De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip-hop group formed in 1987, known for their eclectic sampling, playful wordplay, and positive themes that distinguished them from harder-edged contemporaries.
The trio—Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo—helped define alternative hip-hop with albums like *3 Feet High and Rising*.
Their catalog was long unavailable on streaming platforms due to sample clearance issues, making them a symbol of hip-hop's complicated relationship with intellectual property.
Extracting subset for study
- skitsBrief theatrical comedy pieces
- eclecticDeriving from varied sources
- playfulInclined toward fun
- quirkyIdiosyncratically unusual
conscious · bohemian · psychedelic · jazzy · whimsical · unconventional · layered · storytelling
First to explore territory
- groundbreakingIntroducing radical new ideas
- seminalFoundational and influential
- trailblazingBeing the first through
- iconicWidely recognized, enduring
innovative · visionary · inspirational · genre-defying · legacy · timeless · acclaimed · classic
Mentally present and alert
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- samplingExtracting subset for study
- cyphersEncryption systems or zeros
- freestyleWithout prescribed technique
Group of three
- collectiveJointly organized group
- collaborationJoint intellectual work
- chemistryStudy of substances' interactions
- brotherhoodKinship among men
sampling
Extracting subset for study
quirky · conscious · bohemian · psychedelic · jazzy · whimsical · unconventional · layered · storytelling · ironic
pioneering
First to explore territory
- groundbreakingIntroducing radical new ideas
- seminalFoundational and influential
- trailblazingBeing the first through
iconic · innovative · visionary · inspirational · genre-defying · legacy · timeless · acclaimed · classic · influential
conscious
Mentally present and alert
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- samplingExtracting subset for study
- cyphersEncryption systems or zeros
freestyle · flow · bars · verses · lyricism · turntablism · MCing
trio
Group of three
- collectiveJointly organized group
- collaborationJoint intellectual work
- chemistryStudy of substances' interactions
Buddy
Friendly proper name
De La SoulN.W.A
Influential gangsta rap collective
Onyx · DMX · Three 6 Mafia · Ice-T · gangsta rap
De La Soul50 Cent
Queens rapper, candy entrepreneur
DMX · Tupac Shakur · Ja Rule · Nelly · Death Row Records