De La Soul has revealed details for their 10th studio album, 'Cabin in the Sky,' set for release on November 21 via Mass Appeal Records. The project features collaborations with Nas, Black Thought, Killer Mike, Common, and Little Dragon's Yukimi Nagano, with production from DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Supa Dave West. The lead single, 'The Package,' produced by Pete Rock, includes posthumous verses from the late Trugoy the Dove.
Album Details
De La Soul's 'Cabin in the Sky' marks the group's first full-length project in nearly a decade and serves as the sixth installment in Mass Appeal Records' Legend Has It.. series, celebrating New York hip-hop icons. Previous releases in the series include Slick Rick's 'Victory,' Raekwon's 'The Emperor’s New Clothes,' Ghostface Killah's 'Supreme Clientele 2,' Mobb Deep's 'Infinite,' and Big L's 'Harlem’s Finest: Return of the King.' Nas, who runs the label, will close out the series with his collaborative album alongside DJ Premier in December.
The album's title draws inspiration from the 1943 musical film 'Cabin in the Sky,' starring Ethel Waters, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. Posdnuos shared the backstory during a New York Comic Con panel in October, saying, “We were working and working [on the album], and I came across this movie. And I’m like, ‘Yo, this title is crazy!’ Cabin in the Sky. Immediately, I felt Dave.”
The Lead Single
'The Package' highlights De La Soul's enduring legacy, blending cerebral verses from Posdnuos with posthumous rhymes from Trugoy the Dove, who passed away in 2023. Pete Rock's thumping yet soulful production underscores the track's theme of timeless trend-setting. Posdnuos opens with, “Step to us with a Goliath, we got a David right here,” seamlessly transitioning into Dove's lines.
Context and Legacy
Posdnuos reflected on creating the album after Dove's death, noting, “When we lost him … I came and got [Maseo] out of the hole. We were all broken, but I kinda took on that role in Beat Street where I was like, ‘Yo, man, we gotta treat Dave like Ramon — we gotta keep him alive, we gotta celebrate him.’” He added a spiritual dimension: “Of course, we have songs with Dave on it but — yo, for me, and I’m sure there are people here who are spiritual and understand what I’m saying, it feels like, ‘Dave’s here for me. He’s here.’ There are times where I’m writing rhymes and I’m getting goosebumps ’cause I feel like Dave would be saying, ‘Yo, that’s dope!’”
This release honors De La Soul's chemistry while pushing forward amid loss.