Buhloone Mind State

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I didn’t like the album because I think we were just a little too creative. And to me, you should never use the phrase ‘too creative’. But I think we took it a little too far. You know I think there was a big influence on us at the time from groups we were hanging out with. Like Tribe and so many others on the Jazz tip. I just felt it went a little to the left or who we were as people and what we were accustomed to at the time. Like some of the songs personally didn’t want to do. “Patti Dooke” [and] “Area Codes” I didn’t want to do. Christgau, Robert (March 1, 1994). "Pazz & Jop 1993: Dean's List". The Village Voice . Retrieved June 23, 2020. De La Soul’s third album, Buhloone Mindstate, was released in 1993 as the follow-up to their critically acclaimed sophomore album De La Soul is Dead. It also became their last album to feature production from Prince Paul. The “buhloone mindstate” refers to the concept that their music “might blow up but it won’t go pop.” We went to Japan and experienced hip-hop that we could not understand one bit, but felt a flow, felt something that made us feel like, 'Wow! These guys are amazing!' " says Trugoy. "Not knowing what they were saying, what they were talking about, but you felt the energy and you felt that they had it." I Am I Be (feat. Chip Fu, Dres, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, ..., Pee Wee Ellis and Busta Rhymes)|5:03 4.75 - 5

There are also fewer skits, and with fewer skits comes less humor. However, you do get Prince Paul and Dove leaving funny messages on Pos’ answering machine and the occasional curveball that was the group’s hallmark. A brief appearance by Japanese emcees Scha Dara Parr comes out of left field towards Buhloone’s halfway mark, but it is still in keeping with De La’s spirit. Despite its inextricable shortcomings, the efforts of De La Soul result in Buhloone’s status as their tightest, strangest and, ironically, most proudly individualistic album. Even as its prioritisation of collective expression failed to incorporate the unseen audience and resulted in a project not half as lauded as its predecessors, its bravely-flown colours and rarefied twists of self-expression have made it an essential puzzle-piece in De La’s legacy. Thirty years on, it’s still worth uncovering. POS: It’s like Biggie’s “One More Chance.” The original is not the one. You think of “One More Chance” you think of the remix. “Buddy” is the same. People don't think of the album version, but Mase was just describing the magic rhyming over that Commodores sample [on the album version of “Buddy”]. People don't think of that. They think of the “ Heartbeat” version. De La Soul Is Dead

Track listing

Buhloone Mindstate was an album we made when we were comfortable with where we were as De La Soul, knowing that even though a lot of groups around us were doing things they didn’t want to do, we felt confident knowing we weren’t going to change for anyone. … It was just a really relaxed album, a really mellow album, and that’s where we were. Meanwhile, Dove waxes philosophical about the need to stay positive in an increasingly negative environment, dodging obstacles that present themselves. “I choose to run from the rays of the burning sun,” he raps. “And dodge a needle washing up upon a sandy shore / I bring the element H with the 2 / So ya owe [O] me what’s coming when I’m raining on your new parade.” Lyrically, Trugoy and Pos retain their obsession with inside jokes, clever turns of phrase and witty double-speak. The flow has improved since the funky-but-silly debut, with almost every line cryptically hinting at double and triple meanings, and deeper symbologies. In addition, their voices more and more take on the jazzy inflections of scat masters to perfectly sell those coy rhyme couplets. The result is lyrics both instantly enjoyable and endlessly intriguing, delivered in voices skillfully used like instruments. Johnson, Brett (November 1993). "De La Soul: Buhloone Mindstate". The Source. No.50. New York. p.75 . Retrieved June 13, 2012. Now, decades since its release, Buhloone Mindstate maintains a profound relevance, its themes of individuality and authenticity resonating with new generations. In an industry often criticized for commodifying creativity, De La Soul's work is a bulwark against such trends, a testament to the group's vision of hip-hop as an art form, not just a commercial enterprise. The album's anniversary is a moment to reflect on its legacy—a legacy that has not bloated with time but rather has matured, expanding the boundaries of musical innovation and integrity in ways that continue to inspire and influence.

For all the talk of how De La coded their speak in abstract sensibilities, the group has always worn its heart on its sleeve. Pos and Dove have never been shy about expressing their feelings, you just may need to decipher their rhymes to fully appreciate them. And after 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul had a lot of animosity towards the major label machine. Jones, Alan (September 25, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums" (PDF). Music Week. p.17 . Retrieved February 1, 2023. Musically, Buhloone Mind State raises the stakes; it gets to something rap seldom achieves — a truly gorgeous groove."On both the production and writing side, Buhloone Mindstate shows creative leaps for De La Soul and Prince Paul. On one hand, you have the mystifying saxophone work of Parker to bring the textures of live instrumentation to the otherworldly sample work of the group’s signature sound. The album’s loose feel comes from the jazz influence, by allowing their love of the genre to be the centerpiece of the work they were able to find a new side of their creativity and welcome in guests like Japanese rappers Scha Dara Parr and Takagi Kan. On the other hand, the trio has never written better. For the first time in their careers, you can hear them get personal on “Long Island Wildin’” and pen some of the most potent verses of their career on “Area”. The latter features a vocal appearance from De La member Maseo, whose vocals were noticeably sparse on the album. In other words, Buhloone Mindstate was a slow-burner. "It's just like an incense that burns slowly," says Pos, "and even after it's finished burning, the smell and what it has left is still there, as opposed to something that's coming in and blowing up, and then when it blows up, it's kind of over." Mase and Pos may be feel differently, but to me that was an album I didn’t personally enjoy recording. I can’t even say so much the music, I just didn’t enjoy recording at the time. But from what I hear, you know a lot of De La fans feel that is their favourite album. That’s the album feel most comfortable with, so I’m happy to feel to and to know even during the time of disliking or not even feeling comfortable of what I was doing, I still put my best work into it, so it’s cool.

All that said, just because an album isn’t “happy,” doesn’t mean it isn’t great, and Buhloone Mindstate truthfully ranks in the top three of De La Soul’s albums and is still underappreciated by far too many. Keller, Martin (October 10, 1993). "De La Soul, 'Buhloone Mind State' (Tommy Boy)". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018 . Retrieved April 8, 2017. POS: Shortie was just like our little baby sister—hanging around and doing the parts she needed to do. On “En Focus,” it was her just talking. And, you know, she toured with us. At that point she had started becoming like family. The old saying goes that success is a journey, not a destination. And in that sense, few artists have committed the undertaking of this journey like De La Soul, one of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time, if not the greatest. Bursting onto the scene as fresh-faced and naïve kids living in Long Island, New York, they found success and acceptance in the hip-hop world largely by being their quirky selves. But even being true to yourself on record can be draining, and by Buhloone Mindstate, their third album, released 30 years ago, the successful journey was grinding De La Soul down. Working with Maceo was amazing. We always considered ourselves students of music, no matter how well known our songs got. To get to work with someone like that who we respected so much, and to hear what he’s gone through in music was a blessing. It was incredibly valuable from a musician’s standpoint to see how a guy like Maceo vibed just like me, Dave and Q-Tip. We saw how masterful they were from an instrumental standpoint, and we ended up getting it all on video, Fred Wesley playing the trumpet, and Maceo on sax, and us, pulling out the pen and writing.Christgau, Robert (2000). "De La Soul: Buhloone Mindstate". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-24560-2 . Retrieved September 1, 2011.