The ‘De La Soul Starter Kit’

The Hip-Hop Gods, De La Soul, blessed fans with a new project on Nov.21.

Posdnuos and Maseo came together to dedicate Cabin In The Sky to their fallen brother and group co-founder Trugoy The Dove. The project is part of the seven legendary albums Mass Appeal promised back in April. Standout tracks include “Run It Back!” “YUHDONTSTOP,” and “Sunny Storms.”

The group kept fans waiting nine years for a new body of work.

Before this latest release, the group dropped And the Anonymous Nobody in 2016. Linking up with fellow legends like Jill Scott, Snoop Dogg, and even the young OG, Usher. During a conversation with Apple Music, Posdnuos spoke about the new album and honouring co-founder Dave Jolicoeur after his passing:

“The title Cabin In The Sky pays homage to our brother Dave. It’s just our thoughts, like when you lose someone, where do they go? It really touches on that man, a lot of joy and pain. But it’s a lot of joy and a lot of fun moments, lyricism, just De La being De La. I know people are going to enjoy this album.”

Before you dive into the newest De La Soul joint, Hip-Hop Wired and OkayPlayer teamed up to give the culture something special. For new listeners and longtime supporters, Hip-Hop Wired and OkayPlayer created a full De La Soul Starter Kit, taking it back to where it all began.

The starter kit breaks down some of the group’s most iconic records. Here’s a sample of what to expect:

This Is a Recording 4 Living In a Fulltime Era (L.I.F.E.), 3 Feet High and Rising (1989) — “To me, this is the source code for this album. When you get past the prose and break down what they’re actually saying, Pos and Dove are basically just explaining what the life of a young rapper is like and what it means to them. This is the epitome of the early De La Soul lyrical project, a mechanical beat, poet-like abuse of language that deconstructs words and ideas, forcing the listener into the role of detective and in putting them back together and considering their context, forcing us to think about each action and each idea, lending simple behaviours, gestures, and feelings perspective and profundity.”

Check out the full Hip-Hop Wired x OkayPlayer De La Soul Starter Kit here.