The Grind Date
Not only does De La Soul reach a milestone by releasing their seventh studio album, butThe Grind Dateis their most consistent, cohesive effort since 1996'sStakes Is High. For starters, the team of Supa Dave West, Jay Dee,Madlib, 9th Wonder, and Jake One create a gorgeous collection of tracks for them, ranging from the stirring soulfulness of "The Grind Date" and "Church" to the twitching tenseness of "Rock Co.Kane Flow" and the unabashed funky party on "Verbal Clap." Neither superficially commercial nor stubbornly underground,The Grind Datesounds as though De La have retuned to their own wavelength: provocative lyricism that's forward-thinking without sounding preachy, positive without sounding naïve. While so many of their peers have fallen by the wayside, Posdnuos, Dave (f.k.a. Trugoy), and Mase sound more robust than ever, joined by guests from the underground (MF Doom) and the middle ground (Common). Fifteen years after their head-turning debut3 Feet High and Rising, De La show renewed life and vigor.--Oliver Wang