Light-headed after matching business independence to their artistic singularity, the band who revolutionised hip-hop in the late 1980s return with a mixtape-style release that collates new material, a couple of live tracks, an inspired cover version and some out-takes from their supposed heyday. The result is the most enjoyable album they have made in some years.
Part of what makes the mishmash approach so effective is that De La Soul offer wry commentary on the old tracks, distancing themselves from what they clearly feel is a dated style while refocusing attention on the new material. They are at their best when backward- and forward-looking tendencies collide, such as on You Got It, which nimbly re-loops Bobby Byrd's well-used I Know You Got Soul; and Freestyle (Dat Sh*t) 2006, a clever and extraordinarily thorough reworking of a 14-year-old Diamond D track, using the same infectious George Benson guitar sample.
