De La Soul’s Beloved Albums Are Finally Streaming

After years of long hold-ups and legal disagreements, De La Soul’s brochure is finally offered on streaming services. The bittersweet return follows the death of David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur at age 54 in February.

De La Soul’s back brochure had actually been stuck in digital purgatory for many years thanks to different concerns consisting of the myriad of uncleared samples that specified the noise of De La Soul’s traditional records, however made them a legal minefield when it concerned making them offered online. In 2014, De La Soul chose to bypass main channels and made their music available for free for a short amount of time.

The rights to the band’s brochure were likewise stymied in significant label bureaucracy from their time at Warner Bros. Records. In 2019, that appeared to get removed when De La Soul’s initial label, Tommy Boy, gained back control of the trio’s brochure — however bothered settlements over the streaming rights resulted in a rift with Tommy Boy prior to any music was launched online.

After a two-year fight with Tommy Boy Records, music rights business Reservoir Media gotten Tommy Boy in June 2021, and ultimately, De La Soul recovered their masters the following August.

Surviving memebers Maseo and Posdnuos paid tribute to Trugoy in sincere letters published to social networks. “I remember your mama calling you Dove, so you’ve constantly had wings, so go on and fly into the light,” Maseo composed. “Merce and I will ensure your tradition is well protected.”

De La Soul’s 1989 launching 3 Feet High and Rising, 1991’s De La Soul Is Dead, 1993’s Buhloone Mindstate, 1996’s Stakes Is High, 2000’s Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, and 2001’s AOI: The Bionix are now offered on streaming services.