De La Soul - Classic or Dud?

It can be ridiculous. There was some show Carol Burnett was in where she needed to clear a Stephen Sondheim song, and she (and Sondheim) thought it would be easy because they were good friends. However it was something Sondheim co-wrote with a now deceased person, and when Sondheim contacted the publisher, they apparently just said "you only own half the rights, we need to talk to the estate of the other writer" etc. Forgot what happened afterwards but long story short, the more approvals you need, the more it sucks.

There was an article on Dylan licensing his music to films (before he sold his catalog) and it was easy - Dylan gets the proposal and either he likes it or doesn't, and he wouldn't price the license out of the film's budget which is why some films with less-than-huge budgets got to use Dylan songs. He was the only guy who had to sign off.

Weird that the lyric video got the Syl Johnson sample wrong, 'shang-a-lang'? With an accent maybe, idk.

sadly the chances that we'll ever see the De La Soul on WKRP in Cincinnati episode are almost nil

I always heard it as "shang a lang" but I never heard the original source until moments ago despite it being sampled to death.

In the video it says "a tri-camaro system is now set", which is kind of amazing, but it made me realize that I don't know what the actual original lyric is. All the online lyrics sites have something like "A tri-camera rolls since our music's now set" listed, but for the last 34 years I thought they were saying "a tricameral system", like three governing bodies.

Re: birdistheword

I thought licensing songs to films was primarily under the purview of most artists themselves and not their publishers. The Beastie Boys were infamous for being very particular about what films they allowed to utilize their songs. David Bowie wanted very large sums of money. He was probably one of the first artists to ask for six figures or more. Kate Bush, conversely, let Keith Gordon use “Running Up That Hill” for $1500 or so for The Chocolate War (1988), and it’s amazingly remained there on every home video release

I thought licensing songs to films was primarily under the purview of most artists themselves and not their publishers.

I think it depends on a few things including, but not limited to, the relationship of the artist to their publisher, and whether or not the artist actually owns and controls their own publishing, and who controls the masters.

In 2011 a TV show wanted to use "Who Are You," but Universal wanted $150,000 -- totaling $300,000, because the same amount has to be paid to both the artist (for the song publishing) and Universal (for rights to the master). But if the show's producers went to Townshend directly, whatever price Townshend set determined the cost. In this instance, Pete watched some episodes of the show, read a synopsis of the episode, and said "How about $7500?" So the show got "Who Are You" for $15,000 which is apparently dirt cheap.

And based on Joe Pera Reads The Church Announcements, I assume a similar deal was struck between that show's producers and Townshend/Universal, because I doubt Joe Pera had a budget approaching six figures for an entire season.

In 2011 a TV show wanted to use "Who Are You," but Universal wanted $150,000 -- totaling $300,000, because the same amount has to be paid to both the artist (for the song publishing) and Universal (for rights to the master). But if the show's producers went to Townshend directly, whatever price Townshend set determined the cost. In this instance, Pete watched some episodes of the show, read a synopsis of the episode, and said "How about $7500?" So the show got "Who Are You" for $15,000 which is apparently dirt cheap.

Was that Louis CK's Louie? Terrible man, but that scene was hilarious.

De La Soul Is Dead reissues (cd, 2lp, cassette) drop April 7.

I only see black vinyl for now, unlike the 5 variations for 3 Feet.

sucks it took so long to get "The Magic Number" up on streaming. It was played over the closing credits of the Spiderman movie in 2021 and those Marvel movies are big awareness drivers for older songs.

rip david "trugoy the dove" jolicoeur.

Is allhiphop.com a reliable outlet? I'm waiting until something I recognize reports it, but this sucks if true.

plug 2. the best ever. rest in power.

Rep has confirmed it, sadly

https://thegrio.com/2023/02/12/breaking-trugoy-founding-member-of-de-la-soul-dead-at-54/

UGH

just as potentially millions of people were FINALLY about to hear this wondrous catalog

fuck

FUCK

;_;

So so sad. I’m sure this will just amplify the hype around the music becoming available, but it’s terrible. Really feel like he had half his career kind of stolen by all the legal hassles.

