“We consider our production, Da Inner Soul Y’all (Daisy), showing daisy’s”

Today’s hidden gem is De La Soul’s electronic press kit for their 5 mic album debut 3 Feet High and Rising. As members of the Native Tongues, De La Soul set themselves apart by not following the clichés of Hip-Hop. They didn’t wear gold rope chains, Cazal sunglasses, Kangol hats or shell top ADIDAS. They stayed in their own lane and brought fans to them.

The daisy imagery on the album cover represents their music production (da inner sound y’all ‘daisy’, while the peace signs were a symbol for their peacefulness. This would cause the group to receive backlash for being “hippies,” which they would eventually address on their second 5 mic album De La Soul Is Dead.

In an interview with Bönz Malone from The Source’s June 1991 issue Pos and Dove both voiced their opinions on the label.

“Y’all fell into tha trap of Tommy Boy. Tommy Boy trapped your mindz to the point where as y’all thought De La Soul was another bunch of brothers in a daffodil shit just rappin’ over funny toones. It wasn’t anything like dat. They lost the whole sigh of the group…They fell for the old gimmick that Tommy Boy put up. That whole daisy age flower shit. Yeah, brothers tried to play us but where thay at no? We’re right here,” Dove.

Do yourself a favor and go listen to this album. Not just 3 Feet High and Rising but their whole discography.

Thank me later.