This is a great book for both fans and people who know nothing about the group. I am one of the people who only know of them in passing but this was a good deep dive into the history of the band. From the creation of the band, their message, their highs and their lows, this book covers it all. I definitely stopped throughout the reading to check out their catalog.

I wanted to like this book, but it just didn't capture my interest.

That's nothing against the author. I will certainly be on the lookout for his next one!

Much gratitude to Dey Street Books and Netgalley for making Marcus J. Moore’s book about De La Soul, High and Rising: A Book about De La Soul available for preview. I was so excited to learn about this book since 3 Feet High and Rising was one of the first cassettes I bought with my own earned money (I also got It Takes a Nation of Millions and The Great Adventures of Slick Rick—De La was the only non-Def Jam album I had). So like Marcus Moore, the author, I also have a kind of personal connection to the band that spanned much of my life, so I really enjoyed this book on several different levels. One of the best aspects about Moore’s book is that it accomplishes many of the best elements of music writing and specifically books about a band’s discography and history. Moore’s writing provides a history of De La Soul, how they came together in Amityville, NY in the 80s. Furthermore, as a hip-hop band who pursued their own path of artistry and really developed their own kind of style and lingo that eventually became the Native Tongues, I really appreciated the kind of contextual analysis that Moore provides, situating De La’s music as both a descendent of the NY rhymes, but also just some guys in high school “buggin out” and having fun with music. Moore provides a nice, concise history lesson in NY hip hop to help readers understand the scene and how De La emerged in such a unique and different way. In recently reading S F Fernando Jr’s The Chronicles of DOOM, I felt like De La’s origin story is somewhat similar, and less tragic, to DOOM’s story in developing his skills and honing his musical talents in Long Island, right outside of NYC. Regardless, it was fun to learn about De La’s development, especially since 3 Feet High and Rising has such a special place in my musical development. To me, the album was always so joyful and fun. Their rhymes were funny, their music on this album was upbeat, and the fact that there were so many recognizable samples made them album so unique—that they were able to repurpose so many great songs and imagine music in such a different way, I always appreciated that about their work. Moore spends most of the book on De La’s first 4 albums, and I would say that the first 2—3 Feet and De La Soul is Dead are where the most detailed reporting and analysis are spent. Since these are probably the best known albums from De La, it makes sense. Moore’s detailed reporting, without the input of any of the members, also helped me learn a lot about their process, but more importantly, about the struggles and challenges they faced as hip hop artists who kind of challenged a lot of the more popular stereotypes and trends in hip hop. As Moore makes it clear, the band weren’t really into “blunts…Versace glasses,…slang…half-ass awards shows” (from “Stakes is High”). They really wanted to keep it real and keep their artistic vision true to themselves. Moore details what touring was like for them, and how that was part of the way they made revenue. In the 1990s, hip-hop artists didn’t really get brand deals, except maybe if they wanted to sell Malt Liquor, and with the exception of rappers like Will Smith or LL Cool J, there weren’t many roles for rappers on television or in movies. In some ways, I can understand how touring and making records was one of the only ways to keep revenue coming in, but as Moore also details, the terms of their Tommy Boy contract were not always artist friendly, and with 3 Feet’s extensive sampling, it caused some problems with compensating artists they sampled.

