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)
Jenifa Taught Me
De La Soul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lovestruck was my mode
Took a look, dropped my textbook
Jenifa, oh
Breakfast, broke it fast
She was in my english class
Asked for notes, rocked my boat
Jenifa, oh
Lost her favourite penny
So I gave her a dollar
She kissed me (and I hollered)
In a flash, the school bell rang
Jenny grabbed on to my hand
Took me home and said, "Trugoy just
Swing and swing and swing"
The downstairs, where we met
I brought records, she cassettes
Lost the break, found her shape
Jenifa, oh, Jenny
Transcripts showed more than flirt
"I love daisies," read her shirt
Grabbed my jeans, Jimmy screamed
Jenifa, oh, Jenny
Marvelous, shaped like a vase
No one can live their life for Pos
Found a house, aroused my joust
Jenifa, oh, Jenny
Her clothes, I did shuck
Just like Dan, I strictly stuck
To the punt, she cried, "kick it"
Posdnuos was in
Jenny
Only thought about Jimmy
But asked was I a virgin
Like some kid named Derwin?
She said, "let's try it in the bathroom"
But 'dnuos is way above sinks
So to the kitchen she did Dan
And came back wrapped in Saran
Now wait a minute
Little Derwin got something to show us
That Jenny could never do, listen
Hey, look at little Derwin
Look at him go, look at him go
Aw, baby
Positions, muscles flexed
Dove was lost in a gon-a-hex
Passed her test, felt her teddy
Jenifa, oh, Jenny
Notions
Soothed the mood
Dove was lost in De La heaven
Screwed plug two, did the do
Jenifa, oh, Jenny
Jenny
Teased my homeboy granny
In fact, she teased so many
She was known as a garden tool
No more, I dispatched
Was it Jimmy had met his match?
Or could it be the realization
All girls owned a Jenny
For normal health, I had fought
A valuable lesson she had taught
Don't flaunt that the candy is good
Unless you came with plenty
"Jenifa Taught Me" is a song by the American hip-hop group De La Soul from their debut album, "3 Feet and Rising," released in 1989. The song is about a girl named Jenifa who taught the singer valuable life lessons. The lyrics describe how the singer meets Jenifa in his English class and becomes infatuated with her. He gives her a dollar when she loses her penny, and she kisses him in return. They later go to her house where they listen to music and fool around. The singer learns an important lesson about not flaunting his candy unless he had enough to share with everyone.
The song is filled with clever wordplay and metaphors that make it difficult to fully grasp the intended message. The lyrics are presented in a nostalgic tone that reflects the innocence and carefree nature of adolescence. The singer is a young boy who is learning about life and love, and Jenifa is his guide. She is portrayed as a wise and experienced woman who has taught the singer many things about life.
Line by Line Meaning
Access to her code
I had a chance to understand her better
Lovestruck was my mode
I was completely infatuated with her
Took a look, dropped my textbook
I got distracted by her beauty
Jenifa, oh
I was hooked on her
Breakfast, broke it fast
I couldn't wait to see her again
She was in my english class
We shared a class together
Asked for notes, rocked my boat
She needed help and I was happy to assist
Jenifa, oh
I was really into her
Jenny
A nickname for Jenifa that I used affectionately
Lost her favourite penny
She was upset about something trivial
So I gave her a dollar
I wanted to make her feel better
She kissed me (and I hollered)
I was overjoyed and surprised by her affection
In a flash, the school bell rang
Class was over and I was disappointed
Jenny grabbed on to my hand
She wanted to spend more time with me
Took me home and said, "Trugoy just
Swing and swing and swing"
We spent time together dancing and enjoying each other's company
The downstairs, where we met
The specific area where we first connected
I brought records, she cassettes
We shared our mutual love for music
Lost the break, found her shape
Jenifa, oh, Jenny
We got caught up in each other's presence and forgot everything else
Transcripts showed more than flirt
There was a deeper connection between us than just attraction
"I love daisies," read her shirt
She had a unique style and personality
Grabbed my jeans, Jimmy screamed
Jenifa, oh, Jenny
We were getting more intimate and Jimmy was jealous
Marvelous, shaped like a vase
She was stunning and had a great figure
No one can live their life for Pos
I couldn't let my obsession with her control my life
Found a house, aroused my joust
We found a place to be alone and things started heating up
Jenifa, oh, Jenny
I was still completely smitten
Her clothes, I did shuck
We were getting more intimate
Just like Dan, I strictly stuck
To the punt, she cried, "kick it"
I was methodical and careful with her
Posdnuos was in
Jenny
I was still focused on her even with other distractions
Only thought about Jimmy
But asked was I a virgin
Like some kid named Derwin?
I was still unsure about myself and she was curious
She said, "let's try it in the bathroom"
But 'dnuos is way above sinks
So to the kitchen she did Dan
And came back wrapped in Saran
We were getting more intimate and creative with our location and protection
Now wait a minute
Little Derwin got something to show us
That Jenny could never do, listen
Hey, look at little Derwin
Look at him go, look at him go
Aw, baby
Even though Derwin was impressive, it wasn't a competition
Positions, muscles flexed
Dove was lost in a gon-a-hex
Passed her test, felt her teddy
Jenifa, oh, Jenny
We were getting very physical and connected
Notions
Soothed the mood
We were getting more comfortable with each other
Dove was lost in De La heaven
Screwed plug two, did the do
Jenifa, oh, Jenny
We were deeply involved in being intimate and in our own world
Teased my homeboy granny
In fact, she teased so many
She was known as a garden tool
Jenny had a reputation for being promiscuous and flirting with multiple people
No more, I dispatched
Was it Jimmy had met his match?
Or could it be the realization
All girls owned a Jenny
I moved on from Jenny and questioned if other girls were similar
For normal health, I had fought
A valuable lesson she had taught
Don't flaunt that the candy is good
Unless you came with plenty
I learned to not put all my focus on one person and to be prepared for multiple experiences
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Jolicoeur, Kelvin Mercer, Paul E. Huston, Vincent Mason
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wanealy1
The brilliance finally unleashed. Happy De la Day y'all. They free.
@tamirajohnellestyle
Exactly! Free as ever😘💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽
@qrock639
Brilliance..key word
@dwayneandrews2059
De la, so sick. Remember buying this in high school when it came out. Whackest, obscure samples, dig it. True innovators, hands down. Saw them twice back in the day, rocked it. Never to be duplicated.
@durbysuniga7225
RIP Trugoy🙏🏽
@jewpac12
De La Soul is FREEEEE #RIPDAVE
@Bubbakush007
Legendary I remember them playing this song on KDAY back in the days 👍👍👍👍👍
@Ilovechicago100
This beat will forever be sick. The way the samples is chopped up is like no other 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
@p.williams4310
Plug 3 was a MF on the wheels.
@user-sp9kd6ef3t
This started it all for me... this shit was so dope in real time. I love daisies read her shirt ❤😊