De La Soul is an American hip-hop group formed in 1988 in Amityville, Long Island, New York. The group was founded by Kelvin "Posdnuos" Mercer, David "Trugoy the Dove" Jolicoeur and Vincent "Maseo" Mason, who met during their high-school years. Their music combined inventive sampling, playful wordplay, unusual song structures and an expansive view of hip-hop that embraced jazz, funk, soul, pop and psychedelia. Alongside the Jungle Brothers and A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul became a central part of the Native Tongues collective.
The group attracted the attention of producer Prince Paul with a demo of "Plug Tunin'." That relationship led to De La Soul's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, released in 1989. Built around Prince Paul's imaginative production, conversational skits and a remarkably eclectic collection of samples, the album presented an alternative to the harder-edged rap styles that dominated much of the period. Songs such as "The Magic Number," "Me Myself and I," "Eye Know" and "Potholes in My Lawn" gave the group a significant crossover audience, while the album's humor and visual identity helped establish a distinctive image.
Although De La Soul were sometimes labeled "hippie rap," their second album, De La Soul Is Dead (1991), challenged that description. It was darker, more satirical and more structurally ambitious than its predecessor, using a framing story to examine the group's public image and the pressures of success. Buhloone Mindstate (1993) continued their movement toward jazz rap and more abstract production. It included "Ego Trippin' (Part Two)" and "Breakadawn," and featured contributions from artists including Japanese rapper Kamaal the Abstract and jazz musicians.
With Stakes Is High (1996), De La Soul adopted a more direct and critical tone. The title track addressed commercialism, violence and the state of hip-hop, while the album's production reflected the stripped-down, sample-driven sound of the mid-1990s. Later releases included the three-part Art Official Intelligence series, beginning with Mosaic Thump in 2000, and The Grind Date in 2004. Throughout this period, the group maintained its reputation for technical rapping and collaborative work, even as its music moved beyond the sound of its early albums.
De La Soul reached another generation through its appearances on Gorillaz records. The group contributed to "Feel Good Inc.," a major international hit from Gorillaz's 2005 album Demon Days, and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2006. In 2016, De La Soul released and the Anonymous Nobody..., a largely live-instrumented album funded through Kickstarter. Its guest list included David Byrne, Damon Albarn, Snoop Dogg and Usher.
Years of contractual disputes and difficulties clearing samples kept much of the group's catalog off digital platforms until March 3, 2023. The long-awaited streaming release coincided with a renewed public appreciation of the group's influence. Trugoy the Dove died on February 12, 2023, at age 54. Posdnuos and Maseo subsequently continued De La Soul, incorporating previously recorded material into Cabin in the Sky, released on November 21, 2025. Across its career, De La Soul has remained known for expanding the artistic possibilities of hip-hop while preserving the humor, curiosity and communal spirit at the heart of its music.