10 Quintessential De La Soul Songs You Should Listen To

With the passing of Trugoy the Dove, here's a primer for late adopters.

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With the passing of De La Soul's Trugoy the Dove we're celebrating the group's music and hip-hop legacy with these quintessential songs.

Photo By Gie Knaeps

"Buddy" - An early single from their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul’s “Buddy” remains a fan favorite. The remix featured Q-Tip, Monie Love, Queen Latifah and the Jungle Brothers and the song hit No. 2 on the Rap Singles chart. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

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"Buddy" - An early single from their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul’s “Buddy” remains a fan favorite. The remix featured Q-Tip, Monie Love, Queen Latifah and the Jungle Brothers and the song hit No. 2 on the Rap Singles chart. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

"Me Myself and I" - Probably De La Soul’s most well known song, “Me Myself and I,” also from their 1989 debut album, hit No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts. More than 25 years after its release, it is still regarded as one of hip hop’s great songs and stands out for its positive themes.(Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

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"Me Myself and I" - Probably De La Soul’s most well known song, “Me Myself and I,” also from their 1989 debut album, hit No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts. More than 25 years after its release, it is still regarded as one of hip hop’s great songs and stands out for its positive themes.(Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

"Breakadawn" - A 1993 single from Buhloone Mindstate, “Breakadawn” samples vocals from Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It” as well as Smokey Robinson's “A Quiet Storm.” The result is a funky yet soothing track.  (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

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"Breakadawn" - A 1993 single from Buhloone Mindstate, “Breakadawn” samples vocals from Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It” as well as Smokey Robinson's “A Quiet Storm.” The result is a funky yet soothing track.  (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

"Ego Trippin' (Part Two)" - The second release from Buhloone Mindstate, “Ego Trippin’ (Part Two)” included numerous references to other songs, and the music video, which in some ways was similar to 2Pac’s “I Get Around,” was interpreted by the late MC as a diss. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

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"Ego Trippin' (Part Two)" - The second release from Buhloone Mindstate, “Ego Trippin’ (Part Two)” included numerous references to other songs, and the music video, which in some ways was similar to 2Pac’s “I Get Around,” was interpreted by the late MC as a diss. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

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"Stakes Is High" - The landscape of rap music shifted from the time De La Soul debuted to 1996, when they released the aptly titled Stakes Is High. The title track is in many ways an indictment on those changes within the music as well as in society. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

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"Stakes Is High" - The landscape of rap music shifted from the time De La Soul debuted to 1996, when they released the aptly titled Stakes Is High. The title track is in many ways an indictment on those changes within the music as well as in society. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

"Potholes in My Lawn" - De La Soul’s 1988 single “Potholes in My Lawn” is seemingly both a boast about the group’s own prowess as well as a complaint that other rappers were biting their style. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

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"Potholes in My Lawn" - De La Soul’s 1988 single “Potholes in My Lawn” is seemingly both a boast about the group’s own prowess as well as a complaint that other rappers were biting their style. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

Photo By Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records

Artists Influenced by De La Soul - De La Soul shook things up in hip hop when they dropped their debut, 3 Feet High and Rising, which celebrates its 25th anniversary today (March 3). The trio, hailing from Long Island, brought positivity, humor and a jazz-influenced feel to that classic album and the rest of their music. Pioneers of alternative hip hop, De La opened doors and laid a groundwork for many to follow. Read on.(Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

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"Say No Go" - Recognized for its Hall & Oates sample, “Say No Go,” from De La Soul’s first album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was also notable for its outspoken pushback about the spread of crack in urban neighborhoods.  (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

"A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’" - An upbeat joint from De La’s 1991 album De La Soul Is Dead, "A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’" is still funky enough to get you hyped for the weekend when you give it a listen. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

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"A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’" - An upbeat joint from De La’s 1991 album De La Soul Is Dead, "A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’" is still funky enough to get you hyped for the weekend when you give it a listen. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

"Plug Tunin'" - De La Soul’s debut single, “Plug Tunin’” is responsible both for helping them link with Prince Paul and for delivering their unique sound and rhyme style to the world. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

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"Plug Tunin'" - De La Soul’s debut single, “Plug Tunin’” is responsible both for helping them link with Prince Paul and for delivering their unique sound and rhyme style to the world. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

“Itzsoweezee (HOT)” - Though it was on De La Soul’s Stakes Is High album, “Itzsoweezee (HOT)” is really a solo effort from Dove, who is the only one to rap on the song and takes jabs at the Mafia-influenced rhymes of the day. The memorable video also included a slew of esteemed hip hop cameos. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)

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“Itzsoweezee (HOT)” - Though it was on De La Soul’s Stakes Is High album, “Itzsoweezee (HOT)” is really a solo effort from Dove, who is the only one to rap on the song and takes jabs at the Mafia-influenced rhymes of the day. The memorable video also included a slew of esteemed hip hop cameos. (Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Boy Records)