Artist: De La Soul Album: The Grind Date

Year: 2004
Duration: 51:55

The Grind Date: A Critical Review of De La Soul's Hip-Hop Masterpiece

De La Soul is one of the most influential hip hop groups to ever grace the airwaves. Their music is a combination of jazz-funk, soul, and old-school rap that puts together a unique sound that has kept their fans coming back for more. Among their many albums, The Grind Date is considered one of their best works. This album deserves a critical review, and that's what we'll do in this blog post. In this post, we'll explore the history of De La Soul, the music genre of the album, the best songs of the album, the most innovative parts, and a critique of the album. Let's dive in!

History of De La Soul:

De La Soul, a hip-hop trio from Long Island, New York, formed in 1987 with members: Posdnuos (Kelvin Mercer), Trugoy the Dove (David Jude Joliceur) and Maseo (Vincent Mason). The group’s success was due to their creative lyrics, distinct beats and contributions to the world of sampling, as well as their contribution to alternative hip-hop. The trio released numerous successful albums, including Three Feet High and Rising, De La Soul is Dead, and Stakes is High. De La Soul’s impact on Hip Hop is undeniable and their influence still echoes through the modern music scene.

Music Genre of the Album:

The Grind Date, released in October 2004, found De La Soul evolving from their jazz-rap beat. This time they teamed up with different producers which flavored their sound, making use of beats and features from the likes of Madlib, MF DOOM, J Dilla, 9th Wonder, Danger Mouse, and Dave West. The Grind Date also incorporates elements of soul, funk, rock, and reggae. The sound is a bit rawer, with fewer samples and more emphasis on live instrumentation. Instead of trying to maintain their signature style for this album, they challenged themselves to make something different, which is precisely why the album is an amazing work of art.

Best Songs of the Album:

The album is a complete work of art, but some songs stand out. Verbal Clap is just one of the many tracks that blow your mind. The song is produced by J Dilla, with a bass-heavy beat and posdnous’s sharp delivery. Other standout tracks include The Grind Date, Shopping Bags (She Got from You), and Rock Co.Kane Flow,” featuring MF DOOM. The album's intro, The Future, sets the tone for the album. It’s a lush soundscape of lush strings and horns that announce a new direction and the band’s complete focus on the future.

Most Innovative Parts:

Most Innovative Parts:

The album is full of innovative moments. For example, in Rock Co.Kane Flow, MF DOOM and De La Soul turn the beat on its head several times throughout the song. They also added sound bites at the beginning of each track to give them an interesting connection to one another. Another innovative move was the use of alternative collaborators that added a new flavor to the sound of the group, which they hadn't experimented with before.

Critique of the Album:

Most fans of De La Soul’s music regard The Grind Date as a critically acclaimed album. Although it’s not perfect or universally loved, it’s still an incredible hip-hop album with a high level of creativity and great guest contributions. One of the criticisms of the album is it is quite short, leaving listeners feeling unsatisfied. But that's only a minor flaw compared to the fantastic sounds and thoughtful writing throughout the album.

De La Soul's The Grind Date is truly one of the best hip hop albums every created. The mixture of different producers and the addition of alternative collaborators make this album sound like nothing else, a classic album. The album’s ten tracks are diverse, engaging, and full of the signature sounds that De La Soul brought to the music scene. So, if you're a lover of Hip Hop, De La Soul, or good music in general, The Grind Date should be on your list.