Now, there’s no “Shiny Happy People” in the crew, we play the rough © Posdonus
I had full intentions of posting the video, then the thought occurred that a (C)Rank It! might be in order since it’s been months since we did one.
Who better to choose than to try to apply some type of ranking to De La’s discography? Around these parts, we’ve got an obvious affinity for their music so it’s not exactly easy to rank one album above the others. So while I’ve got my personal choices & the Crew has theirs, we want to hear yours.
— 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
— De La Soul is Dead (1991)
— Buhloone Mindstate (1993)
— Stakes Is High (1996)
— Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000)
— AOI: Bionix (2001)
— De La Mix Tape: Remixes, Rarities and Classics (2004)
— The Grind Date (2004)
— The Impossible: Mission TV Series – Pt. 1 (2006)
Music to help inspire your choices?
Jaycee’s mix of course.
For my leanings, I’m more partial to their earlier catalog. De La Soul Is Dead takes top ranking. End game. When people speak of classic albums, Paul put his foot in it & the whole execution, which he revealed was quite scattered, was perfect imperfection. After that, I always manage to confuse Stakes Is High & Buhloone Mindstate but I have a certain fondness for Buhloone… because I was young & used to blow to that one, on Mars sitting in a lawn chair zooted. That withstanding & from faint memory, I’ll throw Stakes… in @ two, mainly because they expanded their sound, included a few features all without losing any chemistry.
Previously Posted — TWTW: The Abbreviated De La Soul Recap
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/global/images/default-avatar.jpg){kind=avatar}
![[image]](http://cdn.tss.uproxx.com/TSS/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2012/02/De-La-Soul-Must-Be-The-Music-Video-150x81.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.tss.uproxx.com/TSS/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2012/01/De-La-Soul-as-First-Serve-main-150x75.jpg)
*whispers to others*
i didn’t think he was privy to our convos….is he?
No one cc’ed me on the memo. Do tell © Omar.
You better off in the dark
^ That deserves a whole string of pauses, no homo’s, no Karamo’s & no Kanye’s.
better call the ASPCA on me
the cat’s gonna stay in the bag, lol
^ or in the bong.
SU has dead legs tonite.
A Tribe De La Soul Called Quest
— Stakes Is High (1996)
— 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
— De La Soul is Dead (1991)
— Buhloone Mindstate (1993)
— The Grind Date (2004)
— Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000)
— AOI: Bionix (2001)
— De La Mix Tape: Remixes, Rarities and Classics (2004)
— The Impossible: Mission TV Series – Pt. 1 (2006)
There it is. You’re all welcome.
my PERSONAL favorite? I guess I’d have to say Stakes Is High. I think that album was right in tune and on time within the context of the climate of that era.
I think they came into their own (no incest) with their later albums
1. De La Soul is Dead
2. 3 feet high
3. Buhloone Mindstate
4. Stakes is High
5. The grind Date
6. Mosaic Thump or Bionix (really a toss up)
hmmm, this could get interesting…
chime in folks!
^ It’s Saturday. Blogger’s Sabbath as well as the audience’s Sabbath. They’ll be around later.
All I gotta say is Buhloone Mindstate is last, it does contain one of my favorite De La songs (Breakadawn), but that album was so hard to follow. Or am I that dumb?
3 Feet is number 1. Just with how innovative it was…
DLSID is number 2. Killed off their entire steez and yet stood on its own, nearly as pioneering as the first.
Stakes is High is number 3. Just a solid release with classic cuts.
Grind Date is number 4.
Buhloone Mindstate is 5.
All I gotta say is Buhloone Mindstate is last
==============
Really? I didn’t find it that hard to follow although I do realize it (or maybe it’s Stakes…) that’s not as cohesive as some of their others. The standout cuts on there (“ego trip” “eye patch” “en focus”) are Rickey though.
AOI is the worst…I’m a young buck and that was my first De La album (sue me). I was like “who the hell are these old losers trying to rap”…obviously I know better now. Still doesn’t make that album any better
somebody please give me a LUDEN?!!?
^
What is a De La post without this dude?
What is Hater Chris if he ain’t rude?
Oooh ooh, it’s like that you keep goin’
Freak freak y’all cause you know that we showin’
What to go what to go what to go what to go what
to go what to go what to go what to go WHAT!
we ’bout to place you in that 3 Feet of stew again
Mess up my mind, mess up my mind, mess up my mind wit’ the eye patch
This is tricky.
— De La Soul is Dead (1991) or 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
— Stakes Is High (1996)
— Buhloone Mindstate (1993) or The Grind Date (2004)
— Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000)
———–(silence)———–
— AOI: Bionix (2001)
I’m going to return in an hour and want to change that, but fuck it.
