Stakes is High is one of the greatest hip-hop LP's ever. Not only is it filled with hot tracks, but it also has messages against the record business ("The Bizness"), fake gangsterism ("Itsoweezee") and of course, the title track ranks up there with "Rebel Without A Pause" "I used to love H.E.R." and 'The Message" as anthems. It refused to buy into the materialism and the ignorance of hip-hop, and their message is sorely needed in hip-hop today.

Also check for a cameo by Mos Def.

I agree with you about their message being needed in hip hop. My main concern is that there is no balance in the mainstream hip hop. DeLa and others should get as much exposure and have as much success as 50,Eminem,Nelly and the rest.

is this a new album?

heh new? hardly, it came out way back in '96.
I dunno, the message was nice and all but it didnt hit me like 3ft high , and de la soul is dead or even bulhoone mind state.

squish said:

i stopped following de la soul after the 'de la soul is dead' album.

Wolf said:

u should not have quit. stakes is high was a classic and aoi: art official intelligence was a solid lp from start 2 finish.

Wolf said:

Time you became a sheep again, Wolf: De La Soul are great, always were, forever will be.

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u should not have quit. stakes is high was a classic and aoi: art official intelligence was a solid lp from start 2 finish.[/quote]

Thanks. I've been a De La fan since 3 ft. high, but Stakes Is High is truly great because, like their first LP, they cut against the grain and did so with great production and fantastic cameos from Common Sense (as I think he was still known in 1996), Mos Def and even Zhane.

Funny. De La, Mos Def and Common are really helping keep a nearly soulless genre alive.

Stakes is High... great track and great album. I really listen to Bionix, I've hardly touched it since I bought it...

ian said:

Thanks for showing the love to a classic LP.