Stakes Is High

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
The De La Plugs created the D.A.I.S.Y. (Da Inna Sound, Y'all) philosophy on their brilliant and weird debut, Three Feet High and Rising (making them the first--and probably only--hip-hop act to appropriate a Johnny Cash song for their album title). Then they tried to kill the Daisy with their follow-up, De La Soul Is Dead and then tried to find their way through the aftermath of that unnecessary act on Buh-Loone Mind State. Finally, a full three albums from their first, De La finds their footing with Stakes Is High. Here, they're no longer so self-conscious and it's easy to remember why you liked them enough in the first place to stick with them through the hard times. With unfaltering lyrical dexterity, they get to ask the question, "Whatever happened to the Emcees?" ("Super-Emcees"), skewer the industry ("The Bizness," with some help from that super MC, Common), and even shout out to their birthplace, Long Island, twice (on "Long Island Degrees" and the break-down-funky "Wonce Again Long Island"). --Todd Levin

Amazon.com
The De La Plugs created the D.A.I.S.Y. (Da Inna Sound, Y'all) philosophy on their brilliant and weird debut, Three Feet High and Rising (making them the first--and probably only--hip-hop act to appropriate a Johnny Cash song for their album title). Then they tried to kill the Daisy with their follow-up, De La Soul Is Dead and then tried to find their way through the aftermath of that unnecessary act on Buh-Loone Mind State. Finally, a full three albums from their first, De La finds their footing with Stakes Is High. Here, they're no longer so self-conscious and it's easy to remember why you liked them enough in the first place to stick with them through the hard times. With unfaltering lyrical dexterity, they get to ask the question, "Whatever happened to the Emcees?" ("Super-Emcees"), skewer the industry ("The Bizness," with some help from that super MC, Common), and even shout out to their birthplace, Long Island, twice (on "Long Island Degrees" and the break-down-funky "Wonce Again Long Island"). --Todd Levin

Stakes Is High,De La Soul,Tommy Boy,Pop,Rap,Rap & Hip-Hop

Stakes Is High

Stakes Is High
Stakes Is High
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • They Certainly Set The Stakes High On This One
  • Stakes Is High...Even For De La Soul (Rating: 7 out of 10- -3.5 stars)
  • Classic DeLaSoul joint from 1996.............
  • I'm so glad I own this.
  • CLEARLY the best of De La Soul
 Stakes Is High
De La Soul
Manufacturer: Rhino / Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

East CoastEast Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Experimental RapExperimental Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Pop RapPop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Rhino RecordsRhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. The Low End Theory
  2. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
  3. Beats, Rhymes and Life
  4. The Grind Date
  5. AOI: Bionix

ASIN: B000000HKY
Release Date: 1996-07-02

Tracks:

  1. Intro
  2. Supa Emcees
  3. The Bizness Featuring Common
  4. Wonce Again Long Island
  5. Dinninit
  6. Brakes
  7. Dog Eat Dog
  8. Baby Baby Baby Baby Ooh Baby
  9. Long Island Degrees
  10. Betta Listen
  11. Itzsoweezee (HOT)
  12. 4 More
  13. Big Brother Beat
  14. Down Syndrome
  15. Pony Ride
  16. Stakes Is High
  17. Sunshine

Amazon.com essential recording

The De La Plugs created the D.A.I.S.Y. (Da Inna Sound, Y'all) philosophy on their brilliant and weird debut, Three Feet High and Rising (making them the first--and probably only--hip-hop act to appropriate a Johnny Cash song for their album title). Then they tried to kill the Daisy with their follow-up, De La Soul Is Dead and then tried to find their way through the aftermath of that unnecessary act on Buh-Loone Mind State. Finally, a full three albums from their first, De La finds their footing with Stakes Is High. Here, they're no longer so self-conscious and it's easy to remember why you liked them enough in the first place to stick with them through the hard times. With unfaltering lyrical dexterity, they get to ask the question, "Whatever happened to the Emcees?" ("Super-Emcees"), skewer the industry ("The Bizness," with some help from that super MC, Common), and even shout out to their birthplace, Long Island, twice (on "Long Island Degrees" and the break-down-funky "Wonce Again Long Island"). --Todd Levin

