HIP-HOP AT 50: SALUTING DE LA SOUL

With Amazon Music's help, De La Soul transformed New York City's Webster Hall into a hip-hop haven on Thursday night (3/2). The event, dubbed "The D.A.I.S.Y. Experience," was initially intended to be a celebration for the group, whose first six albums (on A.O.I. via Chrysalis) went up on DSPs for the first time on Friday (3/3). But in a cruel twist of fate, it morphed into a memorial for De La Soul member David "Trugoy The Dove" Jolicoeur, who died unexpectedly just three weeks ago.

Jolicoeur's untimely death was a devastating blow to fellow members Kelvin "Posdnuos" Mercer and Vincent "Maseo" Mason, who—along with Jolicoeur—had been working tirelessly for years to secure their masters from their former label, Tommy Boy Records.

But, as they say, the show must go on. So Mercer and Mason put on their brave faces and welcomed their friends, fans and peers to simultaneously celebrate Jolicoeur and acknowledge their hard-won victory. Queen Latifah, Black Sheep's Dres, Q-Tip, The Roots' Black Thought, Monie Love, Chuck D, Common, Pharoahe Monch, Kool DJ Red Alert and Dave Chappelle were among the cultural luminaries who rallied around the Strong Island natives, a testament to De La Soul's indelible impact on hip-hop culture.

"Last night was a historic moment in time for many of us who came of age, worked with or were just fans of hip-hop's ultimate game-changers, De La Soul," ex-Tommy Boy A&R Dante Ross told us. "With the recent passing of Trugoy, the evening had a bittersweet tinge; it took on a spiritual tone for me. I was honored to be there to witness all of it in real time. It was an evening none of us will ever forget. This was one for the record books."

As soon as the clock struck midnight ET, 3 Feet High & Rising (1989), De La Soul Is Dead (1991), Buhloone Mindstate (1993), Stakes Is High (1996), Artificial Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000) and AOI: Bionix (2001) finally became available on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.

The significance of these albums cannot be overstated. Not only did De La Soul usher in the D.A.I.S.Y. Age of hip-hop at a time when gangster rap was dominating the West Coast, but the group also gave all the nerds, weirdos and outcasts permission to be themselves. Employing sardonic humor, playful iconography and eclectic musical and cultural references, they crafted something utterly their own. With beat maestro Prince Paul in the production chair for the first three albums, De La landed on a sound that resonated with the world. Pulling from a wide array of samples, including Hall & Oates, the Beastie Boys, Steely Dan, Afrika Bambaataa and The Beatles, De La Soul's catalog stretched the boundaries of hip-hop, offering a kaleidoscopic tour of pop-music history. The fact that their innovative work can now reach a vast streaming audience is cause for rejoicing.

Top photo: Maseo, Queen Latifah and Posdnuos; second photo: Q-Tip and Dave Chappelle
Photo credit: Johnny Nunez