De La Soul is an American hip-hop group formed in 1988 in the Amityville ar… Read Full Bio ↴De La Soul is an American hip-hop group formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip-hop subgenres. The members are Posdnuos, Maseo, and Trugoy (until his death in 2023). The three formed the group in high school and caught the attention of producer Prince Paul with a demo tape of the song "Plug Tunin'". With its playful wordplay, innovative sampling, and witty skits, the band's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, has been called "a hip hop masterpiece."

The album was the band's biggest commercial success to date, with subsequent ones selling progressively less, despite receiving high praise from critics. They were influential in the early stages of rapper/actor Mos Def's career, and are a core part of the Spitkicker collective. They are the second longest standing Native Tongues group, after the Jungle Brothers. In 2006, the group won a Grammy for their collaboration with Gorillaz on the single "Feel Good Inc."

In early 2015, they announced plans to release a Kickstarter funded upcoming 9th studio album and the Anonymous Nobody... in September 2015; it was released on August 26, 2016. The album tracks are said to be the result of multiple improvised jam sessions. The album also features guest appearances from artists such as Damon Albarn, Little Dragon, David Byrne, 2 Chainz and Snoop Dogg.

Studio albums
3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
De La Soul Is Dead (1991)
Buhloone Mindstate (1993)
Stakes Is High (1996)
Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000)
AOI: Bionix (2001)
The Grind Date (2004)
Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present... First Serve (2012)
and the Anonymous Nobody... (2016)

Intro
De La Soul Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(When I first heard, Criminal Minded
(I was in, man, where was I? Seventh grade)
(Battlin' this other emcee) (smokin' a blunt)
(And drinkin' a 40 down lower East Side with my niggas)
(I have no idea where I was)
(I was on my way to a family reunion)
(In a car on the Long Island expressway headed for Hempstead)
(Rooselvelt Projects) (I was in Rooselvelt Projects)

(I was outside of church when I was really little)
(And I was doing the wop with this girl)
(I mean I could've been anywhere)
(Red Alert played one of the songs on the radio)
(It was so long ago)
(Yo Merce, what's up? This is Hanson, man, I want you to peep that out)
(Yo, kid, I was at this party, this hype party)
(When I heard KRS' Criminal Minded, B, I'll call you back, peace)

(All right)
(All right)
(All right)
(All right, All right)

Channeling, in sync so my what brings that testament
To cover twelve inches of funk flip like
As if I was the Dalek himself
Specializing in cleansing like the its of
Elephants, Dove hits bibles out the park, man
Don't even try to toss bleach, I'm too dark and
Major more soul than James' "Escapism"
De La Soul is here to stay like racism
Patrick know and I'ma put the pillow off the bed
As I lurk up on your thoughts while phones on your head
Riff a tech pro, flex Sue, running you the links
Scout weather, pouring rain outta duck's survive links
And if one winks for pink slips, the slips are short
Dull-minded as sperm, to give out for the souls I report
I sport too fly for the forty ounce drinker
I sport too fly for a forty-ounce thinker
A fresh linen scent so sniffer on the two-inch
A talker of the berg without weed influence
So stick to your Naughty By Natures and your Kane
'Cause graffiti that I based upn the wax is insane

Grand groove, I wish I had the flavor bid
Give me six bottles of beer, I take the seventh one free
I got the chandelier, kick, constructed by my man
Little elf, big four gets the zootie for the self
Long Island living, what, twelve o'clock dawn
Jiggy-not see me so I trip straight to your porches
Mr. Partymaker puts the boogers in your bottle
Straw it and drink, what bees gotta be's
'Cause I snort the crazy-crazies
Man, I kick the Franken-style, dig the bolts in my neck
Wreck, ship, boat, rock
Heavy metal grooves ain't the infinite
Here I hips to the hops
I'm looking for the words in the faces of a prince
That brother been down ever since soaked cheese
And motor go smiling, hey, how ya doin', now?
Meet in front of Big Lou's fighting
Hey, y'all reminisce, six streets, little miles
Straight to my avenue, ahh, ahh
Six streets, went miles straight to my avenue
I'm headed for the bigger E, for the bitter OE, not me

Here's my Malibu, child, here's my Malibu
Buckshot honeys, dig a gun and then, ahh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to De La Soul's "Intro" are a tongue-in-cheek commentary on game shows and quiz shows, using humor and absurdity to poke fun at the format. The lyrics begin with a welcoming statement to the listeners, then introduce the "contestants" who will be answering trivia questions. These "contestants" are actually members of De La Soul, introducing themselves in humorous and nonsensical ways.

