On this day in 1989, De La Soul released an album that would forever alter the course of Hip Hop. Their groundbreaking debut, 3 Feet High and Rising, dropped on Tommy Boy Records and set a new standard for what rap could sound like.
With the visionary production of Prince Paul, the trio, Posdnuos, Maseo, and the late Trugoy the Dove, crafted a sonic landscape unlike anything heard before in Hip Hop. While many artists relied on James Brown or P-Funk samples, De La Soul and Prince Paul pulled from an eclectic mix of sources, incorporating sounds from Johnny Cash, Hall & Oates, Otis Redding, The Turtles, and even a French-language instructional record.
The album also introduced the now-commonplace concept of skits on rap albums. More importantly, 3 Feet High and Rising delivered timeless classics like “Me, Myself and I,” “Potholes in My Lawn,” “Plug Tunin’,” “Buddy,” “Say No Go,” “The Magic Number,” and “Eye Know.”
With its funky, psychedelic influences from the 1960s and ‘70s, combined with the group’s philosophy of “The D.A.I.S.Y. Age” (Da Inner Sound, Y’all), De La Soul was often mistakenly labeled as “hip-hop hippies.” In reality, their music tackled deep themes such as poverty, individualism, drug abuse, love, materialism, and commercialism. Tracks like “Take It Off” critiqued the clichés of the genre, cementing the album’s reputation as one of rap’s first intellectual masterpieces.
The album also showcased collaborations with members of the Native Tongues collective, including A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, and Monie Love, further solidifying its impact on the evolution of Hip Hop.
Decades later, 3 Feet High and Rising remains one of the most influential albums in music history. Salute to De La Soul for shaping Hip Hop with this timeless classic, and a special tribute to the late Trugoy the Dove, whose contributions to the culture will never be forgotten.