Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The first of their three-album Art Official Intelligence series, Mosaic Thump is a likable album, full of inspired moments. It's also the closest thing De La Soul have ever come to making a less-than-stunning LP. Maybe it's the contemporary production style that weakens songs like "U Can Do" and "I C Ya'll." Maybe it's the (far too) many cameos by bigwigs like Busta Rhymes and Redman and not enough by dark-horse newcomers like Indeed (who comes off nice on "Set the Mood"). De La haven't muzzled their intellectual bite on songs like "Declaration" and "View," and they can still get that rear in rotation with groovers like "With Me," and the funkalistic "Thru Ya City." But where they once left no doubt as to their status as hip-hop's brightest and most innovative group, De La now seem less extraordinary and more merely mortal. --Oliver Wang

Product Description
Features guest appearances by Redman-'Oooh', Chaka Khan-'All Good', Beastie Boys-'Squat', Busta Rhymes-'I.C. Y' All', and Tash & J-Ro of the Alkaholiks and Xzibit on 'My Writes' and much more. Packaged in a Digipak. (Tommy Boy Records)

Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump,De La Soul,Tommy Boy,Alternative Rap,Hip-Hop,Pop,Rap,Rap & Hip-Hop

Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump

Average customer rating:

Certified Gem for him or her

DE LA RETURNS

Doesn't get old!

Where to begin?

Better, Stronger, Faster...?

Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump
De La Soul
Manufacturer: Rhino / Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

East Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Experimental Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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AOI: Bionix

The Grind Date

The Love Movement

Beats, Rhymes and Life

Midnight Marauders

ASIN: B00004U45L
Release Date: 2000-08-08

Tracks:

Intro/Say R.
U Can Do (Life)
My Writes - featuring Tash & J-Ro
Oooh - featuring Redman
Thru Ya City - featuring D.V. Alias Khrist
I.C. Y'All - featuring Busta Rhymes
View
Set The Mood - featuring Indeed
All Good? - featuring Chaka Khan
Declaration
Squat! - featuring Mike D and Ad Rock
Words From The Chief Rocker - featuring Busy Bee
With Me
Copa (Cabanga)
Foolin'
The Art Of Getting Jumped
U Don't Wanna B.D.S. - featuring Freddie Foxx

Customer Reviews:

Certified Gem for him or her.......2007-01-17

Apparently a lot of reviewers took a star away from their rating on this album due to guest appearances by Redman and Busta Rhymes. I guess they forgot that Busta was originally a native tonguer (remember "Scenario") and Redman's first album sparked an entirely new era of east coast hip hop. Not to mention the fact that both songs are certified head nodders (in a good way) especially "Ooooh". "It Ain't All Good" was another banger. My favorite song has to be the 'set the mood' with Indeed, her style is so vivid and effortless you feel like you were next to her when the altercation she described is happening waiting on her to puff and pass. I think other raters are penalizing De La bcuz this is probably their most commercial album as both 'Ooooh' and 'It ain't all good' got major airplay and this album has the most guest appearances from established artists than all of their other albums (busta, redman, black thought, phife, pharoah monch, chaka khan, 2/3 of the beastie boys, etc). I guess hardcore de la fans, many of which are not necessarily hip hop or rap fans, my find that I turn off. The album also seems to be a little more funk influenced than their other albums. Personally, I can replay this whole album 5 times in a row before I even begin to get tired of it. If that's not a classic I don't know what is.

DE LA RETURNS.......2005-09-27

after a hiatus from releasing albums De La Soul returned with this. and believe me it does not dissapoint. I dont understand why all of yall are talkin ---- on this joint its pretty dope there are really only a few tracks that I find myself skipping through and it is about equal with the BIONIX record. Prince paul didnt produce on this one but the beats still bump bear in mind this isnt the second coming of DE LA SOUL IS DEAD but it is still better than 90% of the attempted comebacks by most Hiphop artists today. My favorite song is SET IT OFF with INDEED it is the hottest track I have heard in a while. I think that if you are looking at this CD and you see some bad reviews dont listen to them this is not a classic but it is definetly worth your time. 4 mics

Doesn't get old!.......2005-08-23

I have been listening to this CD by de la for months and it still has not gotten old! My personal favorites are "Thru ya city" and "copa cabana" but there are a lot of other good ones. The trademark de la sideshow freestyles are also classic. Pick this one up for sure, ya won't be dissapointed.

Where to begin?.......2004-07-13

I'm kinda sick of readin all these reviews sayin how it's not as good as their old stuff or there are too many guests. If you like their old stuff you gotta be 30 years old. Thats not really a dis but it's true. If you like hip-hop from '89 your old. period. The beats from then are different from the mid to late 90's and i think you would have had to grow up then to like stuff from then. "Newer" hip-hop started around the time of The Chronic. Thats when the beats started changing to what the kids listen to today. As for the record. Good. Not great, not bad, but good. Like many said there are a handful of standout tracks but the others are still listenable. It's not like theres only 3 cuts and then i take the cd out. I can listen to almost the whole thing. Theres also only like 2 or 3 "skits" out of 17 tracks which is good (I can't stand albums where like half the material are skits). Overall it's got fresh beats and is a good listen and worth having in your collection.

Better, Stronger, Faster...?.......2003-06-16

The first installment of De La Soul's album Trilogy Art Official Intelligence is quite frankly not upto De La's usuall exceptional standards but does not fail to impress in parts.

Originality is not a major theme here, especially with a computer generated female narrator; identical to that used by A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders. Along with other recognisable Bass lines and samples.

However the album does "shine" with tracks like "Thru Ya City", "Set The Mood" feat. Indeed and "With Me".

However, these good efforts are overshadowed by tracks including the commercialised Redman, Busta Rhymes and even the likes of The Beastie Boys: which most definitely puts a slight downer on the album as a whole.

Not a great album, but not a bad album and probably worth a listen if you really don't have any other good music to buy.

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