Episode 46: Thomas Golubic on De La Soul’s “Three Feet High and Rising” (1989)

Episode notes

The Album: De La Soul: Three Feet High and Rising (Tommy Boy, 1989)
I (OW) mention this on the episode but this album changed my life. It wasn’t my introduction to hip-hop but it was the album through which I fell in love with hip-hop and that set me down a path that shaped the rest of my professional (and even personal!) life: as a writer, scholar, DJ and of course, humble podcast host.
It clearly had an impact on Thomas Golubic too. Our guest for this episode is one of the top music supervisors in the game (as Morgan jokes, he’s not just a member, he’s the president, literally). He worked on Six Feet Under Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and right now, Better Call Saul; those in L.A. may also remember him from his KCRW days.
Thomas and us dug deep into everything that makes this album so special, not the least of which is how it shifted the perception of what hip-hop could sound and look like. It’s may be hard to remember now, nearly 30 years later, but in 1989, hip-hop was dominated by larger-than-life, superhero MCs such as KRS-One, Chuck D, Rakim, etc. But here were these four guys from Long Island, with a wholly creative irreverence, embracing their inner nerdiness (and soul ya’ll) and mining a treasure trove of samples beyond the James Brown catalog (the latter would get them in trouble, which we talk about as well). The album, and group, changed the proverbial game. No more no less.
More on Thomas Golubic

• Interview with Variety
• Thomas on the “Crew Call” podcast.
• Website | Twitter

More on Three Feet High and Rising

• “How we made 3 Feet High and Rising” (Guardian)
• “Classic Track-by-Track Review” (Billboard)
• “Three Feet High and Missing: Why De La Soul’s albums aren’t available online” (BBC)

Show Tracklisting (all songs fromThree Feet High and Rising unless indicated otherwise):

• Say No Go
• Sia: Breathe Me
• Nat King Cole: Pick Yourself Up
• Little Richard: Hurry Sundown
• The Magic Number
• The Turtles – You Showed Me
• Transmitting Live From Mars
• Steely Dan: Black Cow
• Peter Gunz: Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)
• Say No Go
• The Invitations: Written on the Wall
• Plug Tunin
• Bob Dorough: Three is a Magic Number
• The Magic Number
• Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin’s Revenge)
• Kool G Rap and DJ Polo: Road to the Riches
• Say No Go
• Intro
• Eye Know
• Me Myself and I
• Tread Water
• D.A.I.S.Y. Age
• Double Huey Skit
• Cool Breeze on the Rocks
• I Can Do Anything

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