The Breakfast Club – De La Soul on Honoring Dave, New Music, Hip Hop's Evolution & More

Podcast: The Breakfast Club
Date: November 17, 2025
Guests: De La Soul (Posdnuos & Dave), DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, Jess Hilarious, Lola Rose, Nyla

Overview

This episode is a celebration and deep dive into the legacy, creativity, and continued relevance of De La Soul. The conversation is driven by the release of their new album "Cabin in the Sky," made in tribute to the late group member Dave. The hosts and De La Soul reflect thoughtfully on the group’s origins, their impact on hip hop, collaboration with other legends, music industry challenges, and the state of today's hip hop landscape. The tone is candid, affectionate, nostalgic, and occasionally humorous, with the hosts honoring De La Soul’s journey while extracting lessons for the present and future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Influences

• How De La Soul Came Together
  • Met during summer school; initially bonded over DJing, not MCing (03:33).
  • Shout-out to producer Prince Paul, who played a pivotal role in shaping their sound.
• Long Island’s Hip Hop Scene
  • Heavily influenced by backyard and college parties, roller skating culture, and a vibrant competitive scene (05:34).
  • Interactions with other Long Island hip hop notables: EPMD, Rakim, Public Enemy, JVC Force.
• Their Unique Musical Direction
  • Moved away from the prevailing "hard" records of Queens to a more playful, home-inspired sound, influenced by parents' record collections and a desire for fun (04:36).
  • The legendary “Plug One/Plug Two” nicknames came organically from club interactions, not any grand concept (08:38).

2. Creative Chemistry & the Native Tongues Collective

• Finding Their 'Tribe'
  • Native Tongues (Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah) formed organically, likened to high school friends finding their group (09:20).
  • Studio sessions were lively and unpredictable, with constant creative cross-pollination (09:55).
• Sampling, Lawsuits & Industry Lessons
  • Early sampling was mostly handled by their record label; lack of experience led to later legal/administrative nightmares, especially as digital took over (10:44 – 13:16).
  • Notable: Missed much of the "download era" and struggled with catalog rights and digital release delays.

3. Enduring Influence & Cultural Evolution

• Reaching New Generations
  • Their music has broken generational barriers, with classic tracks finding new life through movies (e.g., "Three Is The Magic Number" in Spider-Man), streaming, and younger fans discovering them years later (13:45).
• Modern-Day Native Tongues
  • If Native Tongues started today, would ally with Odd Future, Tyler, the Creator, Kendrick Lamar, Rapsody, J. Cole, Ruben Vincent (14:36).
• Visual Identity
  • The iconic “flowers and bright colors” were suggested by the record label to match their unique sound; while not initially on board, the group now appreciates how it made them stand out (15:19).
  • Impact: Inspired fashion trends (African pendants, Cross Colors) among fans in the '90s.

4. Industry Dynamics: Friendship, Competition, and Careers

• Relationship with A Tribe Called Quest
  • Deep friendship, creative synergy, and occasional sibling-like rivalry—“inseparable at one point” (18:05).
  • Reciprocal inspirations; Q-Tip’s jazz influences acknowledged as transformative for hip hop (19:00 – 20:42).
• On Trends and Longevity
  • “Trendsetters know when to bail from the trend they started”—they purposely evolved past each album's iconic style (“We did it our way, and moved on,” 51:58–52:31).
• Corporate Exploitation
  • Reflected on being under-acknowledged (and under-compensated) compared to some borough-born NYC peers due to Long Island’s image (06:37 & 23:51).
  • Discussed being compensated (or not) for things like Nike collaborations (35:31).

5. Honoring Dave: Grief, Legacy, and Album Creation

• "Cabin in the Sky" as a Tribute
  • Album dedicated to Dave and his legacy; described as “him rhyming from heaven” (36:30).
  • Candidly discussed grief and the responsibility of carrying on for a late friend (37:39).
  • Authenticity: All Dave’s vocals on the album are from material he actually worked on; nothing artificial or posthumously constructed (38:21).
• Performing the Old Material
  • Emotional adjustment to performing without Dave; developed new strategies for live shows (39:04).
• Who Dave Was
  • "If anybody did it their way, he did" (39:48).
  • Dave described as quirky, unapologetic, having lived a full, three-to-four-lifetimes kind of life (40:25).

