Stakes Is High

Stakes Is High
Studio album by De La Soul
Released	July 2, 1996
Recorded	May 1995 - March 1996
Studio	World Recording Facility and Platinum Island Studios (New York City)
Genre	Hip hop, East Coast hip hop, Alternative hip hop
Length	68:19
Label	Tommy Boy Records
Producer	De La Soul, Jay Dee, Ogee, Skeff Anselm, Spearhead X

De La Soul chronology
Previous	Clear Lake Audiotorium (1994)
Next	Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000)

Stakes Is High is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group De La Soul, released in July 2, 1996 by Tommy Boy Entertainment. The album marked a change in the group's sound and direction as it was their first release that was not produced in collaboration with Prince Paul. Stakes Is High is mainly produced by the group themselves, with additional production by Jay Dee, Ogee, Spearhead X and Skeff Anselm. It received mostly positive reviews but little commerical success.

Content

Stakes Is High dealt with many topics, including the current state of hip hop, the commercialisation of the hip hop culture, and criticism towards gangsta rap. This album would cause great contempt with rapper Tupac Shakur, who would retaliate against the group on his song "Against All Odds" from his posthumous 1996 album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. Naughty by Nature, who received a diss on the track "Intro", also took offence to the record, creating a feud amongst the two groups that has only ended recently.

Stakes Is High helped introduce rapper Mos Def to a wider audience, on the song "Big Brother Beat". Common also makes a feature on the song "The Bizness".

Track listing

No.	Title	Performer(s)	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"	Posdnuos, Trugoy	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	De La Soul	2:35
2.	"Supa Emcees"	Trugoy, Posdnuos	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	De La Soul	3:40
3.	"The Bizness"	Trugoy, Common, Posdnuos	Lynn, Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	De La Soul	5:41
4.	"Wonce Again Long Island"	Posdnuos	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	De La Soul	3:39
5.	"Dinninit"	Trugoy, Posdnuos	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	Spearhead X	4:20
6.	"Brakes"	Posdnuos, Trugoy	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	De La Soul	4:06
7.	"Dog Eat Dog"	Trugoy, Posdnuos	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	De La Soul	3:40
8.	"Baby Baby Baby Baby Ooh Baby"	Jazzyfatnastees, Posdnuos	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	De La Soul	2:10
9.	"Long Island Degrees"	Trugoy, Posdnuos	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	De La Soul	3:27
10.	"Betta Listen"	Trugoy, Posdnuos	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	De La Soul	4:28
11.	"Itzsoweezee (HOT)"	Trugoy	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	De La Soul	4:55
12.	"4 More"	Zhane, Posdnuos, Trugoy	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer, Scott	Ogee, De La Soul (co.)	4:18
13.	"Big Brother Beat"	Mos Def, Trugoy, Posdnuos	Anselm, Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	Skeff Anselm	3:42
14.	"Down Syndrome"	Posdnuos, Trugoy	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	De La Soul	3:28
15.	"Pony Ride"	Trugoy, Truth Enola, Posdnuos	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer, Preston	De La Soul	5:26
16.	"Stakes Is High"	Posdnuos, Trugoy	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer, Yancey	Jay Dee, De La Soul (co.)	5:30
17.	"Sunshine"	Trugoy, Posdnuos	Jolicoeur, Mason, Mercer	De La Soul	3:39

Samples

Intro

• "Medley: Sing a Simple Song/Can You Remember (Live)" by The Jackson 5

Supa Emcees

• "Summer Samba" by Walter Wanderley
• "La Di Da Di" by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick

Tha Bizness

• "Get Down" by Craig Mack
• "The Look of Love" by Howard Roberts Chorus

Wonce Again Long Island

• "Who's Making Love" by Lou Donaldson

Dinninit

• "Enchanted Lady" by Milt Jackson and The Ray Brown Big Band

Dog Eat Dog

• "Peaceful Sundown" by Jan Hammer Group
• "The Moment I Feared" by Slick Rick

Baby Baby Baby Baby Ooh Baby

• "Hobo Scratch" by Malcolm McLaren and World's Famous Supreme Team

Long Island Degrees

• "Before I Rest" by Les McCann

Betta Listen

• "The Outside Man" by Little Junior Parker

Itzsoweezee (HOT)

• "Hot This Year" by Dirtsman

4 More

• "Louisiana Blues" by Climax Blues Band
• "A Rose for Booker" by Chico Hamilton

Big Brother Beat

• "Computer Game (Theme From the Circus)" by Yellow Light Orchestra
• "I Am the Tall Tree" by The Flock

Down Syndrome

• "Come Dancing" by Jeff Beck
• "Talkin' Loud & Sayin' Nothing" by James Brown

Pony Ride

• "Senyah" by Roy Haynes

Stakes Is High

• "Swahililand" by Ahmad Jamal
• "Mind Power" by James Brown

Sunshine

• "High on Sunshine" by Commodores
• "Free Angela (Thoughts... And All I've Got to Say)" by Bayete
• "Blow Your Head" by Fred Wesley and The J.B.'s