Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump

1	Spitkicker.Com/Say R. / Chauncey Mason 1:19
2	U Can Do (Life) 4:23
3	My Writes / Tash 5:29
4	Oooh. 5:24
5	Thru Ya City 3:29
6	I.C. Y'all 3:21
7	View 4:18
8	Set the Mood 4:23
9	All Good / Chaka Khan 4:59
10	Declaration 2:56
11	Squat! / Ad-Rock 4:14
12	Words from the Chief Rocker 1:01
13	With Me 4:50
14	Copa (Cabanga) 4:06
15	Foolin' 4:22
16	The Art of Getting Jumped 3:48
17	U Don't Wanna B.D.S. / Freddie Foxxx 4:13

Barnes & Noble

Ever since De La Soul burst onto the hip-hop scene in 1989 with the kaleidoscopic trip Three Feet High and Rising, the Long Island trio has represented the best in abstract hip-hop. Their fifth album (and the first installment in a trilogy), Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump serves as both an introduction for the younger hip-hop audience and a reminder for old-heads who grew up jammin' to classics such as "Me, Myself, and I" and "Potholes in My Lawn." This time around, Posdnuos, Dave (formerly known as Trugoy the Dove), and Mase leave behind the self-deprecating irony of 1991's brilliant De La Soul Is Dead and the scathing assault on wack MCs found on 1996's Stakes Is High in favor of a more party-rockin' mood. The album's lead single, "Oooh" thumps along to a chunky bass line and a catchy hook courtesy of Brick City's Redman. Other unlikely collaborations on this 17-track aural adventure include Busta Rhymes on the booming bass anthem "I.C. Ya," Beastie Boys Mike D and Ad Rock on the old-school flavored "Squat!" and R&B diva Chaka Khan on the jazzy love letter to De La haters, "All Good?" Although there are many guests on the mike, they can't steal too much of the spotlight from the show's true stars, who display their signature off-kilter rhymes and eclectic production and remind us, once again, just how creative hip-hop can be. Rashaun Hall

All Music Guide

De La Soul came storming back after four years of recording inactivity -- and practically a decade out of the hip-hop limelight -- with a promise to release three full albums in a series they dubbed Art Official Intelligence. From the first volume, Mosaic Thump comes some hip-hop/soul with "U Can Do (Life)." Posdnuos' raps are occasionally thoughtful and clever, but he seems obsessed with being as hardcore as DMX or Jay-Z. There are a few solid productions by outsiders (Ad Lib's "My Writes," Jaydee's "Thru Ya City," Rockwilder's "I.C. Y'All." with Busta Rhymes), but most of Mosaic Thump was produced by De La Soul themselves. John Bush