In this very special update of the CRT FRSH playlist, we’re turning our focus on the legendary trio, De La Soul. To honor the Plugs getting their music back onto streaming services, we’re featuring 33 (see what we did there?) tracks from the Long Island legends.
As every other Hip-Hop publication has artfully noted, the release of De La Soul’s in digital and downloadable form comes as fans of the group are still mourning the passing of David Jolicoeur, largely known as Dave and formerly known as Trugoy The Dove. Plug Two, as he was affectionately known, passed on Feb. 12 of this year at the age of 54.
Breaking the wall here a bit, I can tell you as a young man growing up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., having music created by a group that represented all sides of my personality and embodied some of my hopes and dreams was so instrumental in my development as a person. De La Soul made it cool to be a little left of center, and also be prepared to handle one’s self if needed as the crew told us on the track “Area” from Buhloone Mindstate.
While some might consider Posdonous the best rapper in the group, Plug Two was always my favorite within the rapping portion of De La Soul for reasons far too music nerdy to share here. All I’ll add to this is that a random encounter with Dave some years ago inside Reagan National Airport was a beautiful moment I’ll never forget. Truly a humble giant. May he rest in powerful peace.
CRT FRSH is largely about celebrating the up-and-coming acts in the wide world of Hip-Hop but we thought it best to shift gears and turn our collective attention on the magnificent discography of De La Soul and how much they’ve impacted the culture of Hip-Hop over the past three decades.
The De La Soul edition of the CRT FRSH playlist can be found below.
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Photo: Getty