De La Soul has been streaming for a month. I'm sure most of us here have gotten a chance to go back and revisit most, if not all, of their albums since 3/3. Time to give them the Lesson Rates treatment!

The Lesson Rates: De La Soul, Google Form: https://forms.gle/XQiqLxc5a4caqMBv5

Keeping it simple this time around. Rate each of De La's albums (including the First Serve project) and vote for your favorite tracks from each album. All questions optional so feel free to vote for as much or as little as you please.

Voting will be open for ~4 weeks with results posted soon after the polls close.

Cuz I feel bad ranking any of their albums as low as a 6 but Anonymous Nobody is no better than a 6.5 to me.

On a related note, I've reordered my top 5 of their albums after listening to them all non-stop for a month.

Old top 5:
1. Buhloone Mindstate
2. Stakes is High
3. 3 Feet High
4. Grind Date
5. DLSID

New top 5:
1. Buhloone
2. 3 Feet
3. DLSID
4. Stakes
5. Grind Date

I won't argue with any order of that top 5 but that's where I'm @ today.

These dudes are/were just the best. So happy to have them so much more widely available now. Looks like they're getting millions of listens since launching on streaming too, which I'm psyched about. I'm sure all of us on these boards have contributed heavily to those #s haha.

----------------------------------------

"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

To me that is for sure the worst of the listed albums. I don't think it's bad but I think a 6 based on this scale is fair. Especially compared to the rest of their albums. I went it an 8 on ATAN but I still feel with more time people will start liking it more. I would give it a 9 but trying to overcome my bias and going off the description of the scale I think it fits an 8. Maybe 8.5 lol

I went 10's for the first 4. No way they are any lower than that. Grind Date I went 9 but I can see it being ranked with the first 4. Went 8 on Mosaic and 7 for Bionix. I used to think of these two as being equal and maybe even flipped but this is where I am with it now. I think Mosaic has a lot of dope songs but it does have some filler. Bionix has less highs but overall its a good album.

If I had to rank based on which album I would be the most excited to listen to now my top 5 would be:

Stakes
3 Feet High (the remastering is so good)
Dead
Buhloone
Grind Date

Overall I tried to err on the lower side score if I was on the fence since I know I have a bias lol

Edit: the flipping continues. I went back to see how I scored each album on my own scale and I have Bionix slightly higher than Mosaic so yeah giving both an 8 lol

Plus I don't really consider it an actual De La album cuz Mase wasn't involved.


>I went 10's for the first 4. No way they are any lower than
>that. Grind Date I went 9 but I can see it being ranked with
>the first 4. Went 8 on Mosaic and 7 for Bionix. I used to
>think of these two as being equal and maybe even flipped but
>this is where I am with it now. I think Mosaic has a lot of
>dope songs but it does have some filler. Bionix has less highs
>but overall its a good album.

Ha I was the same as you re: basically having the AOIs as totally equal. But upon relisten, I'm the opposite of you haha. I think MT has a much stronger 2nd half than I remembered, while Bionix has some awful awful songs on the 2nd half. Peer Pressure, Pawn Star, and even the Slick Rick song, are either awful or mega-meh IMO.

While Copa Copanga, Foolin', etc. from MT are all either good to really good. Better than I remembered.

But both have very, very strong first halves.

I also found that as much as I love Stakes is High, the production becomes a little repetitive in the middle portion for a bit. None of it is *bad* it just gets a little slow in the middle after such an incredibly strong first 6ish songs and followed by a super strong finish.

----------------------------------------

"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

I don't think First Serve is really a De La album and you can hear it but they do have it listed so whatever. I don't want to be like Outkast fans that pretend Idlewild doesn't count lol

As you can see in my edit I think I am still figuring out where I am on the AOI albums. I do have issues with he songs you mentioned on Bionix but I also do like them. I don't smoke so I have always been eh about the content on Peer Pressure but it is B-Real so what else would it be about lol I do think it's a good song with a dope beat just not content I go to De La Soul for. I get that the sound effects on Pawn Star are bad but I think it's a pretty good song once you get past that. I know I'm on the minority on that though lol I wish the intro to the Slick Rick song didn't exist. Just get right into the song. Don't have Slick asking 12 yos or whatever if they get horny. Aside from the intro I think its an okay/good song but I definitely would had hoped for better for that collabo.

I think what brings down Mosaic for me are the loud songs with Busta, Beasties and Freddie Foxxx. Although those don't have any cringe sound effects or intros the style of songs are not my vibe.

Copa and Foolin are like Dinninit and Dog Eat Dog from Stakes from me. I overlooked them at first and now I'm really getting into them.

