High And Rising: A Book About De La Soul [Hardcover]

A stunning cultural biography of De La Soul, the era-defining hip-hop trio that touched millions of lives and changed rap forever.

De La Soul burst onto the scene with the release of their groundbreaking 1989 album?3 Feet High & Rising, an anything goes hip-hop masterpiece hailed as a new masterwork from a bygone era of Black experimentation.

Formed in Long Island in 1988 by Kelvin Posdnuos Mercer, Dave Trugoy the Dove Jolicoeur, and Vincent Maseo Mason, De La Soul rebuked classification and appealed to the Black alternative. Their music was positive and psychedelic, their imagery full of flowers and peace signs. This was rap with a broad sonic palette which set the blueprint for an entire generation of alternative hip-hop artists who followed. But as quickly as De La ascended, they were faced with the pressures of a changing industry and bitter legal battles over sampling.

Completed in the wake of Daves passing and the groups arrival on streaming platforms after years in digital purgatory,High and Rising?tells the story of one of the most influential rap groups of all time. In the process, acclaimed music journalist Marcus J. Moore braids in a deeply personal coming-of-age story about his journey through life with De La as a backdrop.

The first book about De La Soul,High and Risingshows that De La Soul is Black history, American history, world history, our history. This is a tale about staying the course, and how holding true to your virtue can lead to dynamic results.

This landmark music biography goes beyond the beats and rhymes to explore the full story:

• The Native Tongues Era:Go inside the rise of the influential collective that changed the sound of the genre forever, featuring groups like A Tribe Called Quest and the Jungle Brothers.
• Sampling and Legal Battles:Uncover the story behind the bitter, industry-changing legal disputes that kept De La Souls classilÃ(