De La Soul has stood the test of time simply because they were different and weren’t afraid to be themselves. When you look back at their musical contribution it still pays dividends in the form of touring which they still do to this day. But, even trendsetters get inspiration from those around them and for the legendary group it was watching NWA in 1989 that had the biggest impact on them. The goosebumps…the high of just seeing how fans responded to their music singing word for word even down to the transitions sparked something that will inevitably take the group into more than 20 years of killing shows.

Of course when you do something new or different you will be faced with opposition and they faced it head on. Hitting the stage with Bob Dylan at times or making similar moves just to break barriers of what was deemed “the usual”. Fast forward to today, Kaytranada opened up for Madonna which is incredible! Without artists like De La Soul, that wouldn’t be possible. It says something when these guys are still able to tour and are now on their 9th studio album. Longevity at its finest.