C/D : De La Soul is Dead ...

sub-question: was DLS Is Dead's appearance on some 'best of the 90's' lists (Spin's in particular but a few others) just runner-up tokenism when they wanted a Tribe and a De La record but then realized 3 ft High was 89?

also, classic just for Bitties In The BK Lounge. and Hey Love!!

I'd say if I could have had an EP of Bitties, Oodles of Os, maybe PeacePorridge, Keepin the Faith I'd be happy.

I hate "Ring Ring Ring", because the sentiment spoiled my ideal of De La forever. "Hey Love" is half formed. "Roller Skating Jam" ... your milage may vary. It's good, but for me, doesn't do much more than trade on it's good time disco vibes. You might as well listen to one of the 90s rap versions of Stayin' Alive. "Millie pulled a pistol" is ambitious but a bit overblown and tokenistic on an album with little else in the way social conscience.

i think this is completely false. i don't get everyone's fixation on 3Feet High. yeah it was different for the time, and i still feel it's amazing, but it's not the end of the road. it sounds a little dated to me.

De La Soul is Dead is one of the best hip hop albums, ever. after this one they still had two amazing albums left in them. it wasn't until Art Official Intelligence that they fell off. and even that one has some winners. I'm super scared to hear their latest, though.

Buhloone Mind State is one of the most abstract, while still being completely catchy and funky, hip hop albums ever made. and Stakes is High (their first w/o Prince Paul, while not as outright weird, is amazingly grown up and has some of the best written lyrics and nicest beats. I think DLS are the most under-recognized lyricists and if they had stopped at Stakes is High, maybe one of the best hip hop groups ever.

More important, though, the bangin' tunes: "A Roller-Skating Jam Called Saturday" has more hooks than a Meadowlark Lemon video tribute, and "Oodles of O's" anticipates a lot of 90's style in its sloppy/tight chorus (Wu-Tang, etc.).

I was teaching jr. high school in NYC when this album came out and all my students were like "Yo, we thought that hippie stuff was wack, but this is the JAM!" Plus, PE had fallen off in a big way, so they were glad that someone else was at least being original. (Other than Das EFX and Onyx, of course.)

I sold Buhloone Mindstate, but Stakes Is High is dope.

it was a ridiculous thing to do though agreed, basically tell the
new found audience that they could stick their daisy age vibe that THEY CREATED THEMSELVES up their arse.
it's an all time classic example of what steve lamacq talks
about in his book in
'10 things your favourite bands do to piss you off'
- slag off the previous record after you've virtually
sold your soul to it.
it wrecked their career and flow completely.
dissing 'evry harry dick and tom with a demo in his palm'
on the comeback single was about as wilfull a destruction of
a bands' following as u could get.
the f*ckin talking bits that u were meant to
read along with were a pain also despite their intentions to make
a mockery of hammer et al.
great tunes though.
'keepin the faith' i mean u can't argue with that.

they didn't get as good again say i until
'AOI: bionix' and by the way
speaking of which where is part 3, cause they promised it a year ago.

Classic x 10.

And i still feel that its a better album than 3 feet high. (which is just a little tooo simplisitic> childish or something...

dlsid does have some dud moments - those skits? they really could go.

agreed, a classic

"My Brother's a Basehead"

don't remember this. Maybe it wasn't on UK release.

"2) Punk Rock Attitude (let's hit back at our critics from the first album and forestall critics of this album);"

Can't say I've ever really thought of this as a punk attitude.

I still think all that stuff though

Buhloone Mindstate is really great too - the last part of the album is its strongest half! I think 3fthigh is my third favorite album of theirs actually.

3FH&R has some of the best lyrics and hooks in the history of rap music

Or, err, to initiate a fascinating debate about their worth or something.

some of the best lyrics are on Plug Tunin'...

Answering any other service,
Prerogative praised positively I'm acquitted
Enemies publicly shame my utility
After the battle they admit that I'm with it
Simply soothe, will move vinyl like glue
Transistors are never more shown with like
When vocal flow brings it all down in ruin
Due to a clue of a naughty noise called
Plug Tunin'

Change In Speak...

