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SYFFAL Roundtable: De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
SYFFAL Roundtable Record Reviews
De La Soul’s landmark album 3 Feet High and Rising is one of those rare albums that is the culmination of everything that came before it and the jumping off point for everything that comes after. Dropping in 1989, 3 Feet High and Rising changed the landscape of not just hip hop, but popular music in general. It was a progression, something new and exciting through the use of unique samples, abstract rapping and a fashion sense best saved for Del during his Dee Lite/Rave phase. It launched a million careers, blasted Native Tongues out of the obscure little subgenre they held and created an album that still sounds ahead of its time today.
When I think back on 3 Feet High and Rising, it was the first album that really made me think I was capable of rapping. Not because I had any special level of skills, or even much experience with trying to rap, but because it was just regular people rapping about regular people shit. The only difference between my rapping and that of De La Soul’s is that they were witty and interesting.
3 Feet High and Rising, for better or worse launched a million careers, ending a gang of others and will stand as one of the high water marks for the genre. It stood in stark contrast to what was going on at the time, and upped the ante on lyrics and production. I can’t imagine hip hop without De La Soul and for that matter, I can’t imagine the path I took as a fan of music without 3 Feet High and Rising.
It challenged everything I believed about music and because of that I am better and both listening to and at making fun of what Tom listens too.
**PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE IN OUR POLL FOR THE NEXT ALBUM WE DISCUSS AT THE SYFFAL ROUNDTABLE**
De La - Joel
Album Rating:
Joel Frieders
What's the best track and why?
Me, Myself and I - I normally play mouth horn to this track while marching gaily. There's something about the pah-pum-pah-pum drums over the Clinton sample that make me wanna walk with my elbows up real high in fronna my face. Then when I get close to busting out into my signature dance moves, I bust out the WEH-WEH-WAH-WEH-WEH-WEH and people always throw change at me.
I recommend listening to this record while...
Remembering what music used to sound like when I didn't know what sucking ass was. This came out when I was ten and I didn't spend a shitload of time with it until I was 16 or 17 and had my own car and my own tape deck and my own route for country cruising.
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
My dubbed copy of this album on a clear Memorex cassette with De La written on one side, and 3ft H&R written on the other in large blue paint marker. Oh, and shitty weed out of shitty hardware store bowls.
Anything else to add?
I think that Del is a piece of shit and should refrain from all shenanigans until he gets his hip hop history lessons books on tape finished. KRS One did a great job teaching as the teacha on thems.
De La - Brandon
Album Rating:
Brandon Backhaus
What's the best track and why?
Potholes in my Lawn because it was the first track I heard from this album on Yo, MTV Raps, and like most people I had never heard or seen anything like it. The black and white video contrasted by the colorful rhymes had me buggin’.
I recommend listening to this record while...
Smoking weed. Or all the hip hop records directly influenced by 3 Feet High… Alone Prince Paul’s career and discography speaks for itself: Handsome Boy Modeling School, Gravediggaz, and MF Doom, not to mention Latifah, Big Daddy Kane, 3rd Bass, BDP, or his Stetsasonic shit. As far as De La? You’d have no Native Tongues, no Digable Planets and countless artist list them as seminal influences. Go back dig and learn, or reminisce, but either way enjoy the ride.
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
Since this album came out in ’89 I didn’t quite understand the social impact and all that justified praise given to this album. At 11 years old I only knew that what I was hearing was completely different than anything else out there: no hard knocks, no violence, or misogyny, no cussing. So while listening to this record was probably the first time I saw what was possible with hip hop. Unlike rap, heavy metal had no problem with self-loathing but the way that De La were so humble and self-deprecating (and funny without being overly cheesy) put a whole new picture of what it was like to be a rapper.
Anything else to add?
I used to watch Yo, MTV Raps while waiting for Headbanger’s Ball to come on. I literally used to record episodes of both on my dad’s VHF/UHF TV onto VHS tapes and thought I was hot shit.
De La - Blockhead
Album Rating:
Blockhead
What's the best track and why?
This is a tough one cause while Buddy has had the most profound effect on me, I can barely listen to it anymore. SO, I'm gonna go with Magic Number, slightly edging out Jenifa Taught Me, cause it's just an all around great song. It was also one of the first songs I noticed with all the crazy movie clip samples in it. The end is just a whirlwind of snippets that, to this day, I know by heart.
I recommend listening to this record while...
Trying to cheer yourself up. With the exception of Ghetto Thang, this is one of the most listenable happy albums ever.
