De La Soul’s 1989 album 3 Feet High and Rising is one of the greatest hip-hop records of all time. It was released at an important time in the rise of the genre, and along with their contemporaries A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul helped change the landscape of hip-hop forever.
It’s been 10 years since the release of De La Soul's last record And The Anonymous Nobody … and in every aspect Cabin in the Sky is a sharper offering. While I was listening I kept smiling — it's a fun record! This is also the group's first album without founding member David Jolicoeur (aka Trugoy The Dove.) It plays double duty as a joyful hip-hop album and a moving tribute to Trugoy The Dove.
“Day In The Sun (Getting’ wit U)” is a highlight of the album, and brings positivity in spades. It also plays as a reminder of how important De La Soul has been to so many artists. Q-tip (from A Tribe Called Quest) uses his time on the track to reflect on his ups and downs during his friendship with Trugoy. This is a great track, and reminds us all to “never front on a day with some sunshine” — a real reminder that any day that you’re alive is a good day.
“Different World” discusses themes of life and death, change, and the unknown. This is another touching tribute to Trugoy. The line “all I can do is bite my lip / and feel blessed to have you steering the ship / from a different world” speaks volumes.
“Run It Back!!” takes its foundation from a sample of The Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and hits a solid flow. This would be a rousing track to witness live.
The guest list on this record is insane. Nas, Q-Tip, Slick Rick, Black Thought, DJ Premier, Giancarlo Esposito — the list goes on and on. Every guest spot adds something special, and in a time where a featured spot on a hip-hop album is pretty much mandatory, it’s fresh to hear it really mean something and not just be a way to push a single. For these behemoths of the genre to lend their time and pay tribute to an artist they respected really shines through and adds to the brilliance of this record.
At the end of Cabin in the Sky it's abundantly clear that De La Soul is one of the best in the genre. Their influence on hip-hop is next to unparalleled, and they still sound as fresh now as they did in 1989. It’s a record that celebrates life, art, friendship and everything in between.
Will there be a "cabin in the sky" waiting for us in the end?
