De La Soul 's Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present... First Serve: First Serve (2xLP)

After hearing the first single 'It Must Be The Music' I was a little sceptical about this LP. After listening to the first half of while talking to friends (I know, not the best way to take in a new LP) I was pretty nonplussed.

So after leaving it on the shelf for another week I picked it up and sat down with the hope of taking it all in. In true De La style, this album delivered! The production from 2 and 4 just sets off what is (if there was one) the LP of the summer!!

This just never stops hitting it's targets - whether it be amusing skits, phat joints or danceable summer jams - First Serve are always on point. I cannot recommend this enough. It's fucking awesome!!! I have had it on constant rotation for the last month or so...

I've added some of my favourite cuts below. Pick this up now!

 

 

De La Soul: Buhloone Mind State (LP & 2xLP)

"Fuck being hard, Posdnuos is complicated!"

It feels like the summer of 96 all over again! Yes I know this was released a year earlier but I slept on this for a good twelve months before I really started to 'get it'. I put this down to all the Soul Assassins, Ice Cube and generally up tempo, aggressive stuff I was listening to at the time - This LP is like a chilled out July afternoon.

Luckily I now have two versions of this on wax, the original UK Big Life edition and a far superior double vinyl bootleg edition (which is what the LP really deserved).

The highlights are many but if I have to pick then the incredible I Be Blowin' featuring Maceo Parker just slays it (as does the vocal version I Am I Be) and the jazzy Patti Dooke (featuring Guru on the hook) really sets the tone for a classic De La LP. Sadly, there last with Prince Paul.