On July 2, 1996, De La Soul released their fourth studio album, Stakes Is High, a critical moment in the trio’s legacy that marked both a creative shift and a test of their staying power in a changing hip-hop landscape.
For the first time in their career, the group, Posdnuos, Dave (aka Trugoy the Dove), and Maseo, parted ways with longtime collaborator and sonic architect Prince Paul, who had shaped their first three LPs: 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul Is Dead, and Buhloone Mindstate. That absence alone made Stakes Is High a bold step into uncharted territory. Instead of collapsing under that pressure, the group doubled down and took more control of the production, with additional help from up-and-coming beatsmith J Dilla, who produced the title track and added his signature touch to the album’s soulful depth.
While it didn’t top the charts, Stakes Is High quickly cemented itself as a cult classic; the kind of project that may not have broken mainstream records but has stood the test of time. The album offered sharp commentary on the commodification of hip-hop and the state of Black America in the mid-’90s, with no punches pulled. It was thoughtful, critical, poetic…everything that made De La one of the most respected voices in the culture.
“Stakes is high, y’all know the vibe,” Pos spit on the title track…and he meant it.
Reflecting on the group’s longevity years later, Maseo summed it up: “I truly attribute the longevity to our commitment as friends, regardless of the disagreements at times, as well as our common goal to be a group in the tradition of hip-hop… The reinventing became a significant part of the longevity.”
With the tragic passing of Dave in 2023, Stakes Is High now resonates even deeper. Not only as a work of lyrical brilliance but as a snapshot of three brothers standing tall in their truth, even when the industry was shifting around them. A hip-hop classic, no question.