De La Soul

An American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York.The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres.

The members are Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos, Mercenary, Plug Wonder Why, Plug One), David Jude Jolicoeur (Trugoy the Dove, Dave, Plug Two) and Vincent Mason (P.A. Pasemaster Mase, Maseo, Plug Three). The three formed the group in high school and caught the attention of producer Prince Paul with a demo tape of the song «Plug Tunin'». Prince Paul was also sometimes referred to as Plug Four. The Plug names are alleged to come from the numbers that each bandmate’s microphone was labeled on the soundboard.

◊→ ‘Me, Myself & I‘  ↓

Mirror, mirror on the wall – Tell me, mirror, what is wrong?
Can it be my De La clothes – Or is it just my de la song?
What I do ain’t make-believe  –  People say I sit and try
But when it comes to being De La – It’s just me myself and I
It’s just me myself and I . . . It’s just me myself and I 

Now you tease my plug one style – Where my plug one spectacles
You say plug one and two are hippies – No, we’re not, that’s pure plug bull
Always pushing that we’ve formed an image – There’s no need to lie
When it comes to being plug one – It’s just me myself and I
It’s just me myself and I  . . .  It’s just me myself and I …

Proud, I’m proud of what I am – Poems I speak are plug two type
Please oh please let plug two be  Himself, not what you read or write
Right is wrong when hype is written – On the soul, De La that is
Style is surely our own thing – Not the false disguise of showbiz
De La Soul is from the soul – And this fact I can’t deny
Strictly from the DAN called Stuckie – And from me myself and I
It’s just me myself and I  . . .  It’s just me myself and I 

[ . . . ]

⇑     [ft. J-Ro , Tash , Xzibit]

[Dove]
Yo – who hold guns and rock ice bigger than life;
got bitches throwin’ they drawers on stage – that ain’t me!
I raise kids, push whips, piss an MC
Love money like I love my moms
Love my nigga Com Sense when he bang dents all up in they wallets
Wall to wall bullshit I got hardwood floors
Set sail for tour ever since eighty-nine
so y’all are fuckin’ the same hoes who used to be mine

[Tash]
And I’ve been waitin’ three summers to rhyme longside my people
Rico, De La, inject you with the lethal
dose of hop-hippin’ if you thought CaTash was slippin’
then put that drink down, you drunk off what you sippin’
CaTash put the dip in dip dive socialize
Fuck around with me and next you’ll find yo’ crib burglarized

[Xzibit]
Yo you better recognize and try to analyze this
Hand over fist – how can a man act like a bitch?
Change and switch, snitch on his crew
Yo get rid of the niggaz before the same thing happen to you

[Pos]
And they’ll leave your ass sticky like glue
Blood leakin’ out, girls freakin’ out, motherfuckin’ cops tweakin’ out
Got you on your knees like a freak, jugglin’ deez nuts
Smugglin’ these cuts from S.C., you best be-
-lieve there’s no web or leave a net
We done swallowed 40 bottles of threat, yo

[Chorus – all together:]

‘My Writes’ 
What you know about what’s weak, what’s tight?
And what you know about an off night?  (uhh)
What you know about niggaz frontin’ for the light?
And what you know about them gun fights?  (gun fights)
Got a nigga duckin’ while them girls show fright
What you know about my writes?  (my writes)
Ah what you know about my writes?  (my writes)

[Xzibit]
Yeah, yeah, look
I’m Samson without Delilah, the soul survivor
The drunk driver that rolls straight, take the whole cake
Chop it up with the family, wash it down with alcohol
My telly’s a Desert Eagle for all the fuckin’ shots I called
My niggaz gotta ball, never settle for less
Heavy metal, heavy on yo’ chest like two breasts
Step into my office cause it’s time for you to roll somethin’
One false move, and we gon’ beat you like you stole somethin’

[Pos]
Yo these style I kick should be called Bic raps  (Bic raps)
Drawin’ the pussy out the nigga after my prize, cause I want it
They stomach what I throw, they know I’m right for they diet
They librarian flow keeps the party real quiet  (shhhhh)
The love I lost outweighs the rhymes I gain
but the fact that I spit ‘em makes me cherish the name
So pass the mic so I can put in my share
I rip it from home to L.A.
with connectin’ flights to rip it elsewhere

[J-Ro]
Drinkin’ up Black & Tan in the back of a van
I learned as a young man – long trip, piss in a can
Gettin’ a house for two grand, now you got your own land
Let your mind expand, everyday have a plan
Ro-Gram is rare earth, swingin’ Black Tarzan
You got to live with the cards dealt in yo’ hand
Stay young like Peter Pan, like Sly, take a Stand
and go Uptown Saturday Night like Ichiban

[Dove]
I keep it dirty like under the bed  (dirty)
Dirty like Uncle Red;  aiyyo  (well hella poo-poo)
Dirty brown Likwit flow thicker than the Yoo-Hoo
Dirt you dishin’ out, chef tellin’ it all
Face down in the dirt, doin’ my dirty work
Expert, tryin’ to regulate my network
Head jerk, spice it with rice, stick with it
If they ask who cut the grits I’ma say E-Swift did it

What you know about my writes?  (my writes . . .)

[Tash]
And I’ve been known to get it on, past the break of the dawn
Tash’ll punch you in your grill and leave «Potholes in Yo’ Lawn»
(C’mon!) You makin’ diss songs? Spit that rhyme my way
I can shut y’all niggaz down like the Y-2-K
I did a tour in ninety-four with De La Soul and Tribe
We on the same vibe, cause real niggaz coincide
(«Right-right-right..») The situation is drastic
but see songs like these is why this album goin’ classic

[J-Ro]
This is for the DJ, bring it back one time
I drop bombs like when my moms told me to rhyme
I’m – old school like my dad is
So add this, to your collect’, Plug Won – who the baddest?

[Pos]
Aiyyo we theme park status, upstage these niggaz like Gladys
Them little Pips, they done tripped the wire
Blamin’ they legs, while I’m claimin’ these tunes
In this we’ll stay down like seats found in sorority bathrooms

[Xzibit]
Yeah – we flat out classic, separate the real from the plastic
and I gotta say no names
Play no games, hit the switches, crack the frame
Show no shame or fuck it all up, take the blame
Brand name fresh out the box type hustle
Manpower success is mind over muscle
Grind til the wheels fall off, accept the loss
I never been soft, whatever the cost, addicted to floss
Nailed to the cross it’s time to return
My only concern is makin’ sure that Hollywood burn,
Hollywood burn, burn to the ground, trick-ass niggaz
is all up in the game and don’t deserve to be down

[J-Ro]
Four bottle rap, twist the cap and kick back
De La, Xzibit and Tha Liks came to get that
And what you know about us droppin’ ya
and leavin’ you with half a face like the Phantom of the Opera?

What you know about my writes?  (my writes . . .)

[Tash]
You got the right to shut the fuck up!   {*laughing*}

∇    De La Soul  feat.  Chaka Khan  ↓   ‘All Good’

[Chaka Khan]
Oooh noo-ohhh, noo-ohhh  …  Oooh noo-ohhh, noo-ohhh!

[Chorus: Chaka Khan x2]
It ain’t all good, and that’s the truth
Thangs ain’t goin’ like you think they should – it’s all on you . . .

I don’t care about what you think you see
the thangs you want to know when you look at me
God knows I done been through and paid my dues
Can’t change how you feel, cause it’s – all on you-whoahhha-ohhh-yeah

[Dove]
I wish that, you could be a little bit more upfront
Weigh the situation how you want  (right)
The lovin’ that you claim is just a four letter word
The third letter’s invitin so visualize the verb
You curve thoughtways when you’re handlin’ the candleabra
so you sittin’ on the baby grand
Transmittin’ like you’re made of man
but you paint a funny face like a chick
When I see you I’ma tell you quick that uhh..

It ain’t all good, and that’s the truth …

[Dove]
I can’t believe we built this large pizza pie together
No pepperoni
Yeah you wanted extra cheese, sometimes I gave you extras
How we divided slices like the Red Sea theory
I was Moses hopelessly scorned by your thorn zapora
Tried to bring that fairy-tale life, you wanted horror
but my microscope couldn’t see or cope with that
I had to bolt from that, and left you dead in the sea
It’s better for me, I’m satisfied with reppin’ for D

[Pos]
We were certified hot, then dropped to lukewarm
Now we back up in the spot, claimin’ never been gone
Niggaz who cut us off, wanna reattach us now
(Them girls who brushed us off, say they want some #’s to dial)
Yeah I give that ass a number, and some lumber to pile
Now catch a curve from my kick  (or show me lovin’ by brick)
So stick to the same plan, don’t come shakin’ my hand
like we peeps, it ain’t beef but be sure to understand
Between us, it ain’t all..

It ain’t all good, and that’s the truth . . .

[Pos]  You see them kids be schemin’ on what we done copped
[Cha]  Always out there schemin’!
[Pos]  They steady fiendin’ for the moment they can get us off the block
[Cha]  Why they always fiendin’?

[Pos]  Your people might have your back, but you need to watch your front
Indeed, ain’t nothin’ guaranteed

[Chaka Khan]
That’s the truth! Things ain’t goin’ like you think they should

[Pos]
A lot say they wanna walk in my size 10’s
Aight then; here’s a pair
Lace ‘em up tight then you might feel what was dealt to me
You see ain’t no young boys up in here; keep a clear head
Tryin’ to keep my pockets on stuffed – like deer heads
upon the wall, so all the gall we get from y’all DON’T FAZE
So mind your biz and walk away
cause I’m never gonna let you up inside my maze

[Chaka Khan]
I don’t care about what you think you see
the thangs you want to know when you look at me
God knows I done been there and paid my dues
I can’t change how you feel, cause it’s all, on you-whoahhha-ohhhhh

It ain’t all good, and that’s the truth
Thangs ain’t goin’ like you think they should – it’s all on you . . .

*     *     *

Hahahahahahahahaha,
Feel good,  Feel good,
Feel good………

City’s breaking down on a camel’s back.
They just have to go ‘cause they don’t know wack
So all you fill the streets it’s appealing to see
You won’t get out the county, ‘cos you’re bad and free
You’ve got a new horizon it’s ephemeral style.
A melancholy town where we never smile.
And all I wanna hear is the message beep.
My dreams, they’ve got to kiss, because I don’t get sleep, no..

[Chorus:]
Windmill, windmill for the land.
Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all in on your stride
It is sticking, falling down
Love forever love is free
Let’s turn forever you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?

Laughing gas these hazmats, fast cats,
Lining them up like ass cracks,
Lay these ponies at the track
It’s my chocolate attack.
Shit, I’m stepping in the heart of this here
Care bear bumping in the heart of this here
Watch me as I gravitate
Hahahahahahaa.
Yo, we gonna go ghost town,
This motown,
With yo sound
You’re in the place
You gonna bite the dust
Can’t fight with us
With yo sound
You kill the INC.
So don’t stop, get it, get it
Until you jet ahead.
Yo, watch the way I navigate
Hahahahahhaa

Feel good, ahhhhahahahah    [x4]

[Chorus . . .]

Windmill, windmill for the land . . .

Don’t stop, get it, get it
We are your captains in it
Steady,
Watch me navigate,
Ahahahahahhaa.
Don’t stop, get it, get it
We are your captains in it
Steady, watch me navigate
Ahahahahahhaa.

Feel good, AHHHHahahahaha
Feel good….