De La Soul made their first appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk in a performance recorded on Monday (3/2) in the nation's capital. The influential group was fronted by Posdnuos and DJ Maseo, performing without David Jolicoeur, akak Trugoy the Dove or Plug Two, who passed away three years ago.
NPR released the mini concert on 3/3, a date fans recognize as De La Soul Day for several reasons.
The trio released their delightful debut LP 3 Feet High And Rising on March 3, 1989. Then 34 years later on March 3, 2023, their first six albums finally became available on music streaming services after everyone's lawyers finally agreed to let all that music reach the people.
The group found several ways to pay tribute to Jolicoeur who died February 12, 2023 at age 54 of congestive heart failure that led to his death.
Perhaps the sweetest way they did it was by placing an NPR nameplate on the tiny desk front and center. Later the two co-founders of the group signed it.
Posdnuos and DJ Maseo handled most of the rhymes and scratching, but as is typical with Tiny Desk, it was the additional musicians who contributed in subtle ways that are often overshadowed in larger venues.
The talented musicians performing with the pair included Daru Jones (drums, music director), Aaron Hardin (keyboards), Ephraim Dorsey (sax), Omari Forman (trumpet), Lelia-Michelle Walker (viola), Yummy Bingham (background vocals), and Gina Loring (background vocals).
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're a new group called De La Soul," DJ Maseo told the audience both at the famous office and those on the Internet viewing and vibing.
Strangely, due to their absence from streaming services for so long, that joke might actually be true for a generation of music lovers whose first taste of the Amityville, NY rappers may have been in 2021 when Marvel used "The Magic Number" as the end credits for Spider-Man 3: No Way Home.
The use of that song for that film was perfect on so many levels and it also heralded a new era where all those positive, upbeat songs had finally been freed from their legal purgatory.
As fantastic and groundbreaking 3 Feet High And Rising is, De La only performed one song from it on Tiny Desk, at the very end when they concluded with "Me Myself and I."
Half of the ten songs the ensemble performed, however, were from De La's new album, Cabin in the Sky.
Two of the numbers got their live debut at the desk, "Sunny Storms" and "Will Be."
Cabin in the Sky, which dropped last November, is the group’s 10th studio album and their first in nine years since And the Anonymous Nobody... (2016). Not only did it get rave reviews, but even fans wondered how it was possible that the outfit was capable of being so consistently fresh and upbeat, despite everything.
De La Soul didn't shy away from mourning their beloved partner, indeed they weaved in previously recorded vocals from him with a result that acts like a continuation of his legacy and a tribute, without losing the wit and musical adventurism that has been at the heart of the group since their inception.
They also filled in the obvious void by having guest appearances from Black Thought, Common, Killer Mike, Nas, and Yukimi of Little Dragon.
On Twitter the hashtag #ThankYouDave has been trending since February as a shout out to the rapper who passed away on 2/12/23.
The group had a short tour recently in Australia where they featured the new wax but also dipped deeper into their debuts than they did on Tiny Desk, while also pulling from their deep and creative catalogue.
Back in the States you may have also seen them appear in cameos with Gorillaz during the UK group's two-night gig at the Hollywood Palladium. (De La are the featured rappers in "Feel Good Inc.")
De La Soul have a few dates on their calendar this year including being part of The Roots Picnic at The Hollywood Bowl on a bill that also includes T.I. and Nas.
Get your tickets on De La Soul's website.
De La Soul 2026 World Tour
3/14 Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg, FL
4/18 Tempe Beach Park, Tempe, AZ
5/01 Tom Lee Park, Memphis, TN
5/24 Art Rock Festival, Saint-Brieuc, France
6/11 Piknik i Parken, Oslo, Norway
6/12 Best Kept Secret Festival, Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands
6/13 Rosendal Garden Party, Stockholm, Sweden
6/27 Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
7/26 Old But Gold Festival, Hamburg, Germany
7/30 Camp Bestival Dorset, Weymouth, United Kingdom
8/01 Old But Gold Festival, Kempttal, Switzerland
10/29 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
