De La Soul delivered a Tiny Desk Concert performance that celebrated their legacy and paid tribute to the late Trugoy the Dove. The set featured classics alongside tracks from their new album, Cabin in the Sky. The event marked De La Soul Day on March 3, amid the group's recent reclamation of their music catalog.
De La Soul, one of hip-hop's most influential groups, brought their signature humor to NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series. As DJ Maseo addressed the audience, he quipped, "Ladies and gentlemen, we're a new group called De La Soul," highlighting the band's evolving dynamics following significant changes.
The performance commemorated several milestones: the release of their latest album, Cabin in the Sky, and the third year of the De La Soul catalog being under the members' control. It also fell on March 3, designated as De La Soul Day. The occasion carried a bittersweet tone, as it honored David Jolicoeur, known as Trugoy the Dove or Plug Two, who passed away in 2023 shortly before their music became available on streaming platforms after a long legal dispute.
Posdnuos (Pos) and Maseo, the remaining members, approached the planning with care, considering what Jolicoeur would have approved creatively while incorporating fresh ideas to remember him. The result blended timeless tracks such as "Stakes is High" and "Breakadawn" with selections from the new album, including "YUHDONTSTOP," "Will Be," and "Much More."
The full set list encompassed "Sunny Storms," "Different World," "Pony Ride," "A Quick 16 for Mama," and "Me Myself and I." Supporting musicians included Daru Jones on drums and music direction, Aaron Hardin on keys, Ephraim Dorsey on saxophone, Omari Forman on trumpet, Lelia-Michelle Walker on viola, and background vocalists Yummy Bingham and Gina Loring. The Tiny Desk team, led by producers Bobby Carter and Joshua Bryant, captured the event with direction, editing, and audio mixing handled by Bryant and Josh Newell.
This concert underscored De La Soul's enduring impact on hip-hop, balancing reverence for their past with forward-looking energy.