WHEN they formed in Long Island in 1988, De La Soul represented something of a paradigm shift in hip-hop. Their debut album, 3 Feet High And Rising, was a riot of bright, primary colours, ‘Daisy Age’ optimism, lyrics that explicitly pushed against hip-hop’s incipient gangster tendencies and whimsical samples from every area of pop history. It’s why the recent death of senior member David Jolicoeur – aka Trugoy The Dove, or Plug Two – prompted so much reflection from fans around the world.
“I’m still in shock about Dave,” says co-frontman and high school friend Kelvin Mercer (aka Pos, Posdnuos or Plug One). “We knew he had heart problems – that was evident when we toured with Gorillaz – but no-one saw this coming. I’ve done a lot of mourning since his death and eventually your heart gets lighter. Dave lived a life of joy, and he brought so much joy to the world. When we started out, we’d have been happy if our records had just been played by a few New York DJs. The fact that we made it all over the world is amazing to us. Dave touched so many people, and his life was not in vain.”
De La Soul’s recent Royal Albert Hall gig turned into a wake for Jolicoeur. “I loved the energy and the beauty of that show,” says Pos. “It was therapeutic for us and the audience alike. But me and [fellow founding member] Maseo will still be playing live and recording, keeping the spirit alive.” With the band’s catalogue now live across streaming services, Pos looks back across their nine albums, from Daisy Age upstarts to respected elders.
3 FEET HIGH AND RISING
TOMMY BOY, 1989
The birth of the Daisy Age - a neo-psychedelic slice
