It’s not easy to hear a majority of De La Soul’s work. Most of the iconic trio’s music isn’t on streaming services, even though they said last year that it would be soon. In 2021, Talib Kweli announced that the group finally have the rights to their songs, so it seems they are taking steps in the right direction. Now, it looks like the trio is focusing on new music.
On Wednesday, Prince Paul, the longtime producer for the Amityville group, posted a photo of himself with two of the trio’s members, Maseo and Posdnuos. In the photo as well were Black Sheep rapper and fellow Native Tongues member Dres and sound engineer Scotty Hard. “And then this happened,” Paul wrote in the caption.
On Friday, De La Soul took to their own Instagram, and posted an image which sees like cover art: a cartoon rendition of the three De La Soul members along with Prince Paul. In the caption, the account wrote, “The Magic is Happening. #staytuned @djprincepaul @plugwondelasoul @vinnymerlot @wearedelasoul @amycinnamonart.”
Prince Paul spoke to HipHopDX, and said that he’d “been sworn to secrecy,” and couldn’t offer any more details about what he and the group were up to. Paul and De La Soul have a proven track record of making ground-breaking hip hop. Paul produced arguably De La Soul’s most iconic record, 1989’s 3 Feet High And Rising. He also helmed both 1991’s De La Soul Is Dead and 1993’s Buhloone Mindstate. De La Soul’s last album, And The Anonymous Nobody, came out in 2016 and included features from Snoop Dogg, Estelle, Usher, 2 Chainz, and more. It was nominated at the Grammy’s for Best Rap Album.
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