Finally, De La Soul’s catalogue is on streaming services
De La Soul, Credit: Ebet Roberts
Finally, De La Soul’s catalogue is on streaming services
Words: Dylan Murphy
Following years of sample clearance issues, the iconic group’s albums have been made available on streaming services.
De La Soul are one of hip hop’s most important groups, but to a new generation they were mostly invisible. Due to ongoing sample clearance issues, much of their work was not available to stream, meaning swathes of young people raised on a diet of Spotify and Apple Music often weren’t exposed to their music.
However, after years of deliberation, sample clearing and re-recording of work, 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), De La Soul Is Dead (1991), Buhloone Mindstate (1993), Stakes Is High (1996), Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000), and AOI: Bionix are now available to stream.
De La Soul famously used samples across their records and the Turtles famously sued the group all but ending a freewheeling era of lifting parts of songs to use in others without recourse. Subsequently, when it came to getting the records on streaming this time round there were many cosmetic concessions that had to be made as not all samples could be cleared.
It’s bittersweet, as the news comes shortly after the tragic news that Trugoy the Dove from the trio passed away on Februrary 12 this year. Shortly after his passing Maseo and Posdnuos wrote letters to Trujoy paying respect to him. Read Posdnuous’ letter below:
Listen to De La Soul’s catalogue on Streaming below:
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