By TUAEKA �AK
IIlchlq.n Cltlzen
I can't even fake the funk.
When "Me, Myself, and I"
came out, I was addicted to
the native tongue flavor.
Three brothers who ere on
the opposite spectrum of ur
ban Black culture sound
from, say, Rob Base and OJ
Eazy Roc had my attention
going.
I was even bugging off of
the video (which took me
weeks to figure out) staring,
in my eyes, three Black wise
men who were so anti-gold
chain, anti-kangol, anti-track
suit, I couldn't help but be
interested in this new age,
the DAISY Age, y' all. (For
those unhip to the ballistics
La Soul w ·c·ng with
the DAISY terminology, the
word is an acronym for Da
Inner Sound Y'all. Dig it.)
Never before had a .group
come from the soul on a plane
that used sam pIes often over
looked by other DJs when
digging in the crates.
"Three Feet High And Ris
ing" was fresh, new and inno
vating, on the real. And it was
clear that the brothers from
De La Soul knew that from
the soul was the way to go.
AND COULD THEY get
any more respect after titling
their second album, "De La
Soul Is Dead"? The meaning
, behind the whole thing was
not to capitalize on the
DAISY age, instead they put
it to rest and embarked on
another soulful adventure.
Although not the biggest
commercial success, "De La
Soul Is Dead" was an enjoy
able release, full of the De La
humor that made them fa
mous and the every present
funky beats that made 'them
famous. "Biddies In the BK
Lounge" was a revolutionized
version of capping, so funny
that even your dreadlocks
will ache. ,
And "Millie's Got A Gun"
was a tale of father/daughter
incest, accurate in the sense
that nobody believed the
daughter until it was too late.
"Millie's Got A Gun" was the
most underrated of the whole
album.
But now, time has passed
and De La Soul are debuting
their junior (when do we stop
talking school wise? Master
effort? Ph.D release?) effort.
I t has been a long time and
when I heard the first single,
"Breakodaum", I smiled like
a Cheshire Cat who just swal
lowed a bird. It was clean and
onjam.
"A lot of white kids like De
La Soul, though," said a
friend of mit we moved to
their vibe one d She aid it
as if it were damage on their
merchandise and, I realized,
in some hips ' minds it
was.
cused of crossing over be
cause of the white audience
they gained. And any, new,
tribal flavor has, in the his
tory of Blac people, been
gobbled up by young, white
kids, hungry for some ethnic
ity. Any rapper who becomes
a victim to the white audi
ence's a ttr action gets a
thumbs down from their fel
low rappers. That's a given.
But De La's new release,
"Buloone Mind State!', should
dispel any thoughts of De La
crossing over. Check the "In
tro":
"It might blow up
But it won't go pop"
That heavy line sur
'rounded by the sounds of a
balloon blowing up is classic
De La Soul.
The good things about the
group have not changed.
Prinse Paul is still the fourth
member of the group, produc
ing mad tracks, as usual.
Prinse Paul usually gets no
props and its about time 'he
got his due.
They are still down wi th
Black Sheep. They kept the
foundation of their rapping
style, full of mad content and
unique style that no group
has been able to emulate.
They still have skits in be
tween tracks, a little shorter
this time, but skits nonethe
less.
Some things have changed
since "Three Fight And Ris
ing", not surprisingly.
Plug 1, Posdnous, is now
the proud father of Ayana
Monay, and you will here his
parentage views throughout
the release, but it's a cool
shout tactic.
ac-
D LA 0 L has indeed
grown up thi time around,
Their resentment towards
the influence of record com
panies' greed is the most ap
preciative ingredient.
Rapper Guru, popular from
Gang Starr fame, is a guest
on "Patti Dooke", an obvious
attack on the "crossover"
scheme.
"Tell me, why we gotta
crossooer, huh?
1 never seen five ni-cs on
an Elvis Presley album cover"
_. • Patti Dook.·
A surprising track is "1 Be
Blouiin", featuring Maceo
Parker on horn. Parker has
got mad jazzy flavor. The
tune itselfwas written by the
- trio and Prinee Paul.
Paul
Y ' • .HeueJ'Ift
answering machine m age
that turns out to be a di to
"The Source" magazine for
not giving him credit on a
track.
"You can put this on the
record. I hate them. I hate
them," he says. Well, ,it's ir
there.
"Long Island Wildin'" is a
track featuring SDP and
Takagi Kan, both hailing
from Japan. The tune is al
most entirely in Japanese. I
still ain't figured what it is.
, "1 A:m 1 Be" has got to be
one of the best tracks on De
La's new plane.
"I am Posdnous
I am the new generation of
slaves
Here to make tapes on re
cord exec. rapes'
"I Am I Be" is the epitome
of De La's new consciousn
to the viis of the side of the
rap industry we rarely see.
Flowing to aero Parker in
the background, Plug 1 and
Plug 2, . c eerie lyrics on
•
just who they are, a deep trip
within itself. Ain't no faking
the funk on this track. It is
kicking. De La's evolution
into "Buhloone Mind State" .
a good one. They managed to
retain their unique contribu
tion to the rap industry while
still exploring their creativ
ity.
wel1 as our minds (when
could be easily persuaded by
our eyes) you were once in
formed we had died. And
what is death? Simply mavin'
from one plane to another.
You are now in tha other!"
The group aye.
obody ever said D La
Soul was easy listening.
But their .dope lyrics and
fr h beats make them dope
listening. "Breakadawn" is
just the beginning of the De
a pro . The trio have had a
long journey and they will
continu to h ve a long jour
ney. May they continue doing
their do until we all the
br akadawn. ad props go
out to Soul.
"WE BE D LA OUL
cuz we listen to our soul as
"F-- being hard,
De La Soul is complicated,"
"6
,
By hock Rock
y C
Ice Cu had a good day, but it d n't
hi crewdid.J- ,1 drap rofD nch
b is in jail without bond for an all ged fi
d gree murder .
The incident happened in Ingl wood, Califor-
"nia h n a hoo ing al rcation occurred 1 v-
ingonemand d. Witn yJ- w th
alleged trigger man Damn. I wish h
pers would I" n to th ir m IC
tal Black ct Black.
ly 6 figu
z'
Chuc D, lead rapper of h group Public
Enemy, ched an out of court tl ment with
St.ld Malt Liquor Com ny.
ThesuitcamewhenS Id ill. l1y mpl
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