| De La Soul | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Origin |
Long Island, New York, U.S. |
|
Genres |
|
|
Years active |
1987-present |
|
Labels |
Tommy Boy/Warner Bros., Sanctuary/BMG |
|
Associated acts |
Jungle Brothers, Native Tongues, Prince Paul, A Tribe Called Quest |
|
Members |
|
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio from Long Island, New York. The group is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres. The three members are Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo. De La Soul was formed right after the members finished high school in 1987 and later caught the attention of producer Prince Paul with a demo tape of the song "Plug Tunin'".
With its lighthearted wordplay, innovating sampling, and witty skits, the group's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, is considered a hip hop masterpiece. It is the group's biggest commercial success to date, with their subsequent albums selling progressively less, despite receiving high praise from critics. De La Soul has influenced numerous other hip hop artists such as Camp Lo and Digable Planets. De La Soul was also influential in the early stages of Mos Def's career. They are the second-longest standing group in the Native Tongues collective, after the A Tribe Called Quest.
In 2006, the group won a Grammy Award for their collaboration with Gorillaz on the single "Feel Good Inc."
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- 1989: 3 Feet High and Rising
- 1991: De La Soul Is Dead
- 1993: Buhloone Mindstate
- 1996: Stakes Is High
- 2000: Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump
- 2001: AOI: Bionix
- 2004: The Grind Date
- 2012: Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present... First Serve
- 2016: And the Anonymous Nobody...