"You were once informed that we had died, And what is death? Simply movin' from one place to another. You are now in the other." So reads the manifesto that accompanies 'Buhloone Mindstate,' the third unpredictable album from De La Soul. After the world gobbled up the plunkety tomfoolery of '3 Feet High And Rising' with such enthusiasm their road ahead was always going to be rocky. Their second outing was caught between deflecting expectations, preventing too much crossover success, and proving that they could still cut it. So on "De La Soul Is Dead" they were scared to be themselves in case the world said that's all they could do. But on 'Buhloone Mindstate' they are back in effect, letting their kookie poetry and omnivorous musical tastes take control without all the forced posturing of the previous LP. Unsurprisingly the rapping is harder and more assured than before, wrapped in layers of complex puns and clever images, with lots of references to other people's jams. But the music is definitely not what you were expecting, centered around acres of slinky jazz, with shimmering organs and smoking horn solos drifting around. Prince Paul is once more at the helm, and the ambience he creates is very reminiscent of early Tribe Called Quest ... Where 'De La Soul Is Dead' was a shock because they planned it that way, this album is a shock because they've mellowed and they're still great. De La Soul is definitely not dead." - HHC (October, 1993)
You can read the full review in Hip-Hop Connection (10/93) below...