1. Stakes Is High
2. 3 Feet High & Rising
3. De La Soul Is Dead
4. Buhloone Mind State
5. The Grind Date
Don’t Care much for AOI: Mosaic Thump and Bionix
— De La Soul is Dead (1991)
— 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
— Stakes Is High (1996)
— Buhloone Mindstate (1993)
— The Grind Date (2004)
— AOI: Bionix (2001)
— Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000)
— De La Mix Tape: Remixes, Rarities and Classics (2004)
— The Impossible: Mission TV Series – Pt. 1 (2006)
I agree with David D, I used to have the same impression of these dudes. I was never much of a De La fan, I alway thought they were kind of boring to listen to. Still, “Stakes is High” is dope (I bought it) and AOI: Mosaic Thump is pretty good to me (I bought that too). Grind Date got slept on though.
word to TEEF on the shout out!!!
for the non believers who say De La is boring:
“…Groove wit the thread from needle outta hay, wanna say
salutations to the nation of the Nubians
We bout to place you in that +3 Feet+ of stew again
I got the frequency to shatter Mrs. Jones’ perm
I gotta +Hey Love+ all the honies cause they’re short term
Tallyin the score I’m for the shottie in the jacket
For the brother he’s a nigga when he packs it….”
maybe you should LISTEN and then LISTEN again about 3 more times and take that Jordache off, whoops, I mean those Roc-A-Wears or whatever cool hipster fucks wear…
DE LA SOUL, you scrubs.
this is harder than ranking ‘kast’s discog, too much consecutive dopeness.
so il hafta rate ‘em on individual merits:
ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, have to be bulhoone mindstate for pure lyrics to go -
“look ma, no protection now i got a daughter…”
for variety and funk on the beats, (despite the infuriating skits) its de la soul is dead -
keepin the faith, once that bob marley sample kicks in its on.
for easy listening/barbeque soundtrack it would have to be stakes is high-
sunshine and dinininit or whatever its called never fail to make the head do the nod-nod.
and for overall cohesiveness, innovation and the first, best and only really neccessary skits in hip-hop (bar wu-tang’s) it would have to be 3 feet high
-
not familiar enough with the rest of their discog to rate it but from what i heard its pretty jammin too
Stakes Is High, is my De La Soul disc of choice, those drum patterns are awesome and the track sequencing is pefecto.
Besides, it’s like a microcosm of next skool talent ie Mos Def, Common, J-Dilla and even Truth Enola does his thing.
Also, the J-Dilla and DJ Spinna remixes of Stakes Is High were brilliant.
The first time I heard 3 Feet High & Rising……………………….. (CD Ends There)
@ Kelvinmercer: You callin’ me out my ninja??? I’ve heard a lot of De La’s material and while I like some of it, there is some music that I don’t like. Calling me a hipster fuck??? Take De La’s dick out ya mouth, fanboy/fuckboy rap nerd. Not everybody shares the same tastes in music. Respect that.
@BABY PAW
defo man, ever since i copped the album iv been wantin to hear more from truth enola,but he pretty much fell victim to the de la feature curse. i think i saw a single with his name on it years ago an never copped, dunno why.
mos ripped it too – “style fresh like baby breath” an dilla on the title track was flameses!
really was like a snapshot of things to come
and the big brother beat…..beat was BUMPIN!
their drum game really was stepped up once they started self-producing, and thats sayin somethin, prince pauls in my top 5
What’s up with another volume of Eargasms or anything by Jaycee?
@Done, if memory serves me correctly Truth Enola dropped an album called ‘Six O Clock Straight’ I heard a couple of tracks off it, one of them (if not both) was produced by De La Soul.
Production on Stakes Is High is top notch, I think my favourite beat is ’4 More’ which of course was done by Ogee of DITC fame.
DE LA! DE LA! DE LA!
nice one baby paw, dl it now cheers for that, i have been schooled! lookin forward to givin it a listen
i dont suppose you have a shorty no mass lp uploaded somewhere? lol
@Done, no problemo, the Truth Enola album is nothing special, it’s your typical early 00 decade independent release, you got your usual suspects on there like DJ Spinna, Ge-ology, Phife, De La Soul etc. You’ll enjoy it if you are into stuff like Little Brother, All Natural and stuff like that.
Didn’t know Shorty No Mass had an album, I remember that single she had some years ago with production by Beatminerz, but never knew she released anything full length.
Stakes Is High (1996)
Buhloone Mindstate (1993)
The Grind Date (2004)
3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
De La Soul is Dead (1991)
AOI: Bionix (2001)
Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000)
De La Mix Tape: Remixes, Rarities and Classics (2004)
The Impossible: Mission TV Series – Pt. 1 (2006)
@BABY PAW
nah, i was jokin, referrin to this weird trend of certain talented de la guest rhymers poppin up to pretty much never be seen again, thats why i was so surprised by that truth enola album.
yeah im gonna give it a good listen now on the way to me mates tho, i dont expect anythin ground-breakin but im still optimistic, dude had a good voice, plus spinna and de la on the boards? cant be too shabby.
peace and cheers again
BRB too much typing for the phone
1. AOI: Mosaic Thump… The Beats are just Beastly and the “ghost weed” interludes are sick, especially the Black Thought one.
2. Stakes Is High…it was just a complete album kinda represented that “end of ‘REAL’ hip hop” era you hear backpackers talk about all the time
3.The Grind Date…Rock CoKane Flow, Nuff said.
4.Buhloone Mindstate…so many quote-able lines on that album just kinda a fun joint.
5. AOI 2: Just seemed to be everywhere conceptually but a good album from begining to end.
6. 3 Feet High and Rising: Just because they was one that next ish, Jungle Bros ish and that “Me Myself and I” was such an ill sample back in the day.
I LOVE this service!
You have spoke about some interesting points here. I found this by searching Bing and I’ve got to admit that I already subscribed to your blog site, it is extremely good :)