Since the 1988 release of their first single “Plug Tunin’,” De La Soul has pushed the boundaries of Hip Hop. The three man group introduced the D.A.I.S.Y. Age to the Rap world and promptly killed the movement by its second release. The evolution of De La has been fun to watch over the years and the next chapter should be no different.
In the next segment of the De La saga Plug 1 and Plug 2 of De La Soul play the characters Jacob “Pop Life” Barrow and Deen Whitter respectively, also known as First Serve. First Serve is an aspiring Hip Hop duo that experiences the trials and tribulations of getting on in the Rap game. Pop and Deen (Posdnuos and Dave) have dreams of fame, riches, and bitches while trying to maintain their friendship and also the group.
Scheduled for April 3 release, De La Soul’s Plug 1 and Plug 2 Present First Serve is in the same vein of the works of their mentor, Prince Paul. First Serve is a story of triumph and tragedy with a heavy dose of Hip Hop sprinkled in. In a most unique conversation one half of First Serve, Deen, not Dave, chopped it up with HipHopDX about the First Serve album.
“Jacob and Deen are just two dudes that came together struggling and loving this Hip Hop thing,” Dave (as Deen Whitter) explained. “We been listening to this Hip Hop thing all the way from Run-DMC to brothers like Nas, Common, and KRS-One. Even what brothers is doing nowadays like [Rick] Ross and Drake.”
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“We just like niggas that can put some rhymes down, whether you’re old school or come out today, we just fuck with niggas that spit. Got a lil’ co-sign from De La Soul and we’re ready to go.”
Deen continued to explain that De La Soul is a heavily influential group to First Serve, “I remember 3 Feet High and Rising when they put that out. That was something innovative, brand new, and fresh,” Deen said. “The record that I recall was the Stakes Is High joint they had. I think they had Common and Mos Def on that. Stakes Is High is one of my favorites from De La.”
“I think what them dudes do is classic music,” Deen Whitter said of De La Soul. “They’ve never been afraid to put out good music that they felt strong about in their hearts. That’s the influence right there. To be able to say I don’t care about what people say about me or how I look, as long as I’m happy doing it I’ll find somebody that’ll appreciate my sincerity, innocence, and honesty.”
First Serve’s first single “Pushin Aside, Pushin’ Along” is in many ways a theme song for Rap’s “newest duo, “’Pushin’ Aside, Pushin’ Along’ is just a song of perseverance,” Whitter explained. “When you’re trying hard to do your thing and drama might come your way you just push it aside and push along. You keep positive energy around your team so you can push on and make it happen.”
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First Serve connected with a couple of French producers named 2 and 4 to craft the sound of their first release, “The style is there but what people are obviously going to hear first and foremost is the music,” Whitter said. “The music obviously ain’t no New York shit, it ain’t no South shit, it ain’t no West Coast shit. It’s a couple of European kids trying to bring what they do to the table. I don’t even know why they call themselves 2 and 4 but fuck it, if that’s what they want to be, it’s cool.”
“The music is a little different, soulful, and playful.”
