"On March 3rd 1989, De La Soul released their critically acclaimed debut album and Hip Hop music changed forever. At a time when samples of James Brown and breakbeat staples ruled supreme, De La Soul production partner Prince Paul cast the net far wider, snatching up snippets of vintage Soul, Rock n Roll, Disco, Spoken Word and children's records to create a collage the likes of which had not been heard before. Lyrically, the album married zany humor, real life observations and social commentary. Released less than a year after NWA's ground breaking 'Straight Outta Compton' and Public Enemy's politically charged opus 'It Takes A Nation of Millions', '3 Feet High and Rising' offered a light hearted counterpoint to harder edged sounds emerging on both coasts. In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of this classic LP, we've teamed up with Wax Poetics to present an exclusive mixtape of album tracks, sample material, alt versions, interview snippets and more, mixed by Chris Read." Disclaimer: the release date for this De La Soul classic has been an ongoing debate for some years now. Unfortunately, I do not have a definitive answer, but sources suggest that the release was closer to the end of January, 1989. Regardless of it's release date, it was a groundbreaking album and should be celebrated, so props to Chris Read and WhoSampled for their great work.