Hiatus over

De La Soul releases first of planned trilogy

By David John Farinella
Special to CNN Interactive

(CNN) -- It's not a total surprise that De La Soul has re-entered the music world, but it's impressive just how fiercely the group has jumped back into the fray.

From the throw-your-hands-up-in-the-air-like-you-just-don't-care lead single, "Oooh," to the silky "All Good?" the hip-hop stars are back in fine style with the release of "Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump." It's the trio's first album in four years, and the first in a planned trilogy of releases.

	AUDIO
"OOOH." 432K WAV sound "I.C. Y'ALL" 368K WAV sound "The Art of Getting Jumped" 352K WAV sound (Sound courtesy of Tommy Boy Music)

Since the band arrived on the hip-hop scene in 1989, De La Soul has stood apart from the pack. The members weren't political or hard enough to be ranked with Public Enemy, nor stylistically soulful enough to be considered a pure R&B act.

Along with a handful of other East Coast bands -- A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, the Jungle Brothers and Monie Love -- De La Soul became part of the Native Tongues Posse. Known more for its party vibes than gangster anger, the Posse looked to its roots as often as it looked forward.

To be sure, "Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump" continues to draw the line in the between rap and hip-hop while succeeding on a number of levels. The album also drags, so when Mike D and Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys make a guest appearance on the album's 11th track, their performance is nearly wasted. Their contribution, "Squat!," is one of the tunes on this 16-song collection that doesn't feel like it fits in with the album.

Musically, there is a handful of songs -- "Squat!," "Words From The Chief Rocker" and "With Me" are examples -- that are decidedly vintage hip-hop; so much so that they sound cliched.

The album has its pinnacles. Take the track featuring Busta Rhymes' "I.C. Y'All," as one of the album's strongest.

And while De La Soul has always been more about mood and melody versus vitriolic rhymes, the band does play it hard at times. "My Writes" is one example, and the songs "Oooh" and "U Don't Wanna B.D.S." have lines of rap bravado thrown in for good measure. "Art of Getting Jumped," a tune that's buried toward the end of the album, is one of the most original songs found here.

The big question -- one, perhaps that should have been better thought out before the band committed to a trio of releases -- is whether De La Soul is relevant today. The hip-hop market is extremely fragmented and fickle, as highlighted by the differences in the Up In Smoke crowd and the fans of Wyclef Jean. De La Soul plays it safely in the middle.

"Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump" is a grand reintroduction for the three. Let's see if the lads can break out again.

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