De La Soul have officially kickstarted the rollout for their new album — and it’s already shaping up to meet (if not exceed) expectations.
The legendary group have announced that they will release their 10th album — and first in almost a decade — Cabin in the Sky on November 21 via Mass Appeal Records.
The eagerly anticipated project boasts a heavyweight supporting cast with features from Nas, Black Thought, Killer Mike, Common and Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano, as well as production from DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Supa Dave West.
Pete Rock provides the thumping yet soulful production on the lead single “The Package,” which serves as a celebration of De La’s timelessness and status as trend-setters.
The track weaves cerebral verses from Posdnuos with posthumous rhymes from Trugoy the Dove, who passed away in 2023, proving their chemistry remains undefeated, even when their bars are stitched together with studio wizardry.
“Step to us with a Goliath, we got a David right here,” Pos spits as his opening verse seamlessly transitions into Dave’s, marking some of the first posthumous rhymes from the late MC.
Posdnuos recently explained the meaning behind the title Cabin in the Sky, which comes from the 1943 musical film of the same name starring Ethel Waters, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.
“We were working and working [on the album], and I came across this movie. And I’m like, ‘Yo, this title is crazy!’ Cabin in the Sky. Immediately, I felt Dave,” he said at a New York Comic Con panel in October.
The Long Island native also spoke about crafting the album in the wake of Dave’s death.
“When we lost him … I came and got [Maseo] out of the hole. We were all broken, but I kinda took on that role in Beat Street where I was like, ‘Yo, man, we gotta treat Dave like Ramon — we gotta keep him alive, we gotta celebrate him,’” he said.
“Of course, we have songs with Dave on it but — yo, for me, and I’m sure there are people here who are spiritual and understand what I’m saying, it feels like, ‘Dave’s here for me. He’s here.’ There are times where I’m writing rhymes and I’m getting goosebumps ’cause I feel like Dave would be saying, ‘Yo, that’s dope!’”
Cabin in the Sky marks the sixth installment in Mass Appeal Records’ Legend Has It.. series, a year-long celebration of some of New York hip-hop’s biggest icons.
Slick Rick kicked things off this past summer with his comeback album Victory, followed by projects from Raekwon (The Emperor’s New Clothes), Ghostface Killah (Supreme Clientele 2), Mobb Deep (Infinite) and the late Big L (Harlem’s Finest: Return of the King).
Nas, who runs the record label, is set to bring things home by releasing his long-awaited collaborative album with DJ Premier in December.