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
Tie-dye that didn't bother me. A new breed of not so terrible hippies.
Anything else to add?
This was one of those life changing albums for me in that it changed how I viewed sampling. It also changed how I viewed hip hop in that it was fun and lighthearted with out being corny like Kid N' Play. It opened to door for weirdness
De La - Tim
Album Rating:
Tim Baker
What's the best track and why?
So many good ones to choose from. Really depends on the day, but if I had to choose right now it would probably be Plug Tunin'.
I recommend listening to this record while...
Dressing and behaving like you are smoking copious amounts of weed but really being stone sober and soaking in the details and letting your freak flag fly.
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
Driving around the greater Montrose area in Ron Nolte's Fiero on school nights hoping to find some girls. There were never any girls.
Anything else to add?
One of those classic albums that crosses genres without catering or pandering. A solid and groundbreaking sonic release that was much needed to push the bounderies from one era to the next.
De La - Dick
Album Rating:
Dick Richardson
What's the best track and why?
Buddy - Everything about this one is so goddamned smooth. Plus, you know, Q-Tip. Me Myself and I comes in astronomically close behind this track due to the Funkadelic sampling.
I recommend listening to this record while...
Simply living. This record is so incredibly upbeat, laid-back, and bubbly that it pretty much enhances any sort of daily activity. If you're scouring eBay for a pair of mint Z Cavaricci's, this also would be the recommended soundtrack for such an activity.
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
A montage of myself strolling around town on a sunny Sunday and trying on various hats. Maybe I pick up some records and eat a rack of ribs, too... maybe...
Anything else to add?
Much like my grandparents and the countless illegitimate children I've fathered, De La Soul was always a group that I knew I should probably be spending more time with. As far as debut albums goes, this one is about as strong as they come.
De La - Roy C
Album Rating:
Roy Christopher
What's the best track and why?
Out of this thick pile of great tracks, one could argue for many, but looking back, Eye Know is the standout jam. It bucks the major themes of the record yet maintains its overall vibe. The track, the beat, and the lyrics all shine, and still hold up two decades hence.
I recommend listening to this record while...
All I can think of is rollerskating.
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
Running around doing dumb shit in high school.
Anything else to add?
I got this record on one side of a cassette that had BDP's 'Ghetto Music' on the other. I was expecting the BDP, but the De La was a surprise (a story I recounted in 1997).
De La - Reggie
Album Rating:
Reggie Hancock
What's the best track and why?
That's tough. My favorite track for years and years has been Say No Go, despite the fact that De La Soul didn't like being directed to make such a preachy song. Trying to be objective, I'd say the best track on the album is probably Jenifa Taught Me, despite the annoying piano shit with Derwin.
I recommend listening to this record while...
...affixing day-glo flower stickers to your bedroom wall, wearing flip-up "Dwayne Wayne" sunglasses and Timberland boots with your baggy jorts, smoking bidi cigarettes in Greenwich Village.
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
Myself, lying on my bed and wearing out the cassette tape while playing Nintendo's "Skate or Die 2."
Anything else to add?
For a brief sliver of a moment in 1989, dashikis and ornate pillbox hats were acceptable office wear. For men. Before 3 Feet High and Rising, rap music was largely regarded as angry black man posturing or novelty music. De La Soul changed that perception and helped foment a new, more lyrically and sonically dense style of rap. This is the kind of album you can listen to a dozen times and catch something new on each listen. It kind of draws you into a world of localities and in-jokes and, when I was a teenager, made me feel like I was part of something secret. The real secret is what the hell those Prince Paul skits are all about.
De La - Tom
Album Rating:
Tom Dozois
What's the best track and why?
Magic Number is definitely my favorite. It has a cool beat, that to this day, still gets my foot a tappin’.
I recommend listening to this record while...
Proving to people that Steely Dan can be cool.
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
Bright colored Zubaz and peace signs.
Anything else to add?
This one is so before my era; my balls aren’t quite as old and droopy as the rest of the staff’s.
De La - Edison
Album Rating:
Edison
What's the best track and why?
I gotta go with potholes in my lawn on this one... it's all about the mouth harp... and the break...
I recommend listening to this record while...
Freshly chiefed on a warmish afternoon with your best bandana on through a boombox only.
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
Dudes in dayglo... ed lover... and for some reason, a horse with his front legs in fishing waders... think thats just me though...
Anything else to add?
A bird in the bush is worth two dead birds with one stone and all things come to pass. Long live the 90s!
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