De La Soul Is Dead

De La Soul Is Dead
Studio album by De La Soul
Released	May 13, 1991
Recorded	1990-1991
Genre	Alternative hip hop
Length	73:30
Label	Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. Records 01029
Producer	De La Soul Prince Paul
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau link Rolling Stone link The Source link
De La Soul chronology
3 Feet High and Rising (1989) De La Soul Is Dead (1991) Buhloone Mindstate (1993)

De La Soul Is Dead is De La Soul's second full-length album, released in 1991 (see 1991 in music). The album was produced by Prince Paul, whose work on 3 Feet High and Rising was highly praised by music critics. The album was one of the first to receive a five mic rating in the Hip hop magazine "The Source" .^[1] The album was also selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums in 1998.^{[citation needed]} The album's title and cover refer to the hippie movement, from which the group was attempting to distance itself.^[2]

Overview

De La Soul's first album, 3 Feet High and Rising is widely regarded in the hip-hop community as a classic, leaving this, the follow-up, something of a poisoned chalice. The album's title is in reaction to the group being labeled hippies following its debut release. The album cover, a broken pot of daisies, signals the end of the D.A.I.S.Y. Age. In an attempt to shake this label off, De La Soul's second album is significantly edgier than its first release. Despite the fact that it clearly did not want to be labeled as hippies, the group also did not want to be labeled hardcore. The album's 13th track, "Afro Connections at a Hi-5 (In the Eyes of the Hoodlum)," is an ironic attack directed at the emerging gangsta movement of the early 1990s.

The album features a series of separate, ongoing skits. The intro to the album features Jeff, a teenaged character played by Philly BlackOut, who was introduced in the B-sides to Eye Know and Me Myself and I: "Brain Washed Follower," "The Mack Daddy on the Left," and the rare "Double Huey Skit" (all are featured on the Limited Edition Bonus CD of the 2001 3 Feet High and Rising remaster). In a parody of old children's book-and-record read-along sets, Jeff finds a cassette tape copy of a De La Soul album in the garbage. Bullies appear, beat up Jeff, and steal the tape. Ensuing skits feature these bullies harshly criticizing the songs on the album. Mista Lawnge of Black Sheep provides the voice of the lead antagonist, while P.A. Pasemaster Mase voices the other bully who gets ridiculed and abused by Lawnge for his admiration of the album. Throughout the skits, the sound of the signal that lets the reader know that it's time to turn the page is heard. In the end, they throw the tape back in the trash, exclaiming, "De La Soul is dead." The album also introduces a fictional radio station called WRMS that plays nothing but De La Soul music.

The lyrics are again heavily praised for their intelligence and seamless infusion with almost endless references to pop culture. The album's strength further stems from the production of Prince Paul.

The song "Pass the Plugs" features the lyrics "Arsenio dissed us but the crowd kept clapping." This refers to the group performing on The Arsenio Hall Show, where Arsenio Hall introduced them as "the hippies of hip-hop." The group then performed "Me Myself and I," which explicitly states that they aren't hippies. The credits for the show also began to run over the performance before the group was through, also contributing to the dis.

In 2008 the album was re released on vinyl. This version did not contain the CD bonus tracks.

Track listing

1. "Intro"- 2:14
2. "Oodles of O's"- 3:31
3. "Talkin' bout hey Love"- 2:27
4. "Pease Porridge"- 5:02
5. "Skit 1"- :25
6. "Johnny's Dead AKA Vincent Mason (live in BK Lounge)"- 1:57
   • CD bonus track
7. "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays""- 4:03
   • featuring Q-Tip And Vinia Mojica
8. "WRMS' Dedication to the Bitty" - :46
9. "Bitties in the BK Lounge"- 5:40
10. "Skit 2"- :31
11. "My Brother's a Basehead"- 4:20
    • featuring Squirrell and Preacher
    • CD bonus track
12. "Let, Let Me In"- 3:25
13. "Afro Connections at a Hi-5 (In the Eyes of the Hoodlum)"- 4:02
14. "Rap de Rap Show"- 2:19
15. "Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa"- 4:10
16. "Who do u Worship?"- 1:59
    • CD bonus track
17. "Skit 3"- :31
18. "Kicked Out the House"- 1:56
    • CD bonus track
19. "Pass the Plugs"- 3:30
20. "Not Over till the Fat Lady Plays the Demo"- 1:29
21. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)"- 5:06
22. "WRMS: Cat's in Control"- :34
23. "Skit 4"- :12
24. "Shwingalokate"- 4:14
25. "Fanatic of the B-Word"- 4:09
26. "Keepin' the Faith"- 4:45
27. "Skit 5"- :32

Samples

The following is a list of songs and sound footage sampled in the songs on De La Soul Is Dead.

