De La Soul’s tenth studio album is framed around an unfaltering sense of purpose: to honour the memory of founding member David Jolicoeur (aka Trugoy The Dove) following his tragic passing in 2023. Speaking to NME earlier this year, MC Posdnuos recalled being told by Jolicoeur’s family at his funeral: “If y’all stop, Dave stops. We’re not putting necessary pressure on you, but we would love to see y’all continue on.”
The fact that De La haven’t released since Grammy-winning 2016 album ‘And The Anonymous Nobody’ shows they don’t speak unless they have something to say. And with a plethora of complex feelings and experiences around grief, memory and legacy bubbling over the surface, the timing is clearly spot on for this impactful return.
Gathering a dazzling array of talent (including fellow hip-hop legends like Nas, Slick Rick, Q-Tip, Pete Rock, Black Thought, and DJ Premier, all given their props in an extended roll call at the top of the album), Posdnuos and Maseo set out to create an intensely immersive experience. Enhanced by segments of poetry and spoken word, cinematic orchestral arrangements, and a crisp voiceover from actor Giancario Esposito, ‘Cabins In The Sky’ sets out to document the journey of trying to come to terms with the loss of Jolicoeur, while insisting on the departed’s continued influence with hard-hitting lines like “When its Pos and Maseo you see, the magic will always remain three” (‘YUHDONTSTOP’).
Perhaps the most poignant track is ‘Different World’, which features a contribution from poet Gina Loring and some of Pos’ most vulnerable introspection to date. Weaving together internal rhymes with a fluidity that keeps you gripped, he raps: “Hard for me to cry, ‘cause I’m thankful… steering us through right and left turns / What we earn is another angel on our side.”
It’s worth noting that this record isn’t bogged down by grief and nostalgia, but grounded in our current global reality with plenty of fresh, outward-facing reflection. On ‘YUHDONTSTOP’, Posdnuos ruminates “There’s high stakes being played around the world, and it’s understandable to be rooted in the present”, while honestly assessing De La’s place in modern US culture: “Some young ones don’t think we got that edge… Telling us ‘you a pioneer’ means you have American Pie nowhere near you”. ‘A Quick 16 For Mama’, meanwhile, sees the group pay homage to maternal devotion and sacrifice alongside Killer Mike, and ‘Just How It Is’, a nuanced exploration of a woman betrayed by her partner, shows the greater empathy and clarity age has afforded Posdnuos’ expression.
While De La Soul’s social commentary is incisive, at its core this is an album about David Jolicoeur and the space he’s left behind. In examining the impact he had on their personal and creative lives, the group’s surviving members highlight the late rapper’s pivotal role in US hip-hop history, and exemplify why they’re continually hailed as some of the movement’s most treasured voices.
Details
- Record label: Mass Appeal
- Release date: November 21, 2025