Back in 2021, hip-hop greats (and Teen Titans) De La Soul announced that they had made a deal with music rights company Reservoir that would allow them to finally bring their back catalogue to streaming services. As you may have guessed by now, that didn't exactly pan out as planned. But it's finally happening!
On March 3, 2023, the New York trio's first six albums — 1989's 3 Feet High and Rising, 1991's De La Soul Is Dead, 1993's Buhloone Mindstate, 1996's Stakes Is High, 2000's Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump and 2001's AOI: Bionix — will be available to stream.
What's more, De La Soul are simultaneously doing a physical reissue of their classics across the year, with vinyl, CDs, cassettes and merch. The project begins with their breakout single "The Magic Number," which will be released online, on 7-inch vinyl and cassingle on January 13. 3 Feet High and Rising is currently available to pre-order on physical formats, scheduled to drop on March 3.
The group has persevered through issues with clearing samples, as well as a feud with their former label Tommy Boy — a dispute which boiled over in 2019, when De La Soul halted negotiations with the company after they revealed their intent to give the band a measly 10 percent share of streaming profits.
Tommy Boy being acquired by Reservoir in 2021 was the light at the end of the tunnel. However, bringing De La Soul's music to streaming services has taken a little longer than expected, despite a spokesperson for Reservoir saying they were prioritizing it at the time.
Last year, the trio were in the studio with Prince Paul, perhaps working on the long-awaited follow-up to 2016's and the Anonymous Nobody...
On March 3, 2023, the New York trio's first six albums — 1989's 3 Feet High and Rising, 1991's De La Soul Is Dead, 1993's Buhloone Mindstate, 1996's Stakes Is High, 2000's Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump and 2001's AOI: Bionix — will be available to stream.
What's more, De La Soul are simultaneously doing a physical reissue of their classics across the year, with vinyl, CDs, cassettes and merch. The project begins with their breakout single "The Magic Number," which will be released online, on 7-inch vinyl and cassingle on January 13. 3 Feet High and Rising is currently available to pre-order on physical formats, scheduled to drop on March 3.
The group has persevered through issues with clearing samples, as well as a feud with their former label Tommy Boy — a dispute which boiled over in 2019, when De La Soul halted negotiations with the company after they revealed their intent to give the band a measly 10 percent share of streaming profits.
Tommy Boy being acquired by Reservoir in 2021 was the light at the end of the tunnel. However, bringing De La Soul's music to streaming services has taken a little longer than expected, despite a spokesperson for Reservoir saying they were prioritizing it at the time.
Last year, the trio were in the studio with Prince Paul, perhaps working on the long-awaited follow-up to 2016's and the Anonymous Nobody...
