Name: Stakes Is High
Brand: De La Soul

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

RMM0541

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

[r27243693]

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-06-02

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Proper

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

810098503006

Total Cap

Black LPx2

RMM0542

2023-06-16

810098503013

RMM0544

Tape

810098503020

Artist

De La Soul

Genre GB

Hip Hop

Label GB

Chrysalis

De La Soul is an American hip-hop trio formed in 1987 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. Known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and contributions to jazz rap and alternative hip-hop subgenres, they caught the attention of producer Prince Paul with their demo tape. Their debut album '3 Feet High and Rising' is considered a hip-hop masterpiece. As original members of the Native Tongues collective, their output throughout the '90s influenced hip-hop and are now cult classics. After a hiatus, they returned in 2016 with 'And the Anonymous Nobody.' Unfortunately, original member Trugoy passed away shortly before the release.

De La Soul's individual aliases include Dave Jolicoeur (Trugoy The Dove/Plug Two), Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos/Plug Won), and Vincent Mason (Pasemaster Mase/Maseo/Plug Three).

Rumors suggest that De La Soul may release a tenth album produced by Pete Rock and DJ Premier.

The roots of Chrysalis stretch back to a tiny flat in West London in 1967, when former university social secretaries, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis, linked their flair for managing and booking bands to form the Ellis Wright Agency. After trying to release their bands' records via other companies, they decided to start their own label.

In 1968, they signed a licensing deal with Island Records with the proviso that if their acts achieved an agreed number of hits, they would be awarded a label of their own. Within a year, this tally was reached and Chrysalis Records was born.

Over the years, Chrysalis went through various ownership changes. In 1985, Chris Wright bought out Terry Ellis and later sold the label to EMI in 1991. EMI was then acquired by Universal Music Group in 2012 before selling the Parlophone Label Group (including Chrysalis) to Warner Music Group in 2013.

The De La Plugs created the D.A.I.S.Y. (Da Inna Sound, Y'all) philosophy on their brilliant and weird debut, Three Feet High and Rising (making them the first—and probably only—hip-hop act to appropriate a Johnny Cash song for their album title). Then they tried to kill the Daisy with their follow-up, De La Soul Is Dead and then tried to find their way through the aftermath of that unnecessary act on Buh-Loone Mind State. Finally, a full three albums from their first, De La finds their footing with Stakes Is High. Here, they're no longer so self-conscious and it's easy to remember why you liked them enough in the first place to stick with them through the hard times. With unfaltering lyrical dexterity, they get to ask the question, "Whatever happened to the Emcees?" ("Super-Emcees"), skewer the industry ("The Bizness," with some help from that super MC, Common), and even shout out to their birthplace, Long Island, twice (on "Long Island Degrees" and the break-down-funky "Wonce Again Long Island"). —Todd Levin

Stakes Is High

Music GB