De La Soul – Buhloone Mindstate

Buhloone Mindstate is the third studio album by the American hip hop group De La Soul, released on September 21, 1993. The album was the last one to be produced by Prince Paul, who had been a key figure in shaping the sound of De La Soul since their debut. The title of the album is a phonetic spelling of “balloon”, and reflects the group’s philosophy of expanding their musical boundaries without losing their identity or pop appeal. The album features guest appearances from jazz veterans Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, and Pee Wee Ellis, as well as Japanese rappers Scha Dara Parr and Takagi Kan, Biz Markie, Guru of Gang Starr, Dres of Black Sheep, and Shortie No Mass. The album showcases De La Soul’s lyrical skills and diverse musical influences, ranging from funk and soul to jazz and rock. The album was critically acclaimed for its creativity and originality, and was voted the eighth best album of 1993 by The Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop critics poll .