De La Soul Is Dead

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De La Soul Is Dead
De La Soul Is Dead cover
Studio album by De La Soul
Released May 13, 1991
Recorded 1990-1991
Genre Hip hop
Length 73:30
Label Tommy Boy
Producer De La Soul
Prince Paul
Professional reviews
De La Soul chronology
3 Feet High and Rising
(1989)		 De La Soul Is Dead
(1991)		 Buhloone Mindstate
(1993)

De La Soul Is Dead is De La Soul's second full-length album, released in 1991 (see 1991 in music). The album was produced by Prince Paul, who's work on 3 Feet High and Rising was highly praised by music critics. The album was one of the first to receive a "Five Mics" rating in the Hip hop magazine "The Source". The album was also selected as one of The Source Magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums in 1998.[citation needed] The album's title and cover refer to the hippie movement which the group was attempting to distance itself from.[1]

Contents

[edit] Overview

De La Soul's first album, 3 Feet High and Rising is widely regarded in the hip-hop community as a classic, leaving this, the follow-up, something of a poisoned chalice. The album's title is in reaction to De La Soul's labeling of "hippies" following their debut release. The album cover, an upset pot of daisies, signals the end of "The D.A.I.S.Y. Age". In an attempt to shake this label off, De La Soul's second album is significantly edgier than their first release. Despite the fact that they clearly did not want to be labeled as "hippies", they also did not want to be labeled as "hardcore". The album's 13th track, "Afro Connections At A Hi 5 (In The Eyes Of The Hoodlum)", is a direct stab at the emerging Gangsta rap of the early 90s.

The album features a series of separate, ongoing skits. The intro to the album features Jeff, a teenage character played by Philly BlackOut, who was introduced in the B-sides to Eye Know and Me Myself and I: "Brain Washed Follower", "The Mack Daddy on the Left" and the rare "Double Huey Skit" (all are featured on the Limited Edition Bonus CD for the 2001 3 Feet High and Rising remaster). Jeff finds a cassette tape copy of a De La Soul album in the garbage. Bullies appear, beat up Jeff and steal the tape. Ensuing skits feature these bullies harshly criticizing the songs on the album. Mista Lawnge of the Black Sheep provides the voice of the lead antagonist, while P.A. Pasemaster Mase voices the other bully who gets ridiculed and abused by Lawnge for his admiration of the album. In the end, they throw the tape back in the trash, exclaiming "De La Soul is dead." The album also introduces a fictional radio station called "WRMS" that plays nothing but De La Soul music. The "BK Lounge" (Burger King) is also frequently referenced.

The lyrics are again heavily praised for their intelligence and seamless infusion with almost endless references to pop culture. The album's strength further stems from the production of Prince Paul.

The song "Pass the Plugs" features the lyrics "Arsenio dissed us but the crowd kept clapping". This refers to the group performing on The Arsenio Hall Show where Arsenio Hall introduced them as "the hippies of hip-hop". The group then performed "Me Myself and I" which explicitly states that they aren't hippies. The credits for the show also began to run over the performance before they were through, also contributing to the "diss".

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Intro"
  2. "Oodles of O's"
  3. "Talkin' Bout Hey Love"
  4. "Pease Porridge"
  5. "Skit 1"
  6. "Johnny's Dead AKA Vincent Mason"
  7. "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" feat Q-Tip And Vinia Mojica
  8. "WRMS' Dedication to the Bitty"
  9. "Bitties in the BK Lounge"
  10. "Skit 2"
  11. "My Brother's a Basehead"feat Squirrell and Preacher
  12. "Let, Let Me In"
  13. "Afro Connections at A Hi 5 (In the Eyes of the Hoodlum)"
  14. "Rap De Rap Show"
  15. "Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa"
  16. "Who Do U Worship?"
  17. "Skit 3"
  18. "Kicked out the House"
  19. "Pass the Plugs"
  20. "Not Over Till the Fat Lady Plays the Demo "
  21. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)"
  22. "WRMS: Cat's in Control"
  23. "Skit 4"
  24. "Shwingalokate"
  25. "Fanatic of the B Word"
  26. "Keepin' the Faith"
  27. "Skit 5"

[edit] Samples

The following is a list of songs and sound footage sampled in the songs on De La Soul Is Dead.

Intro

Oodles of O's

  • "Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge)" by De La Soul
  • "Diamonds On My Windshield" by Tom Waits
  • "The Show" by Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew

Talkin' Bout Hey Love

Pease Porridge

A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"

WRMS' Dedication To The Bitty

Bitties in the BK Lounge

  • "It's your thing" by Cold Grits

My Brother's A Basehead

Let, Let Me In

Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa

  • "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
  • "I'll Stay" and "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic" by Funkadelic

Kicked Out the House

Pass The Plugs

  • "Oops Here I Go Again" by Edna Wright

Not Over Till The Fat Lady Plays The Demo

Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)

Shwingalokate

Fanatic Of The B Word

Keepin' The Faith

[edit] Singles

Single cover Single information
"A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays""
  • Released: 1991
  • B-side: What You Life Can Truly Be / Who's Skatin' Promo
"Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)"
  • Released: 1991
  • B-side: "Afro Connections at a Hi 5 (In the Eyes of the Hoodlum)"
"Keepin' The Faith"
  • Released: 1991
  • B-side: "Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa"

[edit] References

  1. ^ allmusic ((( De La Soul Is Dead > Overview )))
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