I think where you are with Stakes is how I felt about it when I first heard it. I had some stand out songs I loved and the rest didn't stand out to me. Now the rest is what I want to hear more.

>I don't think First Serve is really a De La album and you can
>hear it but they do have it listed so whatever. I don't want
>to be like Outkast fans that pretend Idlewild doesn't count
>lol
>
>As you can see in my edit I think I am still figuring out
>where I am on the AOI albums. I do have issues with he songs
>you mentioned on Bionix but I also do like them. I don't smoke
>so I have always been eh about the content on Peer Pressure
>but it is B-Real so what else would it be about lol I do think
>it's a good song with a dope beat just not content I go to De
>La Soul for. I get that the sound effects on Pawn Star are bad
>but I think it's a pretty good song once you get past that. I
>know I'm on the minority on that though lol I wish the intro
>to the Slick Rick song didn't exist. Just get right into the
>song. Don't have Slick asking 12 yos or whatever if they get
>horny. Aside from the intro I think its an okay/good song but
>I definitely would had hoped for better for that collabo.
>
>I think what brings down Mosaic for me are the loud songs with
>Busta, Beasties and Freddie Foxxx. Although those don't have
>any cringe sound effects or intros the style of songs are not
>my vibe.

I don't mind the Busta or Freddie songs but understand what you're saying. I've never particularly cared about the Beastie Boys so that's the one Mosaic song that I could do without, personally.


>Copa and Foolin are like Dinninit and Dog Eat Dog from Stakes
>from me. I overlooked them at first and now I'm really getting
>into them.

Ha that's funny - I still don't care so much for Dog Eat Dog but Dinninit is a song that eventually grew on me, too, after not caring for it much for several years.


>I think where you are with Stakes is how I felt about it when
>I first heard it. I had some stand out songs I loved and the
>rest didn't stand out to me. Now the rest is what I want to
>hear more.

----------------------------------------

"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

3 Feet, Buhloone, and Bionix my next 3.

I don’t even know what that 2012 joint was on this rating?

I liked the Nike “Are You In?” a lot at the time, wish that was more easily accessible now but I guess I should pick my battles there.

New top 5 (corrected):
1. Buhloone
2. 3 Feet
3. DLSID
4. Grind Date
5. Stakes

----------------------------------------

"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

DLSID is steadily moving up my top 5 too.

Looking forward to seeing the results.

---------------------------

When they hit streaming I went ahead and kept track of my ratings so I will be able to just vote for once lol

I think I'm starting to like AOI: MT as much or more than Stakes is High.

Let me explain. The first 5 and last 2 songs on Stakes are better than anything on AOI save for maybe Oooh. But AOI has a much stronger middle and second half than Stakes, IMO.

Brakes, Dog Eat Dog, Itzsoweezee, 4 More, Pony Ride ... are all mega mega mega meh to me. Those are songs I often skip.

Meanwhile, the only songs I don't care for on AOI are IC Y'all and Squat! But at least those songs are something different. The Stakes songs I listed above all sound really similar sonically and bore me to tears. There's just a huge valley on that album after a hot start and an incredible finish.

AOI has Set the Mood which I love/had forgotten about, then a strong ass finish with With Me, Copa Cabanga, Foolin', Art of Getting Jumped, U Don't Wanna BDS ... I love that finish.

I dunno. I still gave Stakes a 9 (on the strength of its start and finish) and AOI an 8 and will hold to that for now, but I'm starting to think I may actually like AOI better as a full project, on balance.

----------------------------------------

"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

I don't know lol

I think maybe when I first heard the albums I had them about equal. The songs you don't like on Stakes are head scratchers to me. Specifically Brakes, Itzoweezee and Pony Ride. I loved those from the jump while Dog Eat Dog took years to grow on me. I will say I don't go back to Itzoweezee as much anymore as I did 15 or so years ago. I played it out so much back then. I can see Pony Ride maybe being too similar to other songs but I still think its dope. Brakes is really a stand out song to me. The whole concept and execution is great. I think it's easily in my top 20 De La tracks.

What I will say is that AOI MT is a lot closer to their best albums than most people seem to think so. It's not at all bad or mid. It's a really good album.

I think AOI doesn't have a song as strong as Stakes is High, but it's a really solid album that closes really well. So, I can see why your opinion of AOI grew.

While I agree that the middle of SIH drags a bit, everything from 4 More to Stakes is High is really good. Maybe because the ending of Stakes is High isn't tied off as well as AOI, it leaves a less satisfying taste than the high AOI leaves.

The thing to me with revisiting De La is how consistent the quality of their work was, even if the influences and musical themes varied quite a bit. I prefer Tribe, but after hearing these albums, the differences in quality is much, much closer than I ever realized. So much so that I feel silly thinking of one as measurably lesser than the other.

<--- Me when my head hits the pillow

...Replace with "RUN?" or just leave it off

< Live Mixshow - Thurs 11PM/EST >
https://twitch.tv/djchiefone

----Mixtape Archives-----
https://soundcloud.com/djchiefone

I still remember the distain both of those albums got when they dropped...but I never thought they were bad compared to when was dropping in 2000 and 01.

Sure they may still be at the bottom of their catalogue, but their still really good records tho.

phemom's the name, all-star writer/
searching 4 journalistic fame, mindframe igniter....www.twitter.com/hayabusaage

----------------------------------------

"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

Apologies again for the long wait!

Overall, 20 Lessonheads collectively gave De La Soul's catalog an average rating of 8.35, a record high thus far.

Complete Results: https://tinyurl.com/okpdelaanalytics
Responses: https://tinyurl.com/okpdelaresponses


Discography Rank:

1. Buhloone Mindstate (1993) - 9.45
2t. De La Soul is Dead (1991) - 9.40
3t. Stakes is High (1996) - 9.40
4. 3 Feet High and Rising (1989) - 9.10
5. The Grind Date (2004) - 8.50
6. AOI: Bionix (2001) - 7.56
7. Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000) - 7.33
8. And the Anonymous Nobody... (2016) - 7.11
9. Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present... First Serve (2012) - 6.25


Top 10 De La Soul fans in The Lesson:
1. Doitall76 - 9.22
2. phemom - 8.89
3. brotha_leche - 8.88
4. cal.25 - 8.83
5t. IslaSoul - 8.78
5t. mista k5 - 8.78
7. Brew - 8.75
8. Garhart Poppwell - 8.67
9. DJR - 8.50
10. ChampD1012, mrhood75, Original Juice - 8.44


Discog Breakdown:

3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
Score: 9.10
Top 3 Songs: Eye Know, Buddy, Say No Go

De La Soul is Dead (1991)
Score: 9.40
Top 3 Songs: A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays", Oodles of O's, Pass the Plugs

Buhloone Mindstate (1993)
Score: 9.40
Top 3 Songs: Ego Trippin' (Part Two), I Am I Be, Breakadawn

Stakes is High (1996)
Score: 9.40
Top 3 Songs: Stakes is High, Itzsoweezee (Hot), Sunshine

Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000)
Score: 7.33
Top 3 Songs: Oooh, All Good?, My Writes/View/With Me (tied)

AOI: Bionix (2001)
Score: 7.56
Top 3 Songs: Trying People, Simply, Hold Down

The Grind Date (2004)
Score: 8.50
Top 3 Songs: Rock Co.Kane Flow, Verbal Clap, The Future

Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present... First Serve (2012)
Score: 6.25
Top 3 Songs: Pushin' Aside, Pushin' Along, The Work, Must B the Music/Clash Symphony/Pop Life (tied)

And the Anonymous Nobody... (2016)
Score: 7.11
Top 3 Songs: Royalty Capes, Pain, Memory of... (Us)

Not even a top 4 De La fan lol

Surprised Buhloone got so much love.

Not surprised De La got a record high average rating and that's with First Serve included.

----------------------------------------

"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

i swear i put my heart into these.

_____________
if racism is a cancer, black thought is the answer.

Rjcc is code for "bitch-ass troll"

DROkayplayer™

In that I'm not sure which albums hip hop heads will value the highest.

----
I check for: Serengeti, Zeroh, Open Mike Eagle, Jeremiah Jae, Moka Only.

The most requested (that we haven't already done) were Common, Jay-Z and MF DOOM. Any preference??

Personally I rank them:

1. Comm
2. DOOM
3. Jay

If that helps at all.

----------------------------------------

"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

_____________
if racism is a cancer, black thought is the answer.

Rjcc is code for "bitch-ass troll"

DROkayplayer™

this will probably blow some minds on here, but I’ve never really listened to Doom like that. I don’t know if I’ve even heard a full album.

So when we get to him, I will be learning some new things.

I haven't been listening to his music in the past few years and have been thinking of revisiting it anyway.

Common I feel like I have a good idea on how I feel on most of his music except albums past UMC which I'm not that excited to revisit lol

I think either of those two would be good to do next.

Old list :

1. De La is Dead
2. 3 Feet High
3. Buhloone Mind State
4. Stakes Is High


New list after revisiting these albums in 2023 in 2023


1. De La Is Dead
2. 3 Feet High
3. Stakes Is High
4. Buhloone Mind State

Stakes Is High sounds better and has aged good.