Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
If you take De La Soul's first three albums collaborating with Prince Paul behind the boards as a sort of trilogy arc, 1993's Buhloone Mindstate represents a maturing epiphany after the youthful revolution of 3 Feet High and Rising and the defensive autonomy of De La Soul Is Dead. For one thing, it's a lot less comedic: Paul's role as beatmaker/advisor also played out like a mentor helping his friends figure the rest out for themselves, so at this point the characteristic skits and oddball sample juxtapositions recede in favor of something a bit more deliberately esoteric and reflective.
The production benefits from a tighter focus on soul-jazz soundscapes and cratedigger funk—complete with live appearances by The J.B.'s legends Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis on "Patti Dooke" and "I Am I Be." (Parker's solo on the latter track's instrumental counterpart "I Be Blowin'" might be the single most transcendent moment of golden era hip-hop paying dues to its funk forebears.) But it's also a bit trippier and knottier than a lot of their peers were willing to go, with the deeply layered and sometimes borderline disorienting beats of tracks like old-school-mutating "Area" and the precipice-teetering slow-burn gallop "En Focus" using head-nodding drums to spin those heads 360 degrees; even the track that samples Michael Jackson ("Breakadawn") has a little bit of psilocybin glow to its mellow fusion.
Pos and Dave's unconventional flows and sleight-of-tongue lyrics provide some of the most intricately abstract verses to ever express sarcastic monomania (the rap boast deconstruction "Ego Trippin', Part Two"), existential reckonings (the soul-baring, intermittently emotionally wounded "I Am I Be"), and Afrocentric defiance (due-credit demand "Patti Dooke," featuring hooks and mic-trading verses from Gang Starr's Guru). The album's titular mindstate—"it might blow up, but it won't go pop"—seemed to anticipate a reception at odds with what mainstream rap was looking for at the time, and it didn't move the kind of units Tommy Boy was hoping for (or get the label push that De La were hoping for). But many of the fans who put their trust in De La Soul have grown over time to consider this arguably the group's finest album—a group sounding thoroughly liberated by the idea that, after two albums spent defining themselves to skeptics, they had nothing left to prove and everything to show for it. © Nate Patrin/Qobuz
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $17.49/month
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Lawrence Emmett Dickens, Composer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Jimmy Reed, Composer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
Norman Durham, Composer - Woody Cunningham, Composer - David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Mark Farner, Composer - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Dres, FeaturedArtist - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Shortie No Mass, FeaturedArtist - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
Lawrence Parker, Composer - David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Pee Wee Ellis, FeaturedArtist - Fred Wesley, FeaturedArtist - MACEO PARKER, FeaturedArtist - Guru, FeaturedArtist - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Scott M Sterling, Composer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - MACEO PARKER, FeaturedArtist - EDEN AHBEZ, Composer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Duke Pearson, Composer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Scha Dara Parr, FeaturedArtist - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Takagi Kan, FeaturedArtist - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Shortie No Mass, FeaturedArtist - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - TED SNYDER, Composer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Lou Donaldson, Composer - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Pee Wee Ellis, FeaturedArtist - EDDIE HARRIS, Composer - Fred Wesley, FeaturedArtist - MACEO PARKER, FeaturedArtist - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Berry Gordy, Composer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Patrice Yvonne Holloway, Composer - Martyn Buchwald, Composer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Frank Edward Wilson, Composer - James Pryor, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brenda Holloway Davis, Composer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - MACEO PARKER, Composer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Shortie No Mass, FeaturedArtist - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Fred A Wesley Jr, Composer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Duke Ellington, Composer - WILLIAM ROBINSON, Composer - Stevie Wonder, Composer - Billy Strayhorn, Composer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - John Latouche, Composer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Susaye Greene, Composer - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Rose Ella Jones, Composer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Biz Markie, FeaturedArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
Joseph Modeliste, Composer - Arthur Neville, Composer - David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Dick Hyman, Composer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - A Tribe Called Quest, FeaturedArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Leo Nocentelli, Composer - Kamaal Ibn Fareed, Composer - George Joseph Porter, Jr., Composer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Malik Izaak Taylor, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Marcel Hall, Composer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Biz Markie, FeaturedArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
David Jolicoeur, Composer - Kelvin Mercer, Composer - Prince Paul, Producer, Mixer - Bob Power, Mixer - Brian Sperber, Engineer - Mikael Ifversen, Engineer - De La Soul, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist - Paul Huston, Composer - Chris Flam, Engineer - Vincent Mason, Composer - Eric Gast, Engineer - Hoover Le, Engineer - Ken Quartarone, Engineer - Brad Schmidt, Engineer - Gerard Julien, Engineer - Jope Warda, Engineer
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
Album review
If you take De La Soul's first three albums collaborating with Prince Paul behind the boards as a sort of trilogy arc, 1993's Buhloone Mindstate represents a maturing epiphany after the youthful revolution of 3 Feet High and Rising and the defensive autonomy of De La Soul Is Dead. For one thing, it's a lot less comedic: Paul's role as beatmaker/advisor also played out like a mentor helping his friends figure the rest out for themselves, so at this point the characteristic skits and oddball sample juxtapositions recede in favor of something a bit more deliberately esoteric and reflective.
The production benefits from a tighter focus on soul-jazz soundscapes and cratedigger funk—complete with live appearances by The J.B.'s legends Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis on "Patti Dooke" and "I Am I Be." (Parker's solo on the latter track's instrumental counterpart "I Be Blowin'" might be the single most transcendent moment of golden era hip-hop paying dues to its funk forebears.) But it's also a bit trippier and knottier than a lot of their peers were willing to go, with the deeply layered and sometimes borderline disorienting beats of tracks like old-school-mutating "Area" and the precipice-teetering slow-burn gallop "En Focus" using head-nodding drums to spin those heads 360 degrees; even the track that samples Michael Jackson ("Breakadawn") has a little bit of psilocybin glow to its mellow fusion.
Pos and Dave's unconventional flows and sleight-of-tongue lyrics provide some of the most intricately abstract verses to ever express sarcastic monomania (the rap boast deconstruction "Ego Trippin', Part Two"), existential reckonings (the soul-baring, intermittently emotionally wounded "I Am I Be"), and Afrocentric defiance (due-credit demand "Patti Dooke," featuring hooks and mic-trading verses from Gang Starr's Guru). The album's titular mindstate—"it might blow up, but it won't go pop"—seemed to anticipate a reception at odds with what mainstream rap was looking for at the time, and it didn't move the kind of units Tommy Boy was hoping for (or get the label push that De La were hoping for). But many of the fans who put their trust in De La Soul have grown over time to consider this arguably the group's finest album—a group sounding thoroughly liberated by the idea that, after two albums spent defining themselves to skeptics, they had nothing left to prove and everything to show for it. © Nate Patrin/Qobuz
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 18 track(s)
- Total length: 01:00:35
- Main artists: De La Soul
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: AOI Records
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited 2023 A.O.I., LLC under exclusive license to Chrysalis Records Limited
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.