Live is the motion of the soul step
Set the exposure to my one step
This scene'll last to the next step
All those in favor take a big step
True to the Soul, we'll never back step
In sense to that, we don't half step
Just as a reminder from the last step
Negative ones are lost in footsteps
Levels we've set will never go down
Competitions commence the step down
Those involved with peace who know the Soul's down
Can see that the Soul has got a new sound
Dance until you find yourself a new part
If you don't then I'll give you the True part
When received you'll see the real small part
Of the new way is no part at all

and The Magic Number...

Difficult preaching is Posdnuos' pleasure
Pleasure and preaching starts in the heart
Something that stimulates the music in my measure
Measure in my music raised in three parts
Casually see but don't do like the Soul
'Cause seein' and doin' are actions for monkeys
Doin' hip hop hustle, no rock and roll
Unless your name's Brewster, 'cause Brewsters are Punky
Parents let go 'cause there's magic in the air
Criticising rap shows you're out of order
Stop look and listen to the phrase Fred Astaires
And don't get offended while Mase do-si-do's your daughter
A tri-cameral system is now set
Fly rhymes are stored on a DAISY production
It stands for "Da Inner Sound Y'all" and y'all can bet
That the action's not a trick, but showing the function
...
Focus is formed by flaunts to the soul
Souls who flaunt styles gain praises by pounds
Common are speakers who are never scrolls
Scrolls written daily creates a new sound
Listeners listen 'cause this here is wisdom
Wisdom of a Speaker, a Dove and a Plug
Set aside a legal substance to feed 'em
For now get 'em high off this dialect drug
Time is a factor so it's time that counts
Count not the negative actions of one
Speakers of soul say it's time to shout
Three forms the soul to a positive sum
Dance to this fix and flex every muscle
Space can be filled if you rise like my lumber
Advance to the tune but don't do the hustle
Shake, rattle, roll to my Magic Number

i think those skits are some of the best ever on a rap record.

Did you also know that the girl on Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa was a real person Pos was dating?

The title's genius too (it's not dissing their old fans and songs - it's dissing the image the media attached to them - see also the b-sides to the 3 Feet High And Rising singles).

I saw Matos say on the Best Rap Albums thread that he thinks Is Dead has better beats than maybe any other album period, and I'd like other people's thoughts. It definitely has me intrigued in the way some of my favorite rap has and does. I guess I'd just like other opinions. Is this album as weird to anyone else as it is to me? It feels sort of inscrutable, in no small part due to the fact that I'm not listening to it in the context of the landscape it was a part of at the time.

I always thought Buhloone Mindstate was their best record through and through. The beats are better - this and the Gravediggaz record were Prince Paul's finest hours - and they were really coming into their own lyrically.

A salient point. I suspect this was the intention. De La were smart enough to realize that inasmuch as the artists themselves realized their work fulfilled certain performative functions the audience was rapidly becoming aware of it too -- i.e. "is hip-hop an act that happens to feature beats, rhymes, and, er, life?"

I bought Buhloone right when it came out too, but it took me a while to get into it and really appreciate it. It's really different (and so much shorter!), but it grew on me. I'm sort of half-and-half about Stakes Is High.

THE FAT LADY!!!!!!!!!!!!

If it weren't for Wolf In Sheep's Clothing, I'd give De La Soul Is Dead the nod for best hip-hop album of the 90s, although many come very close in the Top 10.

De La Soul Is Dead isn't even the best De La Soul album of the 90s

Buhloone Mindstate is.

putting millie on every xxxmas cd - the "full" mix is the shit

http://www.discogs.com/release/1034875

One of my favorite maxi-CD-singles of all time

If I like "Buhloone Mindstate" a lot, which De La Soul album should I get next?

"A Rolling Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" is the most perfect jam they ever did: y/y?

n

Heartbeat+Q-Tip+pretty good rhymes is one of the better ones, but not the best

o wait, HEartbeat is Buddy

'n' was not an option

it's not even the best song on the album

it might not even be in the top 5

stfu gabbneb