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De La, as she’s known among her fans, tried to acquire the streaming service’s early catalog in 2019 and 2021, but the deal fell apart at the last minute. For a group that has always had a special fascination with the number 3, the 3rd time was a real treat. On his March 3rd, which marks his 34th anniversary since the release of his debut album, De La Soul’s complete catalog will hit the streaming service for the first time. The group made the announcement late Tuesday.
Posdnuos or “Pos”53, co-founder of De La Soul, said in an interview with The Washington Post that he and group members Trugoy and Maseo (real names Dave Jolicoeur and Vincent Mason) had a complete archive over the years. He said he wanted to make it available to fans. , but industry forces – ownership of master tapes, clearing of modern decades-old samples, and contract negotiations – have led to repeated setbacks.
“These albums mean everything to us,” said Poss, whose real name is Kelvin Mercer. “Before I could manage the catalog, it was a lot of work, just handle all the business that had to be dealt with, but unfortunately it was handled like it was years ago or decades ago. It may not have been.”
The deal between AOI (the label run by the group’s DJ Maseo) and Reservoir Media, which acquired De La Soul’s back catalog in 2021, marks the first time the group’s first six albums will be available digitally. means to be Only his two latest albums from the group are already on streaming services.
De La Soul never disappeared from the music world. Beyond a devoted fandom, the group has long maintained a prolific touring schedule and a steady stream of new releases in the form of mixtapes, singles, and collaborations with artists such as Gorillaz. De La’s song appears in commercials and video games like FIFA ’10, or in his closing credits for 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.
According to AD Carson, rapper and assistant professor of hip-hop and the Global South, the complete disappearance of all of this from platforms like Spotify and Pandora, as well as digital marketplaces like Apple’s iTunes Store, is driving fans even further. Confused. Virginia.
“De La Soul may be the most prolific example of hypervisible and invisible side by side,” Carson said. Carson, a fan of De La Soul, said that students wanting to study the group’s influence on hip-hop or incorporate their music into their projects could scrounge through YouTube videos or “see his archives.” You often have to “find someone with a ZIP drive,” he said.
Carson also met a group of young students who saw De La Soul as an unknown underground group rather than giants of the genre.
“Visibility is also currency. It doesn’t pay the bills, but it puts you in a position to help do the things that pay the bills,” Carson said. If you can’t, you may deal with consumers who think they don’t exist or aren’t worth paying attention to. .”
Carson said that De La Soul could have remained profitable and in demand despite not entering the digital music market, but that other artists are now in the format that dominates music distribution and revenue. According to a report by the Recording Industry Association of America, digital streaming and digital downloads are a $6.5 billion industry in the United States, with US recorded music revenue increasing last year. It accounts for 87% of the total.
Streaming struggles in the digital age
For some artists, opting out of all or some streaming platforms is a personal preference. The country star Garth Brooks famously avoided streaming his platform for the most part until 2016, when he signed an exclusive deal with Amazon Music (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos called his The Washington Post owned). Other artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell withdrew their catalogs from Spotify last year in protest of the service’s lucrative deal with podcaster Joe Rogan, who has been criticized for COVID-19. Criticized by doctors and scientists for spreading misinformation about vaccines and health during the height of the pandemic. King Crimson leader Robert Fripp has never allowed his band’s music to be streamed in response to criticism that the revenue model exploits artists.
De La Soul’s story is very similar to the late R&B star Aaliyah. Her most popular records and singles (like “One In A Million” and “Aaliyah”) are finally coming to streaming her service in 2021 after a protracted battle with her family. She ran her Blackground Records, The Estate, a label owned by her uncle Aaliyah Masters, who managed her tapes.
De La Soul’s first attempt to enter the streaming market in 2019 comes after protests against a proposed streaming deal signed by their longtime label, Tommy Boy Music, led the group to “disapprove.” After Reservoir acquired the rights to De La Soul’s back catalog from Tommy Boy in 2021, the group again sought more agreeable terms. is ready for its streaming debut under the . Beats and other recordings used in De La Soul compositions.
“Any song that contained a sample and was not addressed while the sample was owned by a previous owner should be examined from the author or publisher who owns the master and put them all on the same page.” I had to put it all together.Hey, can we handle this business and get this done with you?” said Poss.
For a group “presumably in charge of creating sample layers” with the late Biz Markie, it was a tall order. There’s a dizzying array of cross-genre samples, including Bob Dorough’s “Three Is a Magic Number” (made famous by “Schoolhouse Rock!”). “Mary, Mary” by The Monkees. Kraftwerk Trans Europe Express. Spoken word intro from Liberace’s performance.
When De La Soul’s first six albums were released, digital albums and streaming did not exist, and sample clearance deals only covered album distribution and radio play. This meant a large number of lawyers, artists and sample clearing experts had to go back to the person who owned the rights to the original sample and obtain permission.
Pos was surprised to find that most artists and copyright holders were positive and supportive of the group’s efforts. The only “unfortunate problem” he was aware of was just a few of the major songs. A short whistle by Otis Redding on “Sittin’ On The Dock of the Bay” on the track “Eye Know”. ”
“The Reading Estate has taken great care to ensure that the work of fathers and husbands is taken care of, and that whoever samples his music.” Hey, I just want to make sure this is a good one’, they realized that we hadn’t or hadn’t cleared this with them at the time. .”
Ultimately, the group was able to convince the Redding estate that they weren’t trying to do anything behind the scenes, but that the 18- and 19-year-olds who created “Eye Know” in the ’80s As children, they knew nothing. About copyright. They understood the permission, but Poss said they were unsuccessfully trying to convey the information at the time.
“We ended up taking care of them over the phone. They were really beautiful, gracious people to us,” Poss said.
Inheritance to the next generation
With the streaming debut set, the group has plans for some special physical releases — such as a new 7-inch single for “The Magic Number” — and where De La Soul most often connects with many old fans. Continue a tour. do something new.
Often Pos and his group mates look in the crowd and see people their age who have brought their own children to the show. Fans approach them and share their joining the group from his older sisters and uncles.
The biggest gap Pos sees with young fans and technology is how they are perceived and addressed. Children say, “You are Pos! You are De La Soul!”
“Somebody would say, ‘Excuse me, are you Kelvin Mercer?’ And I would laugh, ‘Oh no. Are you the IRS?’ “They want to make sure I’m De La Soul, so I’m showing them my phone, but underneath it’s my real name.”
Whatever changes occur in the industry and technology, Pos said he is confident the group will continue to make and share music for years to come.
“We love doing things with each other, and we equally love our history, our heritage, and what we can see for ourselves for the future,” he said. so as not to hear [but] When it comes to that, 3 is a magic number — as far as we’re concerned.
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