Conversation so far:
What happened in the early period?
De La Soul's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, released in 1989, was a critical smash hit in the hip hop genre.
How was the album received?
was a critical smash hit in the hip hop genre.
What else did they do at that time?
However, the sixties pop group The Turtles sued De La Soul for using a sample from their 1969 hit "You Showed Me.
Did The Turtles win the law suit?
", despite the fact that The Turtles did not actually write the original song.
What else happened with The Turtles?
CANNOTANSWER.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
Lyrically, much of 3 Feet High and Rising focused on striving for peace and harmony.
Was the album well received?
As a result, audiences were quick to peg the members of De La Soul as hippies.

Question: Why did they say that?
Self-contained rewrite: Why did the audiences view De La Soul as hippies?