In a world where rap music could lazily and racist labelled ‘the music of Black criminals,’ as BBC Radio 1 DJ called it, came the joyous, surreal world of De La Soul.

Themed around the concept of a game show, 3 Feet High and Rising was mind-blowing in its infectious rap. Music impossible to listen without just feeling a bit happier than you started.

Sampling everything from educational songs, Johnny Cash, Liberace, Michael Jackson and onto Hall & Oates (yes, those white ‘soul’ brothers), and three million other bits in-between. The opening song, The Magic Number contains at least 9 song samples, see whosampled.

If you’ve never heard this album, that may well be you are a child of the digital age, those samples were potential the death of this album in the digital age. Every single sample needed new clearance to have the music available on Spotify et al. But finally, it’s happened, one month after the death of founder member David Jolicoeur

De La Soul’s early catalog finally hits streaming platforms

Now you could just skip through the many stand-out tracks: The Magic Number, Eye Know, Say No Go, to name but three, but this is just a collection of classic tracks, it’s an experience, take the journey. It’s never too late to have joined the DAISY age