“Plug Tunin’…”

AUDIO    By DJ Sorce-1 on October 5, 2008 at 1:27 pm

After our intense trio of De La Soul pieces, it’s hard to even consider how else to commend them for their contribution to not just Hip-Hop, but music & culture as a whole. But alas, it was neccessary to sing their praises once again as the Strong Island trio prepares to be honored by VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors show. Respect due.

I work in a middle school. In fact, I work at the middle school I attended in the 90’s. Every day I show up for work I walk the halls I once walked as a pimply, sweaty palmed, awkward adolescent. It was during these years that De La Soul’s music was essential to my daily. While I may have been a self-absorbed teenage mess, I could always go home and find an escape in De La’s music. In our recent interview, Prince Paul told me, “I was already heading in the direction of being obscure, but De La Soul made me put my pinky up while I was drinking tea.” I couldn’t agree more. De La’s music helped me embrace my qualities that didn’t fit the middle school mold.

I received Stakes Is High for Christmas during my seventh grade year. By the end of the school year, the album had become a favorite of mine. As an eighth grader I set out quench my thirst for more De La. I purchased 3 Feet High And Rising and well as De La Soul Is Dead. While I dug 3 Feet High, De La Soul Is Dead would become the album that defined my middle school experience. Pos and Trugoy blew my mind with their story telling ability and venomous lyrics. I was fascinated that a group responsible for one of the 80s happiest rap albums could create such sonic piss and vinegar. It was during this time that I began to notice De La’s ability to challenge and reinvent themselves without making wack shit.

Throughout my eighth grade year it was rare for me to go more than a few days without playing De La Soul Is Dead. I soon learned what songs would fit the mood I was in on a given day. “Who Do You Worship” was for those days where I felt like punching posers in the face for living. For days where I was crushing on a girl, there were cuts like “Hey Love.” “Pass The Plugs” was some cool out shit I could throw on right before bed and relax to; while “Kicked Out The House” was a goofy cut I could wild out to in my room. I could even get my Bob Marley fix by checking for “Keeping The Faith” as Prince Paul and De La flexed a “Could You Be Loved” sample.

Years passed and middle school suddenly became high school. Awkwardness gave way to confidence and I began make more friends. Yet as my teenage angst dissolved, my love for De La’s music never faded. My fixation with many groups and rappers proved temporary, but my fascination with De La has proved everlasting.

It makes me glad that a group like De La Soul has become a dynasty of sorts in the world of Hip-Hop. While people bitch and moan about needing to sell out to gain acceptance, De La has proven the opposite. The group that has always been willing to go against the grain has shown it’s longevity for the past twenty years. They have not shown any recent signs of slowing down either. After securing a slot on the 2008 Rock the Bells tour and becoming a recent VH1 Hip-Hop honoree, it seems like the Hip-Hop community is beginning to fully understand the group’s significance. The Long Island trio has been making essential music for two decades and with the rumored release of AOI III on the horizon, I hope they don’t stop any time soon.

De La Soul – “Pass The Plugs”

Previously Posted — “The Girls Look So Good…” | TWTW: The Abbreviated De La Soul Recap

Posted in AUDIO, GENERAL, LOOSIES, MUSIC — Tags: De La Soul, De La Soul Is Dead, VH-1 Hip-Hop Honors