Moore’s book is comprehensive in that he covers De La’s entire discography, and he does spend some time on two other favorites of mine 1993’s Buhloone Mindstate and Stakes is High, from 1996. Like Moore, I also have personal connections with these albums—thinking about how Buhloone Mindstate came out when I had my first car, and it was another cassette that I often played while driving around with like nothing to do. I loved the sample from “Ego Trippin’” and “Break of Dawn”—both songs were kind of like at opposite ends of the spectrum—one the kind of bitter diss track that De La mastered in dismantling fake MCs, the other a kind of chill track. Stakes is High came out when I started college, and I remember listening to it a lot during my first year. I also got to see and meet De La on their tour. Somehow, my friend booked them at his university, and I ended up on their bus, totally geeking out about meeting them. It was exciting for me, but I can see from Moore’s writing how my references to 3 Feet High might have not been exactly what they wanted to hear at the time. I honestly was so excited to meet them, my mind went blank. But it was definitely a high point.
Moore’s later chapters detailing some of De La’s later work are not as detailed as the earlier ones. However, I loved how each chapter has both historical and technical details in the album’s creations, as well as Moore’s own personal reflections on the albums. I’m a little older than him, but I can appreciate how I kind of grew up with De La as well, and listened to them a lot through my early adolescence, through high school, and continue to listen to them. However, I loved reading about how De La taught Moore about just being himself, and that it was ok to be a young black man who just wanted to listen to music or do his own thing. That he didn’t need to flex hard or pose tough. De La meant much more to him, and served as a kind of role model. In fact, when Stakes came out, I didn’t have cable, so I missed the videos from that album. I was glad that Moore dissected them because I went back and watched those videos, and I loved it. Dave is just doing laundry, and Moore has this great analysis that he revisits later in showing how De La were just normal guys with exquisite rap skills, but still could just rap about everyday events and find such joy and artistry in these kinds of everyday activities. It was something that I never really considered before about their music, and how revolutionary and different it was. Moore’s writing made me appreciate them that much more. I also didn’t know about their names and that Trugoy, or Dave’s name, is really Yogurt backwards and that Posdnous is sound sop backwards as well. That was a fact that was really interesting to me. What I most loved about this book though was how Moore framed the book with De La’s first concert after Dave’s death, and then ended with a letter to Dave (and his recently deceased Mom), sharing how De La has made him who he is. I was really surprised and sad about Dave’s death, but Moore also talks about that kind of mortality that Black men, especially Black rappers, actors, and others in the entertainment field, often face, dying earlier from diseases and other factors that don’t seem to affect white people in the same way. It’s definitely something I’ve thought about after Guru died, and something I’ve noticed as with other rappers who have recently transitioned as well. Nevertheless, Moore’s book about De La was so much more than just a book about a band. It’s also a personal reflection about how music, especially music we grow up with, stays with us and shapes us throughout some of our formative years. This aspect makes his book stand out among other books about music. I hope he continues to write more books about artists, preferably about those he’s been influenced by. I will look forward to reading them.

If you’ve ever had “Me, Myself and I” on repeat or been mesmerized by De La Soul’s trailblazing vibe, *High and Rising* is a must-read. This vibrant cultural biography dives into the trio’s groundbreaking journey, from their psychedelic debut to battles with a changing music industry. With heartfelt storytelling, Marcus J. Moore weaves De La’s impact on hip-hop with his personal connection to their music. It’s a love letter to a group that didn’t just make history—they became it. A powerful tribute for fans old and new!

What a great look at De La Soul. Normally I want music book authors to keep their personal lives out of the narrative, but Moore had such an open-hearted was of showing how music connects to listeners that I was riveted. The loving, evenhanded, intellectual and inventive book that De La Soul deserves.

Let me begin by saying RIP to my favorite member of De La, David Jolicoeur, aka Dave, aka Plug 2, aka Trugoy The Dove. The hip-hop world lost a real one. His presence and unique style shaped not just De La Soul but the entire landscape of hip-hop.

As a dedicated De La supporter, I was thrilled to see this book. I didn’t know much about the group beyond their music and was eager to dive into their story and the journey that brought them to iconic status. This book offers a fresh perspective on the group, giving us glimpses into their creative process, the challenges they faced, and their remarkable impact on music culture.

Every recording artist should hope to have a fan as loyal and dedicated as Marcus Moore. Marcus penned this book out of a deep reverence for De La Soul, and I see it as a comprehensive love letter of sorts. His admiration is evident on every page, and his research and personal reflections reveal just how important De La’s influence has been on the hip-hop scene.

Some chapters were more engaging than others. While I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the book, by the middle, it sometimes felt like I was reading an extended magazine article. I found myself wishing for a deeper dive during those sections.

My favorite part of the book was the final chapter. In it, Marcus begins with a letter to Dave, and he closes with heartfelt letters to his mother and his aunt, both of whom have also passed away. This chapter brought a deeply personal touch to the book, connecting Marcus’s own story with that of De La’s, which made for a powerful, emotional ending.

Overall, High and Rising is a thoughtful tribute, capturing both De La Soul’s legacy and the personal connections that fans like Marcus feel with their music. It’s a must-read for any fan of De La Soul, and it’s a reminder of the lasting impact that music can have on our lives.

Enormous thanks to #netgalley, #deystreetbooks, & #marcusjmoore for the opportunity to read this well-researched and heartfelt tribute to a legendary hip-hop group -- De La Soul.

Pos, Dave, and Mase have been a big part of the soundtrack to my own life since the very early '90s. Being a little bit older than the author, it was cool to hear his personal experience compared with my own. He was introduced to a variety of music via family members (his cousin, I believe, intro'd De La) and he described being immediately drawn to the band's unique style and vibe and to the inherent joy they exhibited through their music and visual presentation. I was very interested in the historical background of the band (including each of its members) as well as detailed information on each of the albums and its cultural significance at the time and later through the years. Though the band peaked and ebbed, the author did a great job showing how they stayed relevant as new "genres" arrived and departed within the music scene -- the rivalries that developed and the impact of corporate greed and power on the success (or stifling) of music and artists.