6. Hip Hop Then and Now: Critique & Advice

• Constructive Criticism & Gatekeeping
  • Advocated for supportive, constructive mentorship versus harsh industry criticism (33:31).
  • “There should be some level of gatekeeping, but...the keepers of the gate have to be pure in their intentions.” (49:09)
• On Modern Hip Hop Noise
  • Observed that there's more music than ever, making it difficult for true artistry to break through the "noise" (43:50–44:29).
  • Social media and technology have reduced artist development and made it harder to achieve longevity without intentional effort (47:42–48:19).
• Artist Development and Longevity
  • Importance of coaching, the role of mentors (compares to basketball players needing good coaches) (48:04–48:19).
  • Personal press and real-life connections still matter for fan engagement and career longevity (50:14–51:01).
• Lessons for the Next Generation
  • “You can't make anyone learn anything they don't want to learn,” but humility and a gentle approach work best (44:48).

7. Memorable Quotes

• "We did it our way, man. We had fun with it." — Posdnuos, on De La Soul’s legacy (53:40)
• "Three Black men who stuck together." — Dave, defining their story for the history books (53:45)
• "Nothing that we used of him was manipulated...his intent, his energy is throughout the album, and it's organically him." — Posdnuos, on Dave’s contributions to "Cabin in the Sky" (38:21)
• "If anybody did it their way, he did, definitely—he unapologetically, his way." — Dave on Dave's legacy (39:48)
• "Trendsetters know when to bail from the trend they started...we were always on to the next to try something else." — Posdnuos (51:58)
• "There's so much music and it's good music out, but there's so many places to get it from that it's understandable that this one place only does it this way. But if you go to maybe SoundCloud, they do it this way." — Posdnuos, on the current music landscape (43:51)

Notable Moments & Timestamps

|Timestamp| Topic / Quote | |-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:33 | Origins: "Ah, man, we met in summer school..." – Dave | | 04:36 | Creative inspiration: “We put together records based off what was in our parents’ cribs...” – Posdnuos | | 08:38 | The ‘Plug One / Plug Two’ story | | 09:20 | Formation of Native Tongues; finding their creative "tribe" | | 13:45 | New generations & Marvel’s "Spider-Man" using “Three Is The Magic Number” | | 14:36 | “Who would Native Tongues be today?” The collective name-checks Odd Future & Kendrick | | 15:19 | Record label’s influence on their visual identity; initial resistance | | 18:05 | Relationship with A Tribe Called Quest: "Those was our brother..." | | 19:00–20:42 | Q-Tip and the jazz-sampling revolution; family tree of hip hop innovation | | 23:51 | Reflections on Long Island’s under-recognized legacy | | 36:30 | Album as tribute: "Cabin in the Sky was for him [Dave]..." | | 38:21 | Authenticity of Dave’s vocals on the new album | | 39:48 | "If anybody did it their way, he did definitely—he unapologetically, his way." – Dave | | 43:50 | The challenge of too much music ("just too much music") – Posdnuos | | 44:48 | On wisdom: "You're going to learn it when you learn it..." – Posdnuos | | 49:09 | "There should be gatekeeping..." – Charlamagne | | 51:58 | “Trendsetters know when to bail from the trend they started.” | | 53:40 | “We did it our way, man. We had fun with it.” – Posdnuos | | 53:45 | “Three Black men who stuck together.” – Dave |

Final Reflections

The episode closes with De La Soul’s philosophy summed up in two points: their commitment to having fun and their unity as three Black men sticking together through the highs and lows. The interview balances nostalgia and vision, offering practical advice to younger artists while underscoring the importance of friendship, artistic evolution, and staying true to one’s creative voice.

Episode Highlights for New Listeners:

• 03:33 – 06:10: De La’s origin & Long Island context
• 09:20 – 12:10: Native Tongues memories
• 13:45 – 14:59: Reaching new fans & imagining a modern Native Tongues
• 36:30 – 39:10: Album as tribute and grief
• 43:50 – 51:00: How hip hop and the industry have changed
• 53:40 – 53:50: What De La Soul wants to be remembered for

For fans old and new: The conversation not only explores De La Soul’s legacy but digs deeply into the values and lessons they hope will inspire artists and listeners for generations to come.