De La Soul is thrilled to announce the release of the highly anticipated physical albums Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump and AOI: Bionix, accompanied by additional exclusive merchandise available today on the band’s website.
The albums of the “Art Official Intelligence” or AOI series were landmark releases in De La Soul’s musical journey, garnering acclaim for their experimental compositions and thought-provoking lyrics. With the unveiling of the final two albums from this illustrious series, De La Soul once again proves why they remain one of the most influential and enduring forces in hip-hop.
Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, originally released on August 8, 2000, features an impressive lineup of guests, including Redman, Tash, J-Ro of Tha Liks, Xzibit, Busta Rhymes, Mike D and Ad Rock of the Beastie Boys, Busy Bee, Freddie Foxxx, and Chaka Khan. The album marked De La Soul’s triumphant return to the charts with hit singles “Oooh” and “All Good?”. “Oooh” received a nomination for a Source Award, as well as a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
AOI: Bionix, De La Soul’s sixth full-length album, which was originally released on December 4, 2001, features a dynamic mix of collaborations, including “Baby Phat” with Yummy Bingham and Devin the Dude, and “Held Down” with Cee-Lo, where Posdnuos delves into introspective themes like fatherhood, religion, and fame. Notably, the album also includes “What We Do (For Love)” featuring Slick Rick, a humorous song about puberty and sexual discovery. The album’s songs are also interspersed with skits with Reverend Do Good that provide additional social commentary and act as intros and outros. Notably, the final Reverend Do Good skit features an intriguing reference to Ghost Weed, tying back to De La Soul’s previous album, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump. The song “Peer Pressure,” with a captivating intro and outro by J Dilla, celebrates the marijuana-themed track produced by the legendary artist.
De La Soul recently released the fan favorite “Buddy (Native Tongue Decision)” remix on all streaming platforms. Originally released as a 12” remix in 1989, was produced by Prince Paul and features A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, Monie Love, and Jungle Brothers to all streaming partners.