Nathaniel Clark – A&E Editor

nuc5002@psu.edu

De La Soul’s “3 Feet High and Rising” is a cornerstone of the hip-hop zeitgeist. 

With how popular the genre is in today’s music scene, it is interesting to think about how young hip-hop is in comparison to its peers. Hip-hop is only fifty years removed from Bronx block parties where the genre began and The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight,” cited by many as the first popular song in the genre. During this short span, the genre has amassed a large following and back, becoming the dominant musical genre in 2017.

Throughout this short span, hip-hop has developed a variety of subgenres. From gangsta, hard, trap, nu metal, or crunk, hip-hop has a form that fits everyone’s taste. For the more off-kilter, there is alternative hip-hop. Alternative, as the name suggests, moves away from the standard conventions [and stereotypes] of the genre. Instead, the musicians craft their formation and sound. Said subgenre originated in the 1980s on the east coast and was led by groups such as Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, and De La Soul.

De La Soul was first formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. The group consisted of high schoolers Kelvin “Posdnuos” Mercer [a.k.a. Plug 1], David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur [a.k.a. Plug 2], and Vincent “Maseo” Mason [a.k.a Plug 3]. The group’s first effort was the “Plug Tunin’” tape which got them signed to iconic New York rap label Tommy Boy Records.

While at Tommy Boy, De La Soul was inducted into Native Tongues Posse along with Black Sheep, Queen Latifah, and the previously-mentioned A Tribe Called Quest and Jungle Brothers among others. However, the most important connection De La Soul made during the time was Paul Edward Huston, better known by his stage name Prince Paul. Paul was selected by the trio to produce their first studio album. During this process, Paul and company pioneered new approaches to hip-hop production, mixing, and sampling. After this record, Paul would produce two more records for the group.

After working on the album throughout the rest of ‘88, De La Soul and Prince Paul released “3 Feet High and Rising” in March of 1998. The album title plays on the title of the Johnny Cash song “Five Feet High and Rising.” Upon the record’s release, “3 Feet High” was a critical and commercial success, becoming the peak for all parties involved. 

“3 Feet High and Rising” acts as the formal introduction of De La Soul to the mainstream audience. Throughout the project, the trio focuses on peace and harmony while also pushing the concept of the “D.A.I.S.Y. Age,” an acronym standing for “da inner sound, y’all”. With this lyrical content being such a far cry from the rest of the late-eighties hip-hop scene, many audiences labeled the group as hippies. Said anger towards this label would be condensed into their follow-up record “De La Soul is Dead” in 1991.

Back to “3 Feet High,” the project introduces a variety of techniques that would be commonplace in the hip-hop scene. Other than the production, sample, and mixing styles, the inclusion of skits between songs was a first for the genre. The skits throughout the album showcase De La Soul and Prince Paul as contestants on the titular “3 Feet High and Rising.” Given a series of deep-cut trivia questions, the contestants are heard struggling throughout the record to come up with any answers. By the end of the album, none of them come with answers, leading to the host stating that if any members have the answers to the questions, they could send them to Tommy Boy headquarters and receive a prize. It is unknown if anyone ever sent in the answers or what the prize entailed. While many in the modern discourse see skits as being detrimental to the album listening experience, the ones showcased on “3 Feet High” never pull the audience long enough away from the music for too long.  

The record’s 23-song track listing is divided into two many types of songs: there are the more standard rap cuts spliced between the shorter, more interlude-esque tracks. These various song formats create an experience that never overstays its welcome. Even with an over-hour-long runtime, the different lengths create a continuous feeling of movement. 

Said movement is assisted by Prince Paul’s fantastic job behind the board. Every single beat on the record is musically diverse and exciting. There is never a dull moment as Paul weaves classical music samples with twangy folk, jazz, and pop standards. One of the production highlights is “Eye Know” where Paul The Mad Lads’ “Make This Young Lady Mine”, a whistle sample from Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”, guitar, keyboard and vocal samples from Steely Dan’s “Peg” and drums from Lee Dorsey’s “Get Out of My Life, Woman.” Similarly insane mash-ups permeate throughout the whole record. However, these combinations and the required clearances did lead to some hot water. After the record’s release, sixties pop group The Turtles sued De La Soul for using a sample from their 1969 hit “You Showed Me” for the interlude track “Transmitting Live from Mars.” 

The main singles from “3 Feet High” remain classics for De La Soul and the alternative hip-hop genre.

The album’s first proper track, “The Magic Number,” introduces the trio with fury. Citing the titular name as “3,” fitting due to the three members of De La Soul, the group explains what sets them apart from the rest of the hip-hop community. Throughout the track, the rappers weave verses between each other while expressing one another’s capabilities. On the production end, Prince Paul takes a sample from ABC’s “Schoolhouse Rock” television show and mixes it with Double Dee and Steinski’s “Lesson 3.” On the outro, Paul takes numerous samples from Johnny Cash, RUN-DMC, Syl Johnson, Bob Dorough, etc. and creates a beautiful musical collage. If this song sounds familiar, it may be due to its usage in the credits scrawl of “Spiderman: Far From Home.” In a fitting allusion, the song flips the magic number from representing De La Soul to the three Spidermen.

“Me, Myself, and I” is the grooviest cut on the whole record. On the track, De La Soul takes the stance to separate themselves from the hippie label. Rather than sticking with their labels, De La Soul notes that the only people who can define themselves are themselves. Throughout the verses, the trio takes fun, light-hearted jabs at various popular hip-hop artists of the era. 

“Buddy,” the record’s third single, acts as a massive Native Tongues posse cut. Various members of the collective pop up for a verse. These include Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah, and Monie Love. On the extended single edition, there is also a verse from Phife Dawg, another member of A Tribe. 

There are no words that can attribute how important De La Soul and “3 Feet High and Rising” are to modern hip-hop. Since its release, the record has landed on countless “Best Rap Albums” lists. In 2010, the Library of Congress added “3 Feet High” to the National Recording Registry, which selects recordings annually that are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

Even with all this acclaim, the record has been difficult to come across. Since the start of the streaming wave, almost all of De La Soul’s catalog has not been available. The main reason behind this lack of digital availability was the number of samples that required clearance Additionally, much of De La Soul, and the rest of Tommy Boy Records, have been passed from label to label since its acquisition in the early 2000s. 

However, in early Jan. of 2023, De La Soul finally announced their discography would be coming to streaming later that year. With March 3 as the chosen date, alluding to “The Magic Number,” all nine De La Soul albums are now on streaming. In addition, the group is reissuing all of their albums physically. Starting in March, the group is rereleasing a record on vinyl, CD, and cassette every month. At the time of writing, “3 Feet High” and “De La Soul is Dead” have received these reissues. The next reissue, “Buhloone Mindstate,” is set to release on May 5.

Modern hip-hop would not be the same without De La Soul and “3 Feet High and Rising.” With the album now readily available once again, it is due time that people start diving into this masterpiece of early rap.