De la Soul Announces First Album in 11 Years, Shares New Single “The Package”
Long Island hip-hop innovators De La Soul are preparing to release their tenth studio album, marking their first full-length project as 2016’s And the Anonymous Nobody…. The forthcoming record promises a wealth of collaborations with prominent artists and a return to the group’s signature blend of jazz-infused beats and thoughtful lyricism.
The album arrives following years of legal battles regarding sample clearances that previously kept De La Soul’s extensive catalog off streaming services. Now, with those hurdles cleared, the group is poised to deliver new music and reconnect with fans while also welcoming a new generation to their influential sound. The project is described as existing “in that space between loss and light,” exploring themes of enduring pain and unexpected joy, and functioning as both “therapy and a celebration.”
A first taste of the album has arrived in the form of the single “The Package,” produced by Pete Rock. The track samples The Impression‘s “Seven Years” and features vocals from all three members, including Trugoy the Dove.
De La Soul, formed in 1988, rose to prominence with their 1989 debut 3 Feet High and Rising, an album widely hailed as a hip-hop masterpiece and a cornerstone of the jazz rap movement.The new album will also feature contributions from Prince Paul, alongside anticipated collaborations with Killer Mike, Common, Nas, Black thought, and Yukimi Nagano of little Dragon.
A release date for the album has not yet been announced.
