August has been good to artists whose material wasn't previously available on DSPs. Just last week was the news that Blackground Records, which controlled albums from Aaliyah, Tank and Toni Braxton, had struck a deal with EMPIRE to make that material available for streaming. And now it has been announced that legendary group De La Soul who has been involved with in a dispute with Tommy Boy records now has complete control over their masters and will have their catalogue made available for streaming as well.
Talib Kweli made an announcement about the deal on Instagram.
The group is hip hop trio comprised of members Posdnuos, Trugoy and Maseo. that formed in Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of jazz rap and alternative hip-hop.
De La Soul cut their ties with Tommy Boy last year after negotiations fell apart on streaming rights. This dealt with their albums including 1989's 3 Feet High and Rising, 1991's De La Soul Is Dead and 1993's Buhloone Mindstate. De La Soul felt the deal presented at the time was an unfair split of streaming profits. 3 Feet High and Rising is generally considered a hip hop masterpiece.
Tommy Boy was recently acquired in June by Reservoir Media who now has an agreement in place with De La Soul. It is expected that their music will be made available to stream this year.
The group connected over IGTV to celebrate.