Amazon.com

The De La Plugs created the D.A.I.S.Y. (Da Inna Sound, Y'all) philosophy on their brilliant and weird debut, Three Feet High and Rising (making them the first--and probably only--hip-hop act to appropriate a Johnny Cash song for their album title). Then they tried to kill the Daisy with their follow-up, De La Soul Is Dead and then tried to find their way through the aftermath of that unnecessary act on Buh-Loone Mind State. Finally, a full three albums from their first, De La finds their footing with Stakes Is High. Here, they're no longer so self-conscious and it's easy to remember why you liked them enough in the first place to stick with them through the hard times. With unfaltering lyrical dexterity, they get to ask the question, "Whatever happened to the Emcees?" ("Super-Emcees"), skewer the industry ("The Bizness," with some help from that super MC, Common), and even shout out to their birthplace, Long Island, twice (on "Long Island Degrees" and the break-down-funky "Wonce Again Long Island"). --Todd Levin

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars They Certainly Set The Stakes High On This One.......2007-04-03

It is a strange fluke to be reviewing back to back De La Soul records and awarding them the allustrious 5 stars. Perhaps no other group has exemplified the longevity, quality, respect, intelligence, and playfullness like only De La can do. With their fourth album, they made some major changes (only because the times were changing so quickly). Prince Paul was absent for the first time in their career, the beats sound more lively and raw, they play the samples then then play them on light keyboards with hard drums...and their lyricism is absolutely MINDBLOWING AS EVER! My review of the Group Homes "Living Proof" stands by my opinion that it is the essential album for any hip hop producer. However, if you asked me what is essential for any aspiring lyricist; then "Stakes Is High" is it. Posdunous and Trugoy juggle their syntax, craft witty metaphors that stays on beat (while outshining them), and their language is so rich in imagery that the lyrics reveals something new with each listen. If you thought that their rhyme patterns were complex on earlier records, then you haven't heard nothing yet.

The albums "Intro", preceded by a skit, is not your typical skip material. After paying homage to the pioneering Boogie Down Productions, the lyrical onslaught begins. Posdunous rhymes, "A fresh linen scent so sniffer on the two-inch/ A talker of the berg without we-- influence/ So stick to you Naughty by Natures and your Kane/ 'Cause graffiti that I based upon the wax is insane". Apparently, the line was a show of respect to the aforementioned artists but the complexity was taken out of context and sparked a short beef between Treach and Posdunous. "Supa Emcess" follows and is unquestionably a superb single. The play on words are timeless especially when Posdunous spits, "Within this program of rap, I'll eradicate the glitches/ Yo I'm dark like Wesley, but I be sparkin more bitc---/and to them my constellation put your lives in jep/ While you others represent, I present my rep". The album just doesn't let up because the next song is "The Bizness". Another excellent single and once again the song is so lyrical that you can't help but say DAMN! Common is freakin' flows for the fun of it and as bold a statement this is, it is my personal favorite verse from him (including anything on "Resurrection"). "Wonce Again Long Island" and "Dinninit" follow and continues to blow me away. If the former doesn't make you look at degradation of women in hip hop in a different way then your a lost cause. Posdnous rhymes, "R&B nig--- lie to mother, sister, and daughter/ to have sex disguised as lovin in the rain/ Their words are more hollow than October 31st/ what's worse, hate to see the/ females switch to sexual mentality/ it doesn't match with they given anatomy/ Man they rather be ho'z like that male emcee/Who walk around like they got nutz/ And use they titz and azz like a crutch/ Man the underground's about not bein exposed/ So you better take your naked azz and put on some clothes/".


