The Rebirth of De La Soul

Kobalt Label Services has inked a worldwide, multi-year deal with influential hip-hop trio De La Soul. Known for their experimentation and collaboration of various sounds, from traditional hip-hop to and jazz-rap, De La Soul released their first album in 1989, the critically acclaimed 3 Feet High and Rising, which gave us “Me Myself and I” and other hits. This agreement with Kobalt is in support of De La Soul’s forthcoming album, And The Anonymous Nobody, which will be independently released on the band’s own label, AOI Records. The global deal includes exclusive digital and physical distribution and synch representation on the masters. There will be worldwide representation and product management support through Kobalt Label Services in multiple territories.

The creation of And The Anonymous Nobody has been several years in the making — the group’s Kickstarter campaign, which ran for 33 days in May 2015, garnered more than 11,000 backers and raked in $600,000 in funding, making it the second most successful in the platform’s history. The band also spent several years recording over 300 hours of live music. The resulting body of work is a concept and continuous story, even down to the transitions of songs with sound effects and instrumentals.

Kobalt President Richard Sanders said, “De La Soul has established itself as one of the most widely acclaimed hip-hop groups of all time. With three decades of recording history, they have deep-seeded roots in the music industry and a reputation for creating ambitious, eclectic music that has pushed the boundaries of hip-hop and popular music. Kobalt is excited to partner with them and make music history together.”