”
Track 13: “Afro Connections at a Hi 5 (In the Eyes of the Hoodlum”
Track 14: “Rap De Rap Show” “ham hock sandwich” hilarious song, the doo-doo man lol.
Track 18: “Kicked Out the House” It makes fun of house music, but it’s got a great house beat and I added it to my DJ set Lounge playlist.
Track 19: “Pass the Plugs”
Track 21: “Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)” I hadn’t heard this song for forever, soooo good! Another 5 star.
Track 24: “Shwingalokate”
Track 25: “Fanatic of the B word (feat. Dres)” Baseball! Which doesn’t actually mean Baseball.
Track 26: “Keepin’ the Faith” Another song I just hadn’t heard in forever and my favorite song on the first two albums, super high praise, easy 5 star!
Just an amazing album, not funny as the first but I think a more solid set of songs and the highs are just super duper high. Prince Paul does God-level production work on both of these albums. I’ve always been a fan of his (Handsome Boy Modeling School and his solo efforts) but he’s even better than I realized.
Both of these albums illustrate to me why hip hop was better in the 90’s than it currently is. The energy from both these albums is just infectious and you can just tell it’s made by everyone in person and there are just ideas galore bouncing off everybody. Both of these albums are must listens if you haven’t done so and have an interest in hip hop.