De La Soul (and references to their predecessors like The Jungle Brothers and later collective The Native Tongues) brought back the most incredible memories of unique and joyful times in my own college life. Seeing De La and Tribe and others at live shows and festivals. The energy and feelings of being lifted in those moments and the contagiousness of being with like-minded people -- singing, dancing, living out loud.

By opening the book with the Webster Hall event celebrating De La in 2023 (following the loss of Dave 'Trugoy the Dove' Jolicoeur from congestive heart failure) and then closing with the same even, the author bookends the entirety of the band's history and impact on the pages in between. In a true flashback-style, starting from the roots of De La Soul's formation, Moore then ends, again, at the disorganized and lively tribute -- poignant in the awareness of Dave's absence and the fact that he never got to celebrate the "release" of their music by a new label.

Finally, the epilog that Mr. Moore writes specifically to Dave, and to his mother (who passed six months later) and his Aunt Claudette -- people who shaped his life in so many positive ways, including a love of music and laughter, was a personal and heartfelt method of tying everything together and really driving home the purpose of the "High and Rising" book and the way these important players shaped the author into the person he has become. So glad I got an opportunity to read and review this one and I'm really looking forward to the audiobook version (which was not available by request on Net Galley earlier this year).

Dey Street Books provided an early galley for review.

I have been a fan of De La Soul from that very first album. As talked about in the book, I remember the time in 2014 when the band made all of their music to date available for free to download (I was one a many who added their digital offers to my own library that day). So, a biography of this important yet often forgotten hip-hop group was a must-read for me.

Moore does a very thorough job covering each of the De La albums, going into detail about the lyrics and production as well as filling in behind the scenes meanings and intentions. His sources for the band and their producers come from the public record (interviews and such). He also puts the records in context of the times when released, adding details about other hip-hop records that would have shared the same retail shelf space as the De La albums.

Since Moore did not speak directly to the band, the "personal" touchpoints of the book mostly come from the author's own insights: how the music made him feel, where he was in life when the albums came into it, etc. As an older reader with a wide curiosity of the human experience, this landed fine for me. Other readers might find the lack of first-hand memories from the group to be a point of lacking.

***A big thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this upcoming book***
De La Soul is truly a one of a kind group that had a huge impact on hip hop, music and popular culture in general. I always liked them but knew their music was special when my son requested that we download their song "Eye Know" because it was featured in the latest Ninja Turtles movie and played it non-stop after seeing it in theaters.

This is a beautifully written, heartfelt love letter to De La written by someone whose life was truly touched by their music. It is mostly written using the author's insights and personal experiences with the occasional direct quote pulled from past interviews with members of the group. It covers the group from its inception all the way up to present day. My only gripe is that the some of the praise that the author heaps onto the group is repetitive and drags on a bit. It did not take away from my experience and I highly recommend this book to all fans of De La, hip hop or just music in general!
**** 1/2 stars

I will be very honest. I never knew who De La Soul was. My father always played 90s rap around me when I was growing up but I never heard their songs. But it was nice to learn that their kind of group existed and their music and personalities was something that was able to coexist amongst the popular vulgar type of sounds that was out during their time. It just goes to show that you can do what makes you happy and not what's trending because you never know who is going to come across it. Representation is key and people need to see that there are people in the world who are just like them, regardless of their line of work.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of High & Rising by Marcus J. Moore.

I grew up in a Bay Area suburb full of affluent adults who were convinced by Tipper Gore that rap was a hateful, corrupting force. But when I was at a friend's and "Me Myself and I" music video was dominating Yo MTV Raps - all my pre-teen self felt through that television screen was pure joy.

The author of High & Rising does a wonderful job of capturing that feeling. De La Soul took scraps and loops of sampled music, sewed them together in an epic quilt, and laid lyrics on top that were by turns funny, outrageous, silly, sarcastic, and solemn. Now that life has been dramatically improved with the availability of Three Feet High & Rising on streaming platforms, I had to read Moore's book to get a deeper understanding of the group.

Moore does his level best here but the work suffers from little-to-no input from members of De La Soul. My impression is that the three members of the group, along with legendary producer Prince Paul, didn't want to go on the record. So Moore has to veer into some creative flights of fancy and elaborate musings on the importance of De La Soul, what their music has meant to generations of hip hop heads, and how they've influenced The Culture.

Ultimately, a decent read and informative on the topic but lacks insight into the inner psychology of the group.

In the past, there is an era where hip-hop really really viral. High and Rising is a stunning cultural biography of De La Soul, the era-defining hip-hop trio that touched millions of lives and changed rap forever.