Truthfully, it is hard to quote certain lines here and there because it just doesn't do this record justice. Any verse could have been featured smack dab on the Source Magazines Quotable page. On top of that, if you think Prince Pauls influence is void on "Stakes Is High", then you are sorely mistaken. Being around Prince Paul, De La Soul has obviously learned from his genius and they have injected their own madness here. Telephone buttons ring to the mellow groove of "4 More", a short skit combating Country Musics ignorance towards rap music appears at the end of "Long Island Degrees" and the soul samples are extremely tight and layered by mixmaster Tim Latham in startling peak form. One of the tightest beats has to be "Big Brother Beat" featuring a young and hungry Mos Def. Since the album is so lyrical, Mos Def decides to flip Rakim lines just to keep pace with Posdunous and Trugoys 'Attack of the adverbial nouns'. I could talk about each song for days because there is so much standout material. However, the title track is one of hip hop musics underappreciated masterpieces. If you ever had a doubt in your mind that award shows are nothing but a popularity contest and are quite meaningless then this will erase those doubts. Trugoy spits, "I'm sick of bitc--- shakin' as---/I'm sick of talkin' about bluntz/ Sick of Versace glasses/ Sick of slang/ Sick of half-azz awards shows/ Sick of name brand clothes/ Sick of R&B bit---- over bullsh-- tracks Cocaine and crack/ Which brings sickness to blacks/ Sick of swoll' head rappers With their sicker-than raps/ Clappers and gats Makin' the whole sick world collapse".

In conclusion, "Stakes Is High" raises the bar of lyricism so cruelly high that NO emcee has stepped to it since. Contrary to many previous reviewers, I believe De La Soul took a huge step forward musically. They experimented with their own basslines (filtered them brilliantly with hi-tech studio equipment), sampled then played the samples on keyboards to inject more life in the sound, and they brought in the late Jay Dee (R.I.P.) to produce some cuts, whose hard drums and smooth sounds would be emulated over and over again. The album that you needed yesterday, "Stakes is High" will forever remain a benchmark in artistic growth, musicianship, and a dangerous display of euphemism, slang, and metaphor. Beats and rhymes like you will never hear again!

3 out of 5 stars Stakes Is High...Even For De La Soul (Rating: 7 out of 10- -3.5 stars).......2007-03-01

I had a hard time connecting with this album, no matter how many times I played it. I find De La Soul to be one of the best groups in the hip hop game. Don't get me wrong, this album is enjoyable from time to time, but this just didn't hit like other De La Soul albums that I've heard. People say that this trio reached their peak with this album, and I disagree. The problems that I had with their fourth album "Stakes Is High" was the obvious absence of Prince Paul and their jump from psychedellic hip hop (3 Feet High and Rising and De La Soul Is Dead) to hardcore hip hop, which is shown on this album. No more songs like "A Rollerskating Jam..." which made them seem fun to listen to, to songs like "Supa Emcees" where that (and a lot of other songs i.e. "Itzsoweezee (Hot)") sounds forced. For some odd reason I find that De La Soul was trying too hard this album, mostly with their "Anti-Commercial Rap" songs.

Now production. I believed everybody was dissapointed that Prince Paul was not behind the boards on this album, but mostly De La Soul along with Spearhead X, Ogee, Skeff Amslem, and Jay-Dee who co-produced the excellent song "Stakes Is High". Most of the other produces to include De La Soul do a good job pulling thier weight throughout this album.

Now don't get me wrong. This is a very good album, but not perfect like a lot of reviewers are saying (seeing the average is 5 stars...bring on the negative votes...). In my opinion, I just find it unbalanced. But hey, don't take my word for it, listen to the album yourself, because you might like it better than I do. "Stakes Is High" to me is like A Tribe Called Quest's "Beats, Rhymes, and Life".

