De La Soul talks gaining new fans with upcoming music release on streaming services

Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on January 4, 2023

After decades of waiting, De La Soul fans will be able to access the group’s first six albums on streaming services in March. The release of those projects on digital platforms will also introduce De La Soul’s discography to a whole new set of people — “something that we appreciate and want to happen,” the group tells Billboard.

“It isn’t really about, ‘We got to do something for these people who’ve never heard our music,’ it’s just that the exposure could open so much more,” they explained when asked if it’s important for them to gain new fans. “We want people to hear it, and maybe run off and do something amazing that’ll impress us, and it keeps going back and forth.”

“We’ve always talked about the lopsided aspect of hip-hop,” they continued. “I think hip-hop has a sound right now that needs balancing. It’s important to us that we create balance and pull people in and make this thing bigger and better. And if our music can be a part of that, then yeah, we’re trying to do that.”

De La Soul debuted in the late 1980s and has over 30 years in the hip-hop industry. They believe there’s more work to be done when it comes to respecting the veterans who paved the way.

“There’s a level of respect that sometimes is not really there fully. Because we just really gotta learn to respect ourselves, to respect each other, and didn’t respect the entire craft,” said Posdnuos.

While he respects that younger artists view the rap game as a means to an end, he says “it is good when you can see those same people respect what has gotten them there” and the veterans who helped create the tool they use to better their lives.