De La Soul have returned with their ninth studio album, Cabin in the Sky, a project that finds Posdnous and Maseo forging forward with renewed passion.
After finally resolving their long-running legal battle with Tommy Boy and finding a new home at Mass Appeal Records, the duo have crafted an expansive collection that places them firmly in prime form.
This is their first album since 2016’s And the Anonymous Nobody… and the first since the death of group member Dave “Trugoy” Jolicoeur in February 2023.
Posdnous and Maseo honor Trugoy’s legacy with multiple posthumous contributions, ensuring his voice remains a guiding presence throughout the project.
(L-R) David Jude Jolicoeur, Vincent Mason and Kelvin Mercer of De La Soul visit “Sway In the Morning” on “Shade 45” at SiriusXM Studios on February 26, 2019 in New York City.
Alongside them, a stellar lineup of guest stars—including Nas, Killer Mike, Common, Black Thought, Slick Rick, Bilal, Yummy Bingham, Stout, and Yukimi—adds depth and texture, creating moments that are both celebratory and reflective.
Cabin in the Sky is a testament to De La Soul’s enduring creativity, resilience, and ability to innovate while staying true to their iconic sound.
VIBE took a deep dive into Cabin in the Sky and highlighted and ranked several of the best songs from the album.
“Cabin In The Sky”
Image Credit: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images The title track “Cabin In The Sky” is a bouncy, bittersweet standout, with Supa Dave West’s playful production and the soft bloom of a Mort Garson sample giving Pos plenty of room to reflect.
His hook — “It makes me wonder when it’s over, will I get a cabin in the sky?/ And how will my family deal with it all when they watch me slip away?” — turns the groove inward, contemplating loss and the afterlife without losing the track’s light, skipping charm.
“YUHDONTSTOP”
Image Credit: Marleen Moise/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival “YUHDONTSTOP” kicks Cabin In The Sky off on an undeniable high, its plush instrumentation wrapping Pos’ reflective bars—“Sooner than later, they saw/These Long Island boys stood the test that the time serves raw”—in a warm glow.
Produced by De La themselves, the track feels like an embrace for longtime fans, a promise to keep pushing forward while carrying Trugoy’s spirit with them.
It’s an opening statement rooted in gratitude, resilience, and unmistakable soul.
“Just How It Is (Sometimes)” Featuring Jay Pharaoh, Gareth Donkin
Image Credit: Natasha Moustache/Getty Images “Just How It Is (Sometimes)” stands out as one of the album’s sharpest conceptual swings, a reflective slice of lighthearted storytelling wrapped in ERIK & JOSHUA’s funky, layered production.
Gareth Donkin’s velvety hook softens the edges while the duo sift through emotional debris, and a perfectly timed Jay Pharaoh skit adds levity without breaking the spell.
It’s a tender, thoughtful detour that deepens Cabin In The Sky’s emotional palette.
“EN EFF” Featuring Black Thought
Image Credit: Jim Dyson/Getty Images De La Soul’s “EN EFF” feels like a time capsule cracked open, beginning with a sharp, almost scholarly rundown of the N-word’s shifting meanings before DJ Premier’s signature scratches snap everything into focus.
Over a rugged flip of Papoose’s “The Plug,” Pos delivers the piercing line, “They offerin’ a castle, but who owns the land?/ Questions rarely asked in becoming a man.”
Black Thought follows with a verse with that gleans inspiration from De La’s “Stakes Is High” single, sealing a return to the group’s brooding, yet poignant stylings.
“The Package”
Image Credit: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images “The Package” is a bold, steady flex from the Long Island reps, with Pete Rock’s warm, knocking production setting the pace.
Pos comes in declaring, “L.I.’s finest back at it/ Premium soul on the rocks, the package/ A revival and conscious survival/ The content is beyond lists and idols,” framing the track as a mission statement.
Trugoy follows with rewind-worthy couplets, rhyming, “Still working like two thumbs up/ Be mouse humble if you two crumbs up,” rounding out one of the album’s superior deep cuts.
“A Quick 16 For Mama” Featuring Killer Mike
Image Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images “A Quick 16 for Mama” is one of the album’s most heartfelt selections, with Nottz’s warm, knocking production giving Pos and Killer Mike space to honor the women who shaped them.
Each verse highlights the sacrifices and lessons passed down: Pos gives insight into his mother’s origins, and Mike reflects on how Hip-Hop widened his worldview with his mother’s full support.
The hook’s tender refrain — “Mama said if you want things, you gotta hustle for it” — adds soulful lift, making the tribute feel both personal and universal.
“Run It Back!!” Featuring Nas
Image Credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images “Run It Back!!” is a seismic meeting of Long Island royalty and Queensbridge pedigree, easily one of Cabin In The Sky‘s most explosive moments.
Pos storms out first with a tightly wound opening stanza, rhyming “With the poems, with the dice, and the songs that we slice for the plate/ Earn the weight and the height, and the pawns with the price” over a soaring flip of The Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.
Stitching Nassau, Suffolk and Queensbridge into one circuit, Maseo sets an epic entrance for Nas, who swoops in with an intricate verse bridging the gap between the old school and new era of Hip-Hop.
Co-produced by Supa Dave West and De La Soul, Nas drops a sharp cultural pulse check — while joking he could’ve been a De La member. It’s a generational salute and a certified jolt of energy.
