De La Soul – "3 Feet High and Rising" (2LP, 180g), Yellow Vinyl

De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising (2LP, Yellow Vinyl, 180g)

Hip-hop didn’t have to sound like one thing—and 3 Feet High and Rising made that clear very early.

Released in 1989, this record broke away from the hard-edge that was starting to take over and went somewhere completely different. Playful, layered, and unpredictable, it leans on dense sampling, skits, and ideas that felt closer to a musical collage rather than a traditional rap album at the time.

With Prince Paul behind the boards, the production pulls from everywhere—funk, soul, rock, even game show snippets—and somehow holds together as a full statement. Tracks like “The Magic Number,” “Eye Know,” and “Me Myself and I” gave the record reach, but the full album is where it really opens things up.

This is also where that "alternative" hip-hop lane really starts to take shape—right alongside movements that would later connect to groups like A Tribe Called Quest. It’s creative without losing structure, and experimental without drifting too far-off.

This 2023 pressing brings it back the right way—double LP, 180g yellow vinyl, clean and full, letting all those layers breathe the way they are supposed to.

Why this belongs in your collection:
Because this expanded what hip-hop could be—and you can still hear that shift.

Tracklist:

Side A

1. Intro
2. The Magic Number
3. Change in Speak
4. Cool Breeze on the Rocks (The Melted Version)
5. Can U Keep a Secret
6. Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin’s Revenge)
7. Ghetto Thang

Side B
8. Transmitting Live from Mars
9. Eye Know
10. Take It Off
11. A Little Bit of Soap
12. Tread Water
13. Potholes in My Lawn

Side C
14. Say No Go
15. Do As De La Does
16. Plug Tunin’ (Last Chance to Comprehend)
17. De La Orgee
18. Buddy (feat. Jungle Brothers & Q-Tip)

Side D
19. Description
20. Me Myself and I
21. This Is a Recording 4 Living in a Full Time Era (L.I.F.E.)
22. I Can Do Anything (Delacratic)
23. D.A.I.S.Y. Age