| De La Soul | |
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Origin |
Long Island, New York, U.S. |
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Genres |
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Years active |
1988-present |
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Labels |
Tommy Boy/Warner Bros., Sanctuary/BMG |
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Associated acts |
Black Sheep, Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, Mos Def, Native Tongues, Prince Paul, Queen Latifah, A Tribe Called Quest |
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Members |
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De La Soul is an American hip hop trio from in Long Island, New York. The group is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres. The three members are Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo. De La Soul was formed the group in high school in 1988 and later caught the attention of producer Prince Paul with a demo tape of the song "Plug Tunin'".
With its lighthearted wordplay, innovating sampling, and witty skits, the group's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, is considered a hip hop masterpiece. It is the group's biggest commercial success to date, with their subsequent albums selling progressively less, despite receiving high praise from critics. De La Soul have influenced numerous other hip hop artists such as Camp Lo and Digable Planets. De La Soul was also influential in the early stages of Mos Def's career. They are the second longest standing group in the Native Tongues collective, after the Jungle Brothers.
In 2006, the group won a Grammy Award for their collaboration with Gorillaz on the single "Feel Good Inc."
Discography
Main article: De La Soul discography
- 1989: 3 Feet High and Rising
- 1991: De La Soul Is Dead
- 1993: Buhloone Mindstate
- 1996: Stakes Is High
- 2000: Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump
- 2001: AOI: Bionix
- 2004: The Grind Date
- 2012: Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present... First Serve
- 2016: And the Anonymous Nobody...