De La Soul: The Forum, London
Nick Hasted, The Independent, 7 March 1997
THE WORLD outside this venue thought De La Soul was dead. Ever since their follow-up to the 1989's landmark 3 Feet High and Rising announced the fact, attempting to kill the "daisy age" which they initiated but killing their pop career with it, it had seemed as if hip-hop's mutant rush long ago rolled over one of the form's most impressive talents. Their last release, Stakes is High, was greeted with a shrug. But inside the Forum, it seemed that no one had cared. The place was rammed, jammed up with expectation for four hours before De La Soul finally arrived. And when they did stroll on stage, all the blows to their reputation soon faded away.
Total word count of piece: 445