What is the best De La Soul album of all time?

De La Soul spent decades proving hip-hop could be playful, poetic, and experimental all at once — from their sample-heavy daisy age debut to raw independent efforts and a long-awaited comeback. Cast your vote.

1

3 Feet High and Rising

The 1989 debut pioneering sample-heavy daisy age hip-hop with playful, genre-bending creativity that rewrote the rules.

2

De La Soul Is Dead

The 1991 second album that deliberately subverted their hippie image by deconstructing their own mythology.

3

Buhloone Mindstate

The 1993 jazz-influenced album featuring guest appearances from Maceo Parker and elements of Japanese hip-hop.

4

Stakes Is High

The 1996 album critiquing the commercialization of hip-hop with Q-Tip producing the title track.

5

Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump

The 2000 album marking their transition to a harder sound with guest appearances from Redman and LL Cool J.

6

AOI: Bionix

The 2001 follow-up blending alternative hip-hop with electronica and a more introspective lyrical approach.

7

The Grind Date

The 2004 independent album showing a return to raw lyricism with production from Just Blaze and 9th Wonder.

8

And the Anonymous Nobody...

The 2016 album recorded using live session recordings, featuring Estelle, Little Dragon, and Damon Albarn.