It is generally agreed that De La Soul’s self-titled debut album from 1989, widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, had a significant impact on the genre’s development due to its innovative sampling techniques, eclectic production style, and clever wordplay.
“The Magic Number” is one of the album’s best songs. This song perfectly showcases De La Soul’s innovative production and witty lyrics. The song opens with a clip from Sesame Street when the “magic number” and the number three are first introduced to young viewers (Chang, Pg 4,2018). This idea is then skillfully woven into the song’s structure and lyrics.
The song’s lyrics are jam-packed with creative wordplay and pop culture allusions. The song covers a wide range of themes, from the value of friendship to the impact of the media on our daily lives. The lyrics include several allusions to such diverse cultural icons as The Beatles and Neil Armstrong. The lyric “Three is the magic number” appears several times in the song’s chorus as a declaration of love for the number 3.
The arrangement of “The Magic Number” is as original as the song’s title. The instrumental features a clip of “Happy Talk,” a song from the show South Pacific (Chang, Pg,6,2018). A complex and complicated soundscape is created by looping and layering the sample with other samples and noises. De La Soul’s ability to creatively incorporate unexpected components into their composition is fully displayed in their use of this sample.
The song “The Magic Number” might be a tribute to uniqueness and friendship. The “magic number” of three is often invoked as a symbol of completion and completion via cooperation. The song is representative of the hip-hop culture’s efforts to promote positivity and harmony among its members, despite their differences.
The CD also has the standout track “Me, Myself, and I.” This song was the album’s lead single, skyrocketing to the top of the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart (Chang, 2018). The song’s lyrics encourage listeners to be themselves and not worry about what other people think of them.
Regarding sampling and production, nobody does it like De La Soul, and “Me, Myself, and I” is no exception. The track’s groovy and cheerful vibe is courtesy of a sample from the Funkadelic song “Not Just Knee Deep.” De La Soul’s sample usage is a tribute to funk music’s impact on hip-hop and the group’s musical beginnings.
The song’s lyrics are a rejection of uniformity and a celebration of one’s uniqueness. The song’s message is that people should be themselves and resist the temptation to change to fit in with others. Lyrically, the group’s African American origin and take on hip-hop culture are referenced in the line “Plug One, plug two, and plug three / It is the soul man, the abstract, and me.” This alludes to the thorny topic of cultural appropriation.
Despite cultural pressures to fit in, “Me, Myself, and I” encourages people to be themselves and express their unique perspectives (Chang, Pg 7,2018). The song captures the spirit of the increasing independence and freedom of speech that characterized the late 20th century, especially among African Americans. The tune is also a commentary on funk’s impact on hip-hop and how hip-hop musicians have reimagined funk.
The debut album by De La Soul, “3 Feet High and Rising,” was released in 1989 and is still considered a classic. The album was a welcome change of pace in a field otherwise dominated by gangsta rap and its associated violence and misogyny. Playful, funny, and unabashedly upbeat, ‘3 Feet High and Rising’ fused disparate musical influences and samples with cutting-edge production methods.
The late 1980s were a time of profound social and economic transformation in the United States. Conservative ideas, such as tax cuts for the wealthiest and lower spending for social programs, were adopted under the Reagan administration (De La Soul, Pg 7). Because of this, inequality between the affluent and poor widened, and poverty and homelessness increased.
Hip-hop was born out of defiance against societal and economic injustices like these. It allowed young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to speak out about the problems they experienced daily. The album “3 Feet High and Rising” by De La Soul was created in this setting, and its songs and themes capture the hopes and disappointments of a whole generation.
When the Cold War finally ended in the late 1980s, a new era of international politics began. The dissolution of the Soviet Union and the emergence of a new international order led by the United States began with the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
Three Feet High and Rising avoided overtly political comments or references (Chang, 2018). While mainstream American society emphasizes individualism and competition, the album’s emphasis on optimism, togetherness, and community building might be interpreted as a reaction to these ideas (De La Soul, Pg 2). Toxic masculinity, common at the period, might be considered the root cause of the album’s rejection of violence and sexism.
New media formats and a surge of technical innovation defined the cultural landscape of the 1980s. The proliferation of digital media platforms like cable TV, video games, and personal computers has changed how consumers access and engage with entertainment.
Digital technology has opened up new creative possibilities, and “3 Feet High and Rising” is a consequence. The album makes use of samples and collage-like production techniques. From funk and soul to psychedelia and science fiction, the record took inspiration from various musical and cultural traditions. It also combined language, comedy, and dancing from the African American vernacular.
There was a general movement in hip-hop towards increased experimentation and invention when ‘3 Feet High and Rising’ was released. Several groundbreaking hip-hop acts emerged in the late ’80s to explore the genre’s potential.
In this aspect, “3 Feet High and Rising” was pivotal because it showcased hip-hop’s potential as a musical collage and cultural synthesis. The album’s innovative use of samples and production techniques influenced a new wave of hip-hop producers and performers.
Thirty years after its release, ‘3 Feet High and Rising’ remains a landmark album in hip-hop history. It has been cited as an influence by countless artists, and its innovative production techniques have become standard practice in the genre (De La Soul, Pg 5). The album’s positivity, community, and unity themes continue to resonate with audiences. Its rejection of violence and misogyny remains relevant in an era of #MeToo and Black Lives Matter.
Released in 1989, “3 Feet High and Rising” is considered one of the most groundbreaking and important hip-hop albums ever. The album incorporates samples from various sources, including funk, soul, rock, and even children’s music, making it original and varied. Compared to the often angry and hostile tone of many rap groups then, the trio’s unique approach, which blended humor with social commentary, was a welcome change.
When it comes to the album’s music, “3 Feet High and Rising” is a textbook example of sample-based production, with Prince Paul, the group’s producer, employing a wide variety of samples to get a sound that was at once classic and cutting edge (De La Soul, Pg 6). Classic soul and funk albums are sampled in songs like “Eye Know” and “Me, Myself, and I,” while a children’s record sample created one of the album’s most memorable melodies in “The Magic Number.”
The album explores various societal concerns, from racism to poverty to gender inequity. The group’s use of humor and satire helped them examine serious problems in an entertaining and approachable way to a large audience.
The album “3 Feet High and Rising” is, at its heart, a reflection of the lives of working-class American adolescents. The album’s lighthearted, irreverent vibe is based on the band members’ memories of growing up in a tough section of Long Island, New York (De La Soul, Pg 10). The album’s theme of individuality and freedom connected with a demographic of young people looking for something different from the dominant culture of their day.
Finally, “3 Feet High and Rising” is a classic album that revolutionized hip-hop and set the path for future musicians. Its socially minded themes and original usage of samples have had a lasting impact on contemporary music (Chang, 2018). The album’s focus on socioeconomic concerns exemplifies the transformative potential of art to give a platform to people silenced by society.
Work Cited
“De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising – Review – 1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die.” Www.1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.net, www.1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.net/de-la-soul-3-feet-high-and-rising. Accessed 9 Apr. 2023.
Chang, Jeff. “De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising | 10.0.” @Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 23 Sept. 2018, pitchfork/reviews/albums/de-la-soul-3-feet-high-and-rising/.
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