The lyrics are a commentary on the superficiality of game shows and the way they reduce people and their identities to mere contestants or players. The questions being asked are intentionally ridiculous, highlighting the absurdity of game show trivia and the trivialization of knowledge. The song as a whole is a playful critique of popular culture, and an attempt to subvert the expected norms of mainstream music.

Overall, the song serves as an introduction to the album Three Feet High and Rising, setting the tonal and thematic stage for the music to follow. It's a quirky and irreverent take on the hip-hop genre, hinting at the eclectic sampling and playful wordplay that De La Soul would become known for.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey, all you kids out there
Greetings to all the young people listening to this album

Welcome to Three Feet High and Rising
This is the name of the album you’re listening to

Now, here's what we do
Let us introduce you to our style and music

The following contestants
Introducing the people taking part in the game show that this song is based on

How are you doing, contestants?
Asking the contestants how they’re feeling before playing the game

Alright
The first contestant is ready to introduce themselves

Great
The second contestant is also ready to introduce themselves

Your mama
A joking response from the third contestant, referencing a popular insult

So, fellas
Addressing the male contestants

Tell us a little bit about yourselves
Asking the contestants to briefly describe themselves

Contestant number one
Introducing the first contestant

How ya doin', Al?
Using a nickname to address the first contestant and asking how they’re doing

Just came all the way down from Wichita
Mentioning where the first contestant is from

Just to be on this show
Highlighting the importance of being part of the game show

You know it's gonna be swell
Expressing excitement about the upcoming game show

And I wanna win all the money
Revealing the first contestant's goal for the game show

See ya
A casual goodbye after introducing themselves

Alright, contestant number two
Introducing the second contestant

Excuse me, um, my name is, um, P.A. Mase
The second contestant is nervous and has trouble introducing themselves

I'm from Australia and I'm quite glad to be here
Sharing where the second contestant is from and expressing gratitude for being part of the show

Hello, my name is Plug One, and um
Introducing the third contestant and using a nickname

Let me tell you a little bit about myself
Sharing a brief description of themselves

I like Twizzlers and um, I like the Alligator Bob
Mentioning some of their favorite things

And my favorite drama movie is Bloodsucking Freaks
Revealing their favorite drama movie

Just like your mama
Adding a playful insult as a joke

Hello, my name is Prince Paul and I'm just
Introducing the fourth and final contestant

Glad to be on the show, thank you
Expressing gratitude for being part of the game show

Now that we've met our contestants
After introducing all the contestants, let's start the game

Let's get to the game
Moving on to the game show

I'm going to ask an amount of four questions
Explaining the format and number of questions to be asked

And you'll try to answer them correctly
Clarifying the objective of the game: answering the questions correctly

Now, you out there in the audience can answer along with them
Encouraging the audience to participate by answering the questions too

How many feathers are on a Purdue chicken?
Asking the first question for the game show

How many fibers are intertwined in a Shredded Wheat biscuit?
Asking the second question for the game show

What does 'Tush eht lleh pu' mean?
Asking the third question for the game show

How many times did the Batmobile catch a flat?
Asking the fourth and final question for the game show

Now that we know the questions
Reiterating that the questions have been asked and introduced

We'll let the contestants think them over
Giving the contestants some time to think before answering

And we'll return right after these messages
Temporarily pausing the game show to play commercials

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul E. Huston, David J. Jolicoeur, Vincent Mason, Kelvin Mercer

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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TRACKS