This is a word, a podcast from Slate. I'm your host, Jason Johnson.

De La Soul pioneered a new sound and direction for rap in the 80s and 90s.

Now that their music is finally coming to streaming services,

how will De La Soul speak to a new generation of hip-hop fans?

They were one of the first groups to help me discover sampling,

and help me discover other music. And in terms of just sampling as an art form alone,

I think they moved it into a whole new dimension.

The legacy of De La Soul coming up on a word with me, Jason Johnson. Stay with us.

Welcome to a word, a podcast about race and politics, and everything else.

I'm your host, Jason Johnson. Their government names were David Joo Jullicore, Vincent Mason,

and Calvin Mercer. But to rap fans, they'll forever be known as Trugoy,

Pawsdenus, and Maceo, of the legendary hip-hop group, De La Soul.

Their music helped expand the vision about what rap was, the message it could carry,

and the people it could reach. The classic albums like Three Feet High and Rising,

De La Soul is dead and stakes is high. The songs of De La Soul struck a chord with millions of

fans from high school lunchrooms all the way to the White House. Here's a clip of them performing

their classic, Me Myself and I, for President Obama in 2016.

That was a clip from BET's Love and Happiness Tribute Concert

for President Obama.

Now, today, a whole new generation of music lovers have the opportunity to discover or re-discover

De La Soul for themselves. After a long, twisting series of negotiations,

De La Soul's music is finally available for streaming. While that calls for celebration,

...