10 Best Hip-Hop Albums Of The 1980s - Ranked
4. De La Soul - 3 Feet High And Rising
Coming out of left field, it is the soulful but intellectually playful trio of MC's that formed together to start the iconic De La Soul that would provide an album to make waves for generation. The group would go on to be the influence for an entire generation looking to find chill vibes through informative dialogue and removing expectations of arrangements and rules, throwing the book of hip-hop standards out the window.
Credited as the first concept hip-hop album, 3 Feet High and Rising is the precursor to artists like Gorillaz, Chance, The Rapper, Childish Gambino, and N.E.R.D., all looking to create a truly unique voice of their own.
The single off this album; "Me, Myself, and I", is a vibrant venture into hip-hop, using funky bass-lines and dance-drum kits along with the sample from Funkadelic's "(Not Just) Knee Deep" provide a perfect backing track for the catchy-delivery of Posdnous, Maseo and Dave's politically charged lyrics that aim to combat the stereotypes of African-American culture.
The intelligence of the group shines through their ability to take their perspectives and translate them to musical arrangements, such as tracks like "Take it Off" and "The Magic Number", where their rapping abilities are taken to the extreme with speedy delivery to go with preaching lyrics of finding self-appreciation.
This album holds a special place in hip-hop history, and was the most remarkable hip-hop album of it's time.