A really nice article from Jacinta Howard about De La Soul and their influence on blerds:
Black nerd culture has only become a term in recent years but in the late 80s, before it existed, there was De La Soul — serving as a beacon of light for smart, eclectic rap fans everywhere.
When De La Soul (Posdnous, Trugoy The Dove, and Maseo) arrived with their influential debut, 3 Feet High and Rising in 1989, rap was going through a transition of sorts. During a time when the genre was becoming edgier, and experimenting with street realism courtesy of acts like NWA, De La Soul, and their witty take on Hip-Hop, relationships, and just life, felt refreshing in a way that few artists ever manage. Right from the start, De La Soul pushed away conventional trends and wholly embraced their individuality. Their zany confidence, quirky cool, and clear-eyed perspective created an eclectic hodgepodge of sound and style that made them immediately relatable to an entire flock of fans. And their free-spirited approach to music resonated. De La made it feel good to be a little different, a little weird.
RIP Trugoy 🕊
Related: Afrofuturism: The New Black (Mix), VIDEO: De La Soul on sampling and making, and 28 Days Of Dilla #5: De La Soul – Stakes Is High