I did wonder why only Posdnous was in the Grammy thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLCOv1pI89s

I’m so sad about this.

devastating, rip plug 2

devastating, rip plug 2

absolutely gutted by this

Damn, only 54, too. R.I.P to a legend. He was always my favorite

RIP
This really sucks

Didn’t know this:

In recent years, Jolicoeur, had said he was battling congestive heart failure, living with a LifeVest machine affixed to his person.

jeez

Terrible

aw.

RIP

what a huge violent loss, rest in power

rip one the first artists i really got into as a teen music fanatic, alltime fave

One of my first favorite groups. Hope he knew how many people were pulling for them to get their proper recognition.

recall listening to the radio cause they said they were gonna debut the first single off de la soul is dead

Good lord, I expected a revived thread meant further reissue news. How awful. Also: what Chris L said.

i had a huge crush on Trugoy in high school - esp the “Me Myself & I” video.

https://table9mutant.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/img_1258.jpg

He has this great chill vibe in their videos. Like he's having a good time but also thinks it's a little funny that he's making music videos.

Ok, I will.

Was at Reading Festival, and DeLa were on, ahead of James, Carter USM and TheFall. Anyway, Carter were massive this weekend, and the crowd was full of JimBob/JohnBeast types, and everyone up to then was getting the "You Fat Bastard" treatment.

Anyway, it kicks in after three songs with DelaSoul. Trugoy is all "wait what, stop stop.. You Fat what?...."
Of course, crowd goes nuts and yells back louder.
Trugoy: "Oh yeah? Well, you can ALL! KISS! My BIG! BLACK! ASS!!"

Big cheer from crowd, rest of the set continues to be rapturously received, and I dunno someone buys him breakfast probably...

lawl

In recent years, Jolicoeur, had said he was battling congestive heart failure, living with a LifeVest machine affixed to his person.

Diagnosed 2017. They played a bunch of shows in England last year and had 4 booked for April. Were some/all of them living over there? This must have happened sort of quickly? RIP.

feel tha fonk babaaayyy!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loSxT5--6DU

the realest.

this loss is obviously a huge impact for me, but let's not shift focus away the fact that this man dedicated his entire life to his music.

exemplary.

This is crushing.

devastating loss, even more heartbreaking just as De La is poised to come in from the streaming wilderness and finally get their due.

one of the most important groups in hip hop history

What do Pos and Mase do now? Is it all over for them? It is, right?

They were booked to play the Royal Albert Hall in London in April.

I think a preferred Tribe but I loved DLS more, if that makes sense. Maybe I didn't prefer Tribe. Buhloone is one of my favourite albums of all time.

I will also ride for Stakes is High. That tape literally did not leave my car stereo for a whole summer.

I still have a bunch of clips I took from their show at Pier 17 - I was so happy to finally see them live and they lived up to all my expectations. I had no idea he had serious health issues. I can't believe he's gone.

I love Tribe but De La Soul is definitely the more important of the two

Tribe have those elements of volatility and tension / genius that make a better narrative but I can get lost in the soup of De La Soul so much more. So much stirred into the lyrics, always underrated, as well as the sound.

When I was a student trying to teach Italian teens English at a summer school, I played them Say No Go once in a lesson on drugs thinking it'd be a new way to look at the theme. I only properly realised when I had the words up on the board looking at their blank faces, the impossible magnificent density of the language, how the fuck was I going to explain? Um drugs are like pleather mumble mumble moving on.

I hope it's not the end / the concerts could be made some kind of tribute, but that's in vain really. They seemed like a group who really liked each other. Dotting between here and the Yo La Tengo thread I see something similar, a career where being around forever and enjoying each other's company feels like part of the point. Quiet confidence, music as way of life rather than explosion, even if it doesn't make a great story for a doc or a warts and all retrospective. "The business of De La is our friendship," Mase said in an interview I read.

So as everybody has said this feels very cruel now they're about to get their comeback-equivalent hoopla and fuss. At least Dave will have got to see the excitement for the reissues if not the fruits of it.

Can't wait to have a proper copy of Buhloone Mindstate to submerge in when it comes. His verse on Area is my fave, just pure confidence and flute. Life really. RIP.

this is one of the rare things that has been on spotify for a while. stakes is high era. really love his verse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWVq6wOic-g
"i can't call it" (1996)

"if you wanna bug, then do whatcha like. self expression makes it healthy for self, aight?"

Is there a place to buy all the reissues on vinyl at once?