Buhloone Mind State

De La Soul鈥檚 first two albums ??3 Feet High And Rising and De La Soul Is Dead ??were masterpieces in form and execution; the storytelling was inventive and the sampling by producer Prince Paul created the gold standard of an artform. The group鈥檚 third LP, Buhloone Mind State, with its jazzier palette and subtle emphasis on the groove, has ended up an unduly underrated gem not only De La鈥檚 catalog, but in the story of ??0s rap in general. It鈥檚 soulful, features biting critiques of the other rap music of the time (鈥淓go Trippin (Part Two)?? and collaborations with jazz greats like Maceo Parker, and is a testament to the lyrical greatness and vocal interplay of Posdnuos, Dave and Maseo. No self-respecting rap fan鈥檚 collection is complete without it.