3 Feet High and Rising
Amazon
I wore out the cassette version of this album
and actually "borrowed" the CD from some son-of-a-Danish-shipping-magnate
in college and have been enjoyed seeing it on my shelf ever
since. There never was, and never has been, another hip-hop
album that sounds like this one. The rhymes are abstract and
poetic, the samples psychedelic and complex, and the attitude
fun but cautionary. This was a completely different approach
to the genre that broke all the rules and made it okay for middle-class
white kids to enjoy an art form that really has changed society
since its acceptance into American pop-culture. These were the
pioneers of the "backpack" branch of rap that has
brought us an underground, independent spirit in hip-hop that
doesn't go in for the gun, bragging and sex convention of big
label acts. I hate to categorize it as "intelligent"
rap, as that makes it sound boring and overly serious, but mixed
in with the head-bobbing beats and lyrical stylings is that
spark of sly humor and smarts that makes this one of the best
albums, hip-hop or not, of all time. |
Buhloone Mind State |
De La Soul Is Dead
|
The Grind Date |
Stakes Is High
Amazon
Ah, De La's much maligned fourth album.
For some reason, people and writers have said that De La went
"hardcore" on this album. Uh, okay, if hardcore includes sampling
lots of jazz and, saying "bitches" once, and maybe bragging
a little more than before. |
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