De La Soul Is Dead is the second studio album by American hip-hop group De La Soul, released on May 14, 1991.[11] 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;[9] and the album was also selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums in 1998.[12] The album's cover refers to the death of the "D.A.I.S.Y." (Da Inner Sound, Y'all) age, or a distancing from several cultures including hippies and mainstream hip-hop.[1]
De La Soul Is Dead | ||||
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Studio album by De La Soul | ||||
Released | May 14, 1991 | |||
Recorded | 1990–91 | |||
Studio | Calliope Studios
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Genre | Alternative hip hop | |||
Length | 73:30 | |||
Label |
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Producer |
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De La Soul chronology | ||||
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Singles from De La Soul Is Dead | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Chicago Tribune | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | C+[3] |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Orlando Sentinel | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Source | 5/5[9] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10[10] |
The song "Oodles of O's" was featured on the soundtrack of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.
In 2020, Rolling Stone placed the album at number 228 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.[13]
The album features a series of separate, ongoing skits. The introduction to the album features Jeff, a teenage character (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"). 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.
In 2008 the album was re-released on vinyl without the CD version's bonus tracks.
All tracks written by P. Huston, K. Mercer, D. Jolicoeur, V. Mason; additional writers credited below.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Intro" | C. Johns, L. Farrow | 2:14 |
2. | "Oodles of O's" | T. Waits | 3:31 |
3. | "Talkin' Bout Hey Love" | S. Gainsbourg, S. Wonder, C. Paul, | 2:27 |
4. | "Pease Porridge" | A. Goodhart, A. Hoffman, H. Magidson, | 5:02 |
5. | "Skit 1" | 0:25 | |
6. | "Johnny's Dead AKA Vincent Mason (Live from the BK Lounge)" | 1:57 | |
7. | "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" | R. Matthews, J. Davis | 4:03 |
8. | "WRMS' Dedication to the Bitty" | J. Sample | 0:46 |
9. | "Bitties in the BK Lounge" | K. Nix, R. Isley, R. Isley, O.K. Isley | 5:40 |
10. | "Skit 2" | 0:31 | |
11. | "My Brother's a Basehead" | C. Ballard Jr., R. Krieger | 4:20 |
12. | "Let, Let Me In" | B. McCracken, L. Fulson, B. Birthright | 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" | G. Clinton, G. Cook | 4:10 |
16. | "Who Do U Worship?" | 1:59 | |
17. | "Skit 3" | 0:31 | |
18. | "Kicked Out the House" | 1:56 | |
19. | "Pass the Plugs" | E. Wright, W. Smith, J. Perry | 3:30 |
20. | "Not Over till the Fat Lady Plays the Demo" | S. Gainsbourg, J.C. Vannier | 1:29 |
21. | "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" | G. Skinner | 5:06 |
22. | "WRMS: Cat's in Control" | J. Sample | 0:34 |
23. | "Skit 4" | 0:12 | |
24. | "Shwingalokate" | K. McCord, G. Clinton, B. Nelson | 4:14 |
25. | "Fanatic of the B Word" (featuring Dres) | M. Jones, D. Kinsey, A. Titus | 4:09 |
26. | "Keepin' the Faith" | B. Marley, R. Temperton, M. Adams | 4:45 |
27. | "Skit 5" | 0:32 |
"My Brother's a Basehead", "Afro Connections at a Hi 5 (In the Eyes of the Hoodlum", "Who Do U Worship?", "Kicked Out the House" and "Not Over till the Fat Lady Plays the Demo" are bonus tracks exclusively found on the CD version.
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA)[27] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
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