De La Soul - Grind Date (CD)

All Music Guide

De La Soul were interrupted just before they could deliver the third volume in their AOI series projected to be a DJ album to Tommy Boy. (The label perhaps bailed out from a 15year relationship precisely because the group was going to release such a commercially bankrupt title, one that will instead appear on an independent label run by Maseo.) De La Soul quickly realized they couldn't go ahead with the plan after signing their AOI label to Sanctuary, so they wrote a new record, The Grind Date. Although it may see them settling into a holding pattern, at least the pattern of 2001's AOI: Bionix is one that any hiphop fan won't mind hearing repeated. Better yet, it boasts productions from an excellent cast of figures partner in crime Supa Dave West, author of the best tracks on their AOI series, JDilla, who's stretching out his patented (read: overdone) sound to embrace classic hiphop, an only slightly commercialized Madlib, and young phenom 9th Wonder. Madlib gets what must be the fi...rst lead single of his career, a bright, antimaterialist tale called "Shopping Bags (She Got From You)" that thumps like a club tune, but lurches as only the Beat Conductor could do it. "Verbal Clap" finds JDilla allowing some grit into his productions, and Supa Dave only continues floating the most fluidly catchy productions of any rap producer in action. Meanwhile, De La Soul voices Posdnuos and Dave balance their time breezing easy on bumping message tracks with a few oldschool shots that show them a bit defensive about the passing of time. (Check out "Come on Down," a Madlibproduced shot with Flava Flav, or "Days of Our Lives" featuring Common.) Without a concept to tout, The Grind Date doesn't gel like AOI: Bionix, but it does show De La Soul keeping everything together more than 15 years after their debut (you certainly don't see MF Doom guesting on a ToneLoc record). - John Bush, All Music Guide Read more Less