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De La Soul

3 Feet High and Rising (2023 reissue)

limited yellow 2lp - £37.99 | Buy
CD - £19.99 | Buy

black 2lp - £29.99

limited magenta 2lp - £37.99
UNDISPUTED CLASSIC THAT REDEFINED HIP-HOP!.
De La Soul

DE LA SOUL IS DEAD (2023 reissue)

cd - £14.99 | Buy
Despite their rapid success and recognition, De La Soul continued to prove themselves as one of the most original, authentic and creative groups in hip-hop, wit...
De La Soul

BUHLOONE MINDSTATE (2023 reissue)

indies only lp - £27.99 | Buy
The group's third studio release, Buhloone Mindstate released on September 21, 1993, saw them evolve into a new sound as they continued to grow, stylistical...
De La Soul

STAKES IS HIGH (2023 reissue)

indies only 2lp - £32.99 | Buy
Their first entirely self produced project, this lp is a must have for any hip hop fan.
High and Rising a.k.a The De La Soul Book

Marcus J. Moore

High and Rising a.k.a The De La Soul Book

Hodder & Stoughton
  • Limited *Signed* Hardback book

    Released: 19th Nov 2024

    £22.00
    Buy
  • Standard Unsigned Hardback Book

    Released: 19th Nov 2024

    £22.00
    Buy

It’s hard to believe it’s taken this long for a celebration of De La Soul to be written but, thankfully, the man behind the magnificent Kendrick book, ‘The Butterfly Effect’, took the bull by the horns, painting the DAISY age as colourfully as it deserves.



The first book about De La Soul, High and Rising is a stunning cultural biography of the era-defining hip-hop trio that touched millions of lives and changed rap forever. De La Soul burst onto the scene with the release of their groundbreaking 1989 album 3 Feet High & Rising, an "anything goes" hip-hop masterpiece. Between their dusty drums and obscure samples, De La's debut was received as a new masterwork from a bygone era of Black experimentation. Formed in Long Island in 1988 by Kelvin "Posdnuos" Mercer, Dave "Trugoy the Dove" Jolicoeur, and Vincent "Maseo" Mason, De La Soul rebuked classification and appealed to the Black alternative. Their music was positive and psychedelic, their album art and music videos were full of flowers and peace signs. It was rap with a broad sonic palette, which would set a blueprint for artists like The Roots, Pharrell, Kid Cudi, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamar. But as quickly as De La ascended, they were faced with the pressures of a changing industry and legal battles around sampling.

Written by the acclaimed journalist Marcus J. Moore, author of The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America, High and Rising tells the whole story of one of the most influential rap groups of all time. In the process the book unpacks the birth of hip-hop and the evolution of alternative rap. Marcus also weaves in a deeply personal coming-of-age story about his journey through life with De La as a backdrop. Completed in the wake of Dave's passing and the group's arrival on streaming platforms after a long and bitter legal fight, High and Rising is not just a hip-hop tale, it's a triumphant book about staying the course, and how moving with integrity can lead to dynamic results.

“A love letter, but not grounded solely in the past… it is also an ode to how they will endlessly touch the future.” — Hanif Abdurraqib