What I'm listening to right now

Monday, February 10, 2014

SONG OF THE DAY: "Eye Know" by De La Soul

From time to time, I will set a theme for a series of SotDs that can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on how much material I wish to cover. This week's theme will be rap songs!

RAP WEEK SONG #2!

De La Soul are the original hip-hop hippies. They would probably hate me for saying that, considering how they actively took steps to shed that label as their career progressed, but it nevertheless remains true. The cover of their first album and their repeated professions of their philosophy of D.A.I.S.Y. ("da inner sound, y'all) have forever solidified that reputation. Another member of the Native Tongues crew, they are widely credited with introducing the alternative hip-hop movement as a reaction to the increasingly violent and aggressive trend that was emerging with the onset and popularity of gangsta rap. The group has released a number of legendary hip-hop albums, beginning with their 1989 debut, 3 Feet High and Rising.

I'm still not sure how I feel about 3 Feet. Although it is widely considered to be one of the greatest rap albums ever recorded, I find it to be an immensely frustrating listen. This also holds true for the other De La Soul albums I've listened to (1991's De La Soul is Dead and 1996's Stakes is High). No doubt about it, De La Soul is a very weird rap group, especially by today's standards. At times, this uniqueness makes perfect sense and everything clicks in a beautiful way. But, too often, I just get lost trying to understand what the hell is going on.

I still can't decide if 3 Feet High and Rising is brilliantly weird, or if it's just a whole lot of randomness occasionally interrupted by a really good song. In general, the album is very silly. They talk about people who have dandruff, holding doo-doo in their hands, and soap. The skits that keep popping up on the album follow a weird game show upon which the members are contestants. There is also a brief French conversation between a man and a woman about the time of day. Needless to say, I don't understand the inclusion of most of these things. Some of it is humorous and displays the group's personality, but there is simply too much of it. There are only a handful of real, actual, complete songs on the hour-long album.

But when they are actually singing songs, De La Soul was untouchable. The single "Me, Myself, and I" was my first introduction to the group, with its school-themed music video and a guy (Trugoy/Plug Two) who I thought looked like Kenan Thompson. That song is a quirky, fun jam that works equally well at parties and in the car. Other songs, like "D.A.I.S.Y. Age" and "The Magic Number," are just as good. An entire album of the quality of these songs would truly be an amazing listen.

In my mind, the band's sound is best exemplified by the track "Eye Know." It is also probably the peak of their hippie-ness, it being a song about love, peace, and respect of women that heavily samples a Steely Dan song. It is a light, fun, happy song that can bury itself in your head for days at a time. That trombone bit doesn't do anything to help matters. This song, along with the ones mentioned above, represent De La Soul at both their most comprehensible and their most listenable. If "Eye Know" catches your ear the way it did mine, check out 3 Feet High and Rising. You might find it confusing and hard to get through, but you also might love it. Many, many people do. Let me know what I'm missing out on if it all makes sense to you!


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