Intro

• "D.A.I.S.Y. Age" by De La Soul

Oodles of Os

• "Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge)" by De La Soul
• "Diamonds on My Windshield" by Tom Waits
• "The Show" by Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew
• "Stretchin" by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
• "Funky Drummer" by James Brown
• "Hihache" by Layafette Afro Rock Band

Talkin' Bout Hey, Love

• "Les Oubliettes" by Serge Gainsbourg
• "Hey, Love" by Stevie Wonder
• "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra

Pease Porridge Hot

• "Make it Funky" by James Brown
• "God Made Me Funky" by The Headhunters
• "Black-Eyed Susan Brown" by Brother Bones
• "Pease Porridge Hot " by Harrell & Sharon Lucky
• "Finger Fun" by Rhythm & Rhyme

A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"

• "I Got My Mind Made Up" by Instant Funk
• "Ebony Jam" by Tower of Power
• "Good Times" by Chic
• "Evil Vibrations" by The Mighty Riders
• "Saturday in the Park" by Chicago
• "Grease" by Frankie Valli
• "Light My Fire" by Young-Holt Unlimited

WRMS's Dedication to the Bitty

• "The Breakdown (Pt.2)" by Rufus Thomas
• "In All My Wildest Dreams" by Joe Sample

Bitties in the BK Lounge

• "It's Your Thing" by Lou Donaldson
• “No Frills” by Taana Gardner
• “La Di Da Di” by Slick Rick & Doug E Fresh
• “Money (Dollar Bill Y'all)" by Jimmy Spicer

My Brother's a Basehead

• "Stick ’Em" by The Fat Boys
• "Game of Love" by Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders
• "Touch Me" by The Doors
• “La Di Da Di” by Slick Rick & Doug E Fresh
• “Gangsta Gangsta” by N.W.A.

Let, Let Me In

• “Three Little Pigs” by Houghton-Mifflin
• "Twine Time" by Alvin Cash & The Crawlers
• "Tramp" by Lowell Fulson
• "At My Front Door" by The El Dorados
• "I'll Be Doggone" by Instant Funk
• "Kojak Book and Record Set"

Afro Connections At A Hi 5 (In the Eyes Of A Hoodlum)

• "And That's Saying a Lot" by Chuck Jackson
• "For Goodness Sakes, Look at Those Cakes" by James Brown
• "Bust That Groove" by Stetsasonic

Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa

• "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
• "I'll Stay" and "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?" by Funkadelic
• “I’ll Wait” by P-Funk
• “On The Run” by Jungle Brothers

Kicked out the House

• "La Di Da Di" by Slick Rick & Doug E Fresh

Pass The Plugs

• "Oops, Here I Go Again" by Edna Wright
• “Pass the Peas” by The J.B.’s
• “Description” by De La Soul

Not Over Till the Fat Lady Plays the Demo

• "En Melody" by Serge Gainsbourg
• Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey) by De La Soul
• “Mr. Cab Driver” by Lenny Kravitz
• "La Di Da Di" by Slick Rick & Doug E Fresh
• "Please Listen To My Demo" - EPMD

Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)

• "Name And Number" by Curiosity Killed The Cat
• "Pass the Peas" by The J.B.'s
• "Help is on the Way" by The Whatnauts
• "Impeach the President" by the Honey Drippers
• "Act Like You Know" by Fat Larry's Band

Shwingalokate

• "Mr. Groove" by One Way
• "Flash Light" by Parliament
• "Bust That Groove" by Stetsasonic
• “Placebo Syndrome” by Parliament

Fanatic of the B-Word

• "Freedom" by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
• “Get Out of My Life Woman” by Lee Dorsey

Keepin' the Faith

• "Just a Touch Of Love" by Slave (bassline)
• "Sign of the Times" by Bob James (keyboard intro)
• "Could You be Loved" by Bob Marley (guitar riff)
• "The Champ" by The Mohawks (vocals: "Champ!")
• "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith (drums)
• "Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed" by Thin Lizzy (vocals: "Johnny the fox!")

Singles

References