De La Soul was on a roll in the early ’90s, having released one of the best three-album runs in Hip-Hop history: 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), De La Soul is Dead (1991) and Buhloone Mindstate (1993).
The Long Island trio—comprised of Posdnuos, Maseo and Trugoy the Dove with production by the inimitable Prince Paul—was at a creative peak. Around the same time Buhloone Mindstate arrived, De La Soul released the Clear Lake Audiotorium EP. Originally pressed in 1994 as an exclusive promotional release for select DJs, the project was limited to just 500 copies and long considered rare by collectors.
The album initially included four tracks from De La Soul’s Buhloone Mindstate era, one featuring A Tribe Called Quest, which includes a verse from the late Phife Dawg, and another with contributions from Tito of The Fearless Four, Grandmaster Caz, LA Sunshine of the Treacherous Three and Prince Whipper Whip. On March 7, Reservoir Media will re-release the nearly mythical project in digital format and on limited-edition CD and vinyl in a sea green gel sleeve. It includes the single “Patti Dooke” featuring a verse from the late Guru and “In the Woods” with Shortie No Mass.
“In the process of recording, it was a fun time,” Maseo tells AllHipHop. “We were still crate diggers, you know? With what we created at that time, we were highly influenced by Tribe. That’s when we started to implement more jazz elements, but I think we also stuck with our with the recruit of the JVs. But it definitely was way more jazz influenced due to us being highly impressed with Tribe and learning so much jazz being around them. It influenced me to really lean more into big band stuff, too.
“Between ’88 and ’94, we all spent some significant time together, growing with one another with our music before the business and responsibility got in the way. We spent so much time learning a lot from one another, sharpening one another’s sword and really keeping each other at our best. We enjoyed each other’s company. We had so much fun, and we were all very like-minded with what we wanted to do.”
The EP announcement follows an eventful couple of months for Pos and Maseo, who just returned from performing in Switzerland. In January, they performed at the Lincoln Center in New York City, where they headlined David Geffen Hall for the first time. Meanwhile, Pos earned a Grammy Award nomination for his verse on Common and Pete Rock’s single “When the Sun Shines Again,” which appeared on the duo’s collaborative album The Auditorium Vol. 1.
De La Soul’s music was also featured in the Peloton Artist Series earlier this month and on February 6, Pos and Maseo released a remastered collection of “Say No Go” remixes, a celebration of one of their most iconic tracks. The release featured the original version alongside the “House of Love” remix, the dance-infused “New Keys Vocal” and infectious “Say No Dope Mix,” among others.
Trugoy the Dove (AKA Dave) died in February 2023, but Pos and Maseo have done a remarkable job carrying the torch for their fallen friend—and will continue to do so. Even in their darkest moments, they are able to persevere, but it’s something that even escapes Maseo at times.
“That’s a blessing—I can’t really even explain it,” he says. “It’s the forces of goodness from a higher being that’s leading all of this. I’ll attribute that to God because that’s what I believe in. Dave has definitely been here in spirit because I can feel him. Sometimes it’s extremely overwhelming. And then there’s times I’m like laughing a lot.
“I think Pos and I are dealing with it well. It becomes a bit of a task. When you’re on stage, there’s certain things that trigger us because of how long we’ve done it together. Now, we’re forced to fill a void. It’s like I’m up there with a lost leg or a lost arm. It’s like I completely lost a limb.”
Check back with AllHipHop next week for Part II of the Maseo interview.
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