515: De La Soul release 3 Feet High & Rising
De La Soul’s platinum debut 3 Feet High & Rising is the cornerstone of late 80s progressive hip-hop. This Prince Paul-produced, sample heavy effort was, for better or worse, one of the first to introduce comedy skits between songs. Blending samples from classic rock, jazz, country, and even “Schoolhouse Rock”, the album’s many memorable tracks include “Eye Know”, “The Magic Number” and crossover hit “Me, Myself, and I”. Unfortunately, De La Soul was saddled with a dismissive hippie image due to their positive, intellectual bent and genre-defying use of Steely Dan samples. 3 Feet High & Rising as well as Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back were signs that rap as an art form was maturing.
Watch the video press kit for 3 Feet High & Rising
De La Soul on AllMusic.com