After years of legal battles over the rights to the majority of their discography, the entirety of De La Soul’s catalog is finally available on streaming services.
De La Soul’s first six studio albums have been unavailable for ages due to a legal dispute with Tommy Boy Records. After their catalog was acquired by Reservoir Media as part of a purchase of the Tommy Boy catalog, the New York trio have been able to make their music available to the masses once more.
Among the records to hit streaming for the first time is their 1989 debut 3 Feet High and Rising, 1991’s De La Soul Is Dead, 1993’s Buhloone Mindstate, 1996’s Stakes Is High, 2000’s Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, and 2001’s AOI: The Bionix. Their long-awaited streaming arrival coincides with the 34th anniversary of 3 Feet High and Rising, but it also comes less than a month after the death of David “Trugoy” Jolicoeur, who died at age 54 on Feb. 12.
In an interview with The New York Times, Vincent “Maseo” Mason said De La “fought so hard and so long” for their songs to make it to streaming. “For him to not be here, it’s awkward,” he said. “It hurts.”
The two surviving De La Soul members indicated that they plan to continue to group despite the loss of Trugoy. “I’m going to do my best to stay strong and continue to rep my bro’s legacy,” Maseo added, “until God says we can’t do it anymore.”
Listen to the iconic hip-hop trio’s entire catalog via Apple Music, Spotify, or the streaming service of your choice, including a few choice records below.