Source: Niels Van Iperen / Getty
Hip-Hop fans across the globe can revel in the news that the legendary rap trio De La Soul is now in full control over their music and their masters., according to confirmation from Talib Kweli.
In a post to his account on Instagram over the weekend, the “Gutter Rainbows” rapper shared the news to the public. “After years of being taken advantage by the recording industry in the worst possible ways, De La Soul now owns all the rights to their masters and is in full control of the amazing music they have created,” he wrote in the post’s caption. The rapper stated that he had gotten wind of the news from Maseo aka Plug 3 himself. The actual post is a clip from the trio’s highly celebrated appearance as guests on an episode of the Cartoon Network series Teen Titans GO!
Kweli continued, “Let’s salute Plugs 1, 2 and 3 for sticking to their guns and showing us that we can all beat the system if we come together as a community. Let’s hear it for black ownership of black art! Congratulations fellas…”
This news arrives two months after Reservoir Media bought iconic rap label Tommy Boy Records with a reported price close to $100 million. The acquisition gave the company the rights to the label’s entire catalogue, including De La Soul’s classic run of six albums there including 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), De La Soul Is Dead (1991), and Buhloone Mindstate (1993). At the time of the sale, the New York-based company made a commitment to the group to resolve the highly bitter fight that they had with Tommy Boy for years. “We have already reached out to De La Soul and will work together to the bring the catalog and the music back to the fans.”, Reservoir Media said then.
HipHopWired Radio
Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…
