Roosta's Music Review

De La Soul has always been definitive alternative rappers. With the all-time classic "3 Feet High and Rising", perhaps the greatest rap album ever, De La created a new style for hip-hop that arguably influenced every underground rapper of the time. In the '90s, De La Soul remained in the underground, making each new album radically different from the previous. While reading reviews for their new album, "The Grind Date", I realize that critics are still shocked that the hippie image of "3 Feet High and Rising" has been abandoned. C'mon! They abandoned this image with their sophmore effort, "De La Soul Is Dead". That was 13 years ago! Critics are still expecting "3 Feet High and Rising: Part 2", which is ridiculous. Did the Beatles try for another "Sgt. Pepper's"? When groups try to re-create a successful album, it usually comes out worse (Michael Jackson's "Bad", for example).

After "De La Soul Is Dead" was released, De La Soul was supposed to be free from the ongoing "hippie" image which was always expected. But instead, people stopped listening to them. However, the loss of listeners lead to greater artistic creativity. 1993's "Buhloone Mindstate" (the last album featuring a production by Prince Paul) showed that the Plugs were expanding their creative and artistic abilities. 1996's "Stakes Is High" was De La's version of what a solid straight-up hip-hop album should be. Then, in 2000, Maseo, Posdnous, and Dave (formerly Trugoy), were back on the map with a single entitled "Oooh". This single was featured on the album "Art Official Intelligence: Mosiac Thump", the first of an epic 3-part series. The AOI series showcased De La Soul experimenting with many sounds, as they staid true to their form. In 2001, "AOI: Bionix" was released as the second installment, and arguably surpassed the previous release.



And now comes "The Grind Date". Since De La were kicked off of their record label for not being commercial enough, AOI 3's release has been put back. And "The Grind Date" hits as a direct response to their former label's decision. Most of the songs hit as a bitter response to the way commercialism has effected the art of the MC. And one things for sure, this album was made to please the Roosta.

Not only does De La add an extra album before the release of AOI 3, but they make it one of their most solid releases to date. I don't want to sound cocky, but I feel I am one of the only persons in this world who gives one single care about what the group continues to do. They have never let the Roosta down, and "The Grind Date" proves my point. As a Spike Lee fan, I never would have thought he was going to collaborate with De La Soul, but he does. Lee provides a def introduction of himself and De La Soul at the beginning of the track entitled "Church". Flava Flav appears on the track "Come On Down", and makes the claim that De La Soul is back on the map, Long Island is back on the map, and, most importantly, old-school rap is back on the map. I would have never expected to see Flava Flav on a De La track.

As for the album's music, this is solid as hell. The rappers sound more and more legendary with each album to come. De La Soul are true geniuses and prophets of their time. I suggest you buy everything they have to offer.