De Le Soul To Release Rare 1994 EP With A Tribe Called Quest

De La Soul are having a moment. The legendary hip hop trio finally got their music on streaming in 2023. This exposed their catalog to a new generation of listeners. Many of whom became obsessed with their unique approach to rhyming and their musical experimentation. De La Soul’s catalog is one of the best in all of hip hop. It’s about to get bigger, however. The surviving members of De La Soul announced plans to rerelease an EP that most fans did not know existed. It dropped in 1994, and featured A Tribe Called Quest.

Posdnuos and Maseo took