Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump

The four years De La Soul took off between Stakes Is High and 2000’s Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump featured more than one tectonic shift in rap’s sound and vision—Puff Daddy’s shiny suits, No Limit and Cash Money Records’ explosive bass, multi-platinum JAŸ-Z and Outkast albums, and a shadow economy of the indie rap De La paved the way for. They returned once again as square pegs, this time sailing a lush funk ship, mostly self-produced and anchored with soulful choruses—including one from Chaka Khan. With beats that have the rickety quality of contemporaries like J Dilla and Madlib (who each provide one—“Thru Ya City” and “My Writes,” respectively), De La proved they have one of rap’s best long games: “While you fools claim corners, we gon’ claim theories/Y’all some stickball n****s, we the World Series,” raps Trugoy the Dove on “Foolin’.”