ARTIST: De La Soul
ALBUM: and the Anonymous Nobody…
LABEL: A.O.I. and Kobalt
RELEASE DATE: August 26, 2016
Got Soul?
Written by Silas Valentino
Since the release of their 1989 debut album – the seminal 3 Feet High and Rising – De La Soul have been hip-hop innovators. 3 Feet High is composed of crafty samples from the likes of rock bands, country stars and comedians and cost about $13,000 to create. This was before lawyers and copyright infringements entered the hip-hop game like sharks or sheriffs and if the album were to be released today, it would cost a fortune in royalties. De La Soul not only helped push the boundaries of sampling but became marquee victims to copyright law – ever notice the absence of De La records on streaming sites like Spotify and Apple Music? Recognizing the lay of the land, De La Soul have set out to once again reshape sampling in hip-hop with their latest effort, where essentially the trio ends up sampling themselves.
Working alongside the Los Angeles-based band the Rhythm Roots Allstars, De La Soul recorded hundreds of hours of instrumental samples over a three-year period. They directed the band to play it all from jazz to country-western music. With a honey bucket of (legal) samples to toy with, De La Soul snipped, cropped and configured and the Anonymous Nobody… effectively ending a 12-year drought since their last album, 2004’s The Grind Date. Furthermore, the group took to Kickstarter to raise the $110,000 needed to finance the project and after a successful campaign, they pooled together over $600,000.
Posdnuos, Dave and Maseo are all in check with their clever, play-on wordplay rhymes with socially conscious intent. These three are regal elders of the game and they remind listeners that’s still the case with their album opener “Royalty Capes.” Over a sparse, soul beat peppered with majestic horns, De La take aim at the lazy and unimaginative MCs: “Androids read raps off iPhones/I choke the blood out of felt tips,” states Dave. The following track, lead single “Pain”, immediately recalls the funky sounds De La Soul built their career on with a staccato guitar lick and back-up singers carrying the chorus. Snoop Dogg makes an appearance to highlight adaptations in his own life. “Used to gang bang, used to love the clashes/Now cash is the only motivation, but not for me, G/I’m into public relations,” raps the mogul and effectively sums up the later part of his career.
Snoop isn’t the only guest to be featured; Usher, 2 Chainz, David Byrne, Little Dragon and Damon Albarn make appearances throughout Anonymous Nobody and their assistance is a welcomed contribution. Usher sings the hook on the low-key make-it-in-the-big-city anthem “Greyhounds” while 2 Chainz hops in on “Whoodeeni,” a track that unfortunately sounds like a waterlogged Daft Punk song. No contemporary pop album is complete without a little Little Dragon and the soft song soars with vocals from Yukimi Nagano and a tight bass line courtesy of Kaveh Rastegar. In 2005, De La Soul helped Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz with the megahit “Feel Good Inc.” and the collaboration yields yet another promising moment. “Here in After” winds down the album with falsetto hooks and a guitar lead that grows until it bursts into a euphoric high.
Anonymous Nobody successfully crams in loads of genres and emotions across its 70 minutes. “Lord Intended” glitters with glam while “Snoopies” blends rap with art rock. This cross-pollination of sound tends to payoff throughout the record, even during moments that are more clunky than smooth. With their ninth LP, De La Soul continue to prove that they’re some of the game’s top trailblazers who shine during each moment of innovation.