WORDS Henry Longden
For literature, the novel. For picture, the film. For theatre, the play. The storytelling arc is the most successful device in popular culture. Since the beginning we have lurched into the unknown, the rabbit hole, and found meaning in the fictional activities of characters we do not and can never hope to know. Popular music, however, has generally avoided such narrative, opting for a more autobiographical introspection or commentary. There are rare exceptions. For hip-hop, De La Soul.
With every De La Soul release, one is faced with a conceptual intricacy. In their debut album, Three Feet High and Rising, 24 tracks frame a mock quiz-show. Their sophmore album, ironically named De La Soul is Dead, hit back at critics who labelled them ‘Hip-Hop Hippies’. Using jovial beats, humorous lyrics and esoteric sampling, they tackle sensitive issues such as violence, drug use and true love. With funk, soul and jazz influencing their eclectic style, they paved the way for a new breed of New York rappers alongside Queen Latifah, A Tribe Called Quest and Monie Love, seriously challenging the momentous gansta-rap that eventually flourished in the 90s. With each successive album we see the band trying to recast themselves inside a new conceptual theme while keeping their original mould of light-hearted, principled rap.
Their latest project, First Serve, features original members Plug 1 (Posdnous/Kelvin Mercer) and Plug 2 (Trugoy the Dove/Dave Jolicouer), and brings in Parisian DJs Chokolate and Khalid. The project follows the story of a couple of New York rappers coming up in the 90s. It may be presumptuous to see this piece as autobiographical or a satire on gangsta rap, so I asked Dave where the story lies between fact and fiction. “I think it definitely doesn’t depict anything of De La’s passage at all … the characters are different in style. De La is message-driven, peaceful vibe and having a good time, whereas these guys are battle rappers; one of the guys is really saucy, all about looking good, fashion and all that stuff.” So is it a jibe at contemporary hip-hop? “No, not at all. People think we’re poking fun out of Kanye or Rick Ross but these guys are just people. There are so many artists out there now who are doing what Kanye is doing or what Rick Ross is doing, so why would these guys be any different?”
De La Soul have always been captivated with storytelling and the use of fiction. Dave alludes to this when he suggests, “First Serve is really just about telling a story, rather than a satire, reflection or commentary.” I suggest that it must be influenced by something, especially considering its similarities with their own experience as rappers growing up in New York. “Absolutely, you absolutely can’t [create pure fiction] – you can make the story fiction but obviously pull from something to build the character. For example, I don’t know anybody who works construction, likes construction clothing, wants to be a rapper, doesn’t care about the latest fashion but wants to dress like a fucking coalminer. I don’t know anybody like that, but I do know people who might have a drinking problem and I have to pull from those things to make this character come to life.”
Originally from Long Island, New York, and one of the most prominent sensations to come out of the east coast hip-hop scene, De La Soul seem to regularly revert back to their roots, especially the city which encompassed a whole genre and style. What exactly is it about New York that has had such an influence on hip-hop? “New York has something, just like any other place that you can’t explain; it has a vibe, a feel to it, it has an attitude … that’s what’s really cool about New York: the way we say it, the way we do it, the way we convey it. Maybe it has a bit of panache, a bit of flair to it. You can hear it; you can hear a New York rapper as opposed to any other person from around the world. Just as much as you can hear a Cali’ rapper or a rapper from The Bay.” How deeply is De La Soul’s sound embedded in that tradition? “It’s definitely something that you can’t get rid of. Even the music that you sample from and pull from. I know there is music that isn’t played in LA, that people are not used to. [There are] artists who people are clueless of in LA that we’re aware of in New York. You might pull from those kinds of things. It’s in you, it’s in your person.”
Although New York inspired a lighter sound in De La Soul’s collective, The Native Toungues Posse, the city subsequently split with the largely remorseless gansta rap of Notorious B.I.G, Nas and Jay-Z. Lyrically celebrating commercial and monetary success, it irrevocably affected the fate of hip-hop. Far from their harmonious lyrics of the 80s, I ask Dave about this trend: “The message has definitely changed; you [still] have some artists who talk about unity, peace, love and expression to this day but for the most part, what might be on top right now would be a different sound and a different subject matter from what De La, Tribe [Called Quest] and Brand Nubian might have been bringing to the table.” Is this a negative path for hip-hop? “Things go in cycles, things change and the individual has the right to say: ‘I’m going to put that in my torch’ or ‘I’m not.’ I think hip-hop is always going to have new listeners and new styles and sounds. It’s the way you adapt to it as an artist that is going to keep you around. As a fan you purchase what you like and leave it on the shelf if you don’t.”
For many the controversy with east and west coast hip-hop has subsided; the new discord is with a new breed of youthful rappers. Of course this has been the effect of groups such as Odd Future: their unforgiving lyrics, crude subject matters and amoral topics have appealed to a new indie-rap scene. Although their music may assimilate the traditional rebellious tone of Wu Tang, Cypress Hill and Public Enemy, the crowd that propelled them into the mainstream were white middle-class hipsters and shrieking pubescent girls. How exactly has this turn affected the psyche and tradition of the industry?
“I think it’s great, hip-hop is still doing what it expressed from day one, it’s given people the opportunity to express themselves, given people the chance to talk about what they think is cool and hopefully pull people into their world … I think groups like Odd Future who are taking it to another level, lyrically and musically, are trying something brand new. It inspires us all to try something new and learn from what they’re doing.” But is it enjoyable? “Hip-hop is one of those things where not everything is going to be something you love but you can at least learn from it, get something out of it.”
Alongside this clear positivity, De La Soul’s career has been defined by creativity, demonstrated by their concept albums and adaptive response to critics. Their ability to diversify and rebrand while being heavily rooted in their free-spirited vibe is what makes De La Soul extraordinary. Their sound is distinctive sound, but ever developing. The First Serve Project is just another step in this progression.
I ask Dave what is to come from a band that has done and achieved so much already. “We’ve been working on two new projects for De La: an album and a short EP of four or five songs for the New Year. We’re diligently working to get that done.” That simple? “We have so much that we’d love to do. Even enter the art scene with things that we design and create. Whether it would be our merchandise, our personal art works or the music that never came out.” So the creativity is still there … “A book as well”, Dave interjects, “we’ve been working on several book concepts in the last seven or eight months or so – that would be something nice to bring to the table.”
Fans will be happy to hear the continued enthusiasm and ethic from a true legend of hip-hop. He concludes, “There’s a lot more to come, it’s about the music but at the same time we love creating, designing and making things come to fruition. Hopefully those things will see the light of day.” As Dave signs off it seems far from the end. The moment is unthinkable, when we can sincerely claim “De La Soul is Dead”.