Lyrics: B
Production: B
Guest Appearances: B+
Musical Vibes: B
Overall: B

Favorite Tracks: The Bizness, Wonce Again Long Island, Brakes, Betta Listen, 4 More, Stakes Is High

Honorable Mention Track: Supa Emcees

Favorite De La Soul Albums:
1. De La Soul Is Dead
2. 3 Feet High And Rising
3. AOI: Mosaic Thump
4. AOI: Bionix
5. Stakes Is High

Haven't heard:
The Grind Date
The Impossible Mission
Buhloone Mindstate (which might be important to why I didn't connect with this album very much)

Peace Everyone!!!

5 out of 5 stars Classic DeLaSoul joint from 1996....................2006-12-25

Great alternative to other 96 joints like All eyes on me and Reasonable Doubt. De La delivers as usual. Peace to the Plugs!

Top Joints:
Stake is High
4 More
Dinninit
Itsowezee
Supa Emcees

5 out of 5 stars I'm so glad I own this........2006-10-04

Are you tired of all the garbage that plagues rap music now-a-days? Then cop this and remember how great REAL HIP HOP MUSIC was (and if you search hard enough still is) today. De La is one of the best groups and this is easily one of their finest releases and a personal all-time favorite of mine. Hip Hop fans I highly recommend this! A++

5 out of 5 stars CLEARLY the best of De La Soul.......2006-07-20

If you're looking to chill out and listen to some real hip hop, you're probably going to need this album. "Stakes is High" is the most completely mesmerizing album that De La ever made. All of their previous releases have either been to conscious or too abstract for my liking. With stakes, they finally mesh all of the things that made them great in short spurts, and put it all on this one supreme album. Track 11 is the gem of the album in my opinion because of the cool bassline and the incredible melodies throughout the jam. chorus:

If money makes a man strange (we got to rearrange that)
So what makes the world go 'round?
If love is against the law, (listen, I don't know)
Gotta change the way its goin' down.

This album takes the listener back to simpler times. This is the type of album that if you started listeing to it today, 10 years from now you could listen to it and think about today with a smile on your face. It just feels so goood. If you like the roots, tribe called quest, mos def, or any real hip hop you are guaranteeed to love this album. This is the best of De La Soul, and the best of hip hop.
Incoming from the Airwaves
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Incoming from the Airwaves

    Manufacturer: Work Ethics Productions
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B000CADIRA
    Release Date: 2004-05-11
    Stakes Is High
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Stakes Is High

      Manufacturer: Tommy Boy
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | R&B | Styles | Music
      East CoastEast Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
      Experimental RapExperimental Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B000BPB40O
      Stakes Is High
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Stakes Is High
        De La Soul
        Manufacturer: Phantom Sound & Visi
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD
        ASIN: B00000E1YG
        Release Date: 1996-11-21

        Album Description

        First single from the hip hop trio's forthcomingalbum 'Stakes Is High'. Includes three mixes of the tune(Album Version, U.K. Full Length Remix & DJ Spinna- OriginalVocal), plus 'The Bizness' (Album Version). Comes in aslimline jewel case.

        Soul Music:

        1. Stone Cold Rhymin' [Explicit Lyrics]
        2. The Eminem Show (Clean) [Edited Version] [Clean]
        3. The Perfect Man [Soundtrack]
        4. The Psycho-Social CD [Explicit Lyrics]
        5. The Second Time Around [Explicit Lyrics]
        6. The Thesis
        7. The W [Explicit Lyrics]
        8. Thug on da Line [Explicit Lyrics]
        9. Totally Hits 2004, Vol. 2
        10. Trap House [Explicit Lyrics]

        Soul Music

        soul music

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        Tenor Masterpieces, Vol. 2

        Take It Easy [CD-single] [Limited Edition] [Import]

        The Music of Elliott Carter, Volume Four

        The In Sound [Import] [Original recording remastered]

        Sierra Maestra [Import]

        The Best of Celia Cruz

        L' Enfant Assasin des Mouches

        You Don't Know My Mind