The eccentric and always unorthodox hip-hop crew, De La Soul has finally returned to the music scene by dropping their first full-length album in over 11 years. If you are unfamiliar with De La Soul, they are a three-man rap crew that consists of artists, Posdnous, Dave, and Maseo. The crew was formed in 1987 hailing from Long Island, New York. Soul gained a lot of recognition and praise in 1989 from their first release 3 Feet High and Rising, some call it a musical masterpiece and definitely one of the most legendary albums in hip-hop history. If you haven’t heard any De La, first, you’re missing out. Second I recommend listening to 3 Feet High and Rising before checking out this new album. It’s like trying watch “Game of Thrones” by starting at season four–you won’t get the full experience.
The Anonymous Nobody is everything you’d expect from De La Soul. A beautiful blend of old-school hip-hop, soul, rock, and jazz. The pure lyricism in this album is what Soul fans have been waiting for, each song telling a different story or lesson, something that hip-hop seemingly lacks today. Along with the diverse sounding tracks, Soul makes a great effort in reaching out to other artists to feature on the long-awaited album. Some notable artists include: Snoop Dogg, Pete Rock, Usher, 2 Chainz, and more. I guess the wait was worth it for De La Soul because in less than two weeks, the album hit number one on iTunes for hip-hop albums.
This album has done something that hip-hop hasn’t been able to do in recent years; shining a light back on old-school hip-hop. Give this album a listen and hey, you might even learn a thing or two from the wise threesome.
Recommended If You Like: Q-Tip, The Pharcyde, Black Star
Recommended Tracks: 3(Pain), 5(Memory of… (US)), 8(Snoopies), 13(Whoodeeni)
Do Not Play: 13(Whoodeeni)
Written by Benji Bloom on 09/08/2016