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78 of 81 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
hmmm, August 10, 2000
Can you release a hip-hop album without cameos from Busta Rhymes and Redman? Will any reputable label allow it?It's all so strange. De La Soul, once staunch enemies of 'rap and bulls**t' (their phrase), have returned from a four-year absence with Mosaic Thump, the first release of their proposed Art Official Intelligence trilogy. It's an unstable album packed with smoove production, ubiquitous 'special guests' (including the long-lost Busy Bee), several standout tracks, and a computer-generated narrator lifted straight from A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders. Bumpiness aside, though, Mosaic Thump's freestyle sketches--including an uncredited bit by Phife Dog from ATCQ--continually amaze. As well, they illuminate the potential of the next AOI installment, which is rumored to be an MC battle record. (P.S. Listen close to the freestyle vocal manipulations...trust me.) MC Indeed, a female artist I have never heard, lays waste to her peers on "Set The Mood". Also, it's cool to hear Tash and J-Ro from Tha Alkaholiks guest on the track "My Writes", which finds De La commenting on the state of contemporary hip-hop. And, uh, they aren't content, to say the least. Lyrically, De La are kings. No one plays with English like they do. Even if you know their verses by heart, there's no way you can decipher all their references and hidden meanings. The fact that, years later, I can still get something out of Buhloone Mind State (any of their albums, really) means more to me than anything. But here's my main criticism: I skip at least three tracks. I have never dissected any of De La's other albums. I can listen to them straight through, even De La Soul Is Dead, which has its share of difficult moments. Mosaic Thump has some backyard clunkers. "U Can Do (Life)", "Copa (Cabanga)" and "The Art of Getting Jumped" are bogged down by weak beats, cheesy keyboards and a strident attempt blow up and go pop. And I don't know what they were thinking with "Foolin'". Just listen to it. Or, better yet, try to listen to it. Maybe the disrupted flow is due to the interference of outside producers. Or, I could argue Mosaic Thump is a conscious attempt to sell as many albums as possible. (Even Posdnuos's album credits include a plea for Tommy Boy to not drop the ball on promoting the record.) But I should probably stop riding them so hard. Then again, De La deftly elude any flack. I'll take their game-tight rhymes, irreverent attitude towards their competitors and mainstream radio, and block party verses that smack of intelligence over any of their so-called competition. Furthermore, their influence on some of the best newer hip-hop troupes (J5, People Under The Stairs, Slum Village, Blackalicious) is obvious. Don't forget their collaboration with Nightmares On Wax on the Sound of N.O.W. EP.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
De La Soul can't be faded..., August 8, 2000
After being in the hip-hop scene for 12 years or so, De La Soul just CANNOT be faded. With "Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump" being their 5th album (the 1st in an installment of 3--yes, expect two more De La Soul albums in the future...HA HA HEY!), these guys show up all of that Cash Money/No Limit garbage they call "hip-hop." Even though this album may have not been their most memorable or greatest in that matter, De La still comes with it and shows that they cannot and will not be vanished from the hip-hop scene like so many old school hip-hop artists have. The beats on "Art Official Intelligence" are still the usual De La...unique, bright, and of course, fresh. Even though I doubt there will be any classic songs from this LP that even come to par with their older work ("Say No Go," "Me Myself and I," "Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'," "Ring, Ring, Ring [Ha Ha Hey]," "Bitties in the BK Lounge," "Breakdawn," "Ego Trippin," "The Bizness"...etc., damn, I can go on forever!), it is still refreshing to hear hip-hop with a purpose and not the usual trash you hear on the radio..."Bling Bling/I'm All Iced Out/Big Ballin' With My Homies/Big Pimpin." On "Ohh," De La gets the last laugh when they rhyme about how all of those "jigga jigga/flossin' my ice" fools are just a bunch of rookies to them. Above all of that, it was great to see De La Soul share the mic with Chaka Khan ("All Good") and the Beastie Boys ("Squat"...even though I wasn't exactly feeling that cut). Even though a majority of the songs on "Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump" are tight, the BEST cuts on here are "Ohh" featuring Redman (fresh lyrics and a smooth beat), Foolin' (the beat is off the hook...WERD BOOTY!), and the cut featuring Indeed. My only complaint was with the song featuring Xzibit...even though the beat was dope, I was angry to see Xzibit featured on that track...if you ask me, he doesn't deserve to share the mic with De La. Anyway, De La Soul once again proves that they cannot and will not put out a bad album...and I believe that this may be a wake up call to all of those people who support all of that Cash Money junk. If you want to hear pure hip-hop "from the soul," then check out De La Soul's "Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump"...besides Common Sense's "Like Water For Chocolate," Jurassic-5 "Quality Control," Dilated People's "The Platform," and Slum Village's "Fantastic Vol. 2," this has to be the very best cure for a very damaged hip-hop genre. If not, then go somewhere else and buy garbage like Nelly's "Country Grammar."
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Finally some REAL Hip Hop, August 11, 2000
The new De La Soul joint represents a long awaited repreive from all the nihilistic materialism that has dominated the Hip-Hop scene for far too long. The music is positive, but not preachy. The production is tight and lyrics are sharp. Its clear that they wanted to give the album "mass appeal" because of the guest spots of the commercially accepted Busta and Redman, but they still stayed true to the De La sound. Although this album isn't ground breaking like 3 Feet High and Rising, De La still delivers one of the most banging "Real Hip-Hop" joints of the 2G (along with Common and Dead Prez). I'll be the first to admit that I'm nastalgic for the "old school" days of actual MCing and Deejaying, but if you're like me--sick and tired of garbage put out by Lay-Z, Demented Man X, and the Hot Buffons--go out and immediately cop Art Offical Intelligence.
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by De La Soul 
