New York Hip Hop legends, De La Soul, have just announced that hit single ‘The Magic Number’, off their groundbreaking debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, is now available on all streaming platforms. The release comes a week after the group announced their entire back catalogue will be released digitally for the first time on March 3, 2023.
In tandem with the release of ‘The Magic Number’, on all streaming platforms, a 7” vinyl, cassingle and digital download are also available on wearedelasoul.com., distributed by Chrysalis Records. The 7” has sold out in the U.S. but is still available in limited quantities internationally.
In 2021, ‘The Magic Number’ was synched in the end credits of the blockbuster film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was labelled by Variety as “a rare runaway success in the pandemic film industry.” The song’s placement alluded to the three versions of Spider-Man that appeared in the film. For some younger viewers, it was their first time hearing De La Soul’s seminal track.
De La Soul is a New York based trio whose members Posdnuos, Trugoy and Maseo created the hip hop masterpiece 3 Feet High and Rising, initially released on March 3, 1989. The group is best known for their eclectic and innovative sampling, quirky lyrics and their contributions to the evolution of jazz rap and alternative hip-hop subgenres. The band won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration for their song ‘Feel Good Inc.’ with The Gorillaz in 2005. In 2015, De La Soul raised over $600,000 on Kickstarter from fans to independently release their album And the Anonymous Nobody…, which was their first #1 on the Rap Albums chart and was also nominated for a Best Rap Album Grammy.
The Prince Paul-produced song, ‘The Magic Number’ was the opening track of ‘3 Feet High and Rising’ and set the tone for the acclaimed 1989 album. The number three is a significant number to the trio and the song’s lyrics, “Three is the magic number,” became a longstanding philosophy for them, after all, the band has three members and their debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was initially released on March 3, 1989. In celebration of the importance of “three” for De La Soul, the group’s entire catalogue will be available for the first time on all streaming services on the third month of the year; March 3, 2023.
For ‘The Magic Number’ pre-release, pre-add and pre-order, click here.
For 3 Feet High and Rising pre-release, pre-add, pre-order, click here.