#DeLaSoul’s “STAKES IS HIGH” dropped 30 years ago TODAY 🌱 Today marks 30 years since this landmark album hit on July 2, 1996 and it remains one of the most important and slept-on releases of the 90s. The project was largely self-produced by De La Soul (Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo), with additional production from Skeff Anselm, Spearhead X, J Dilla and others. After the jazz-rap experimentation of their earlier work and the legal battles with their label, they returned with a rawer, more direct, and socially conscious sound. The beats are dusty, sample-heavy, and boom-bap driven. Chopped soul, jazz loops, hard drums, clever scratches, and that unmistakable playful-yet-serious De La vibe. Tracks like the title cut “Stakes Is High,” “The Bizness” (feat. Common), “Itzoweezee (Hot),” and “Dinninit” showcase production that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking. “Stakes Is High” was De La’s statement album. Critiquing the state of Hip Hop, materialism, and the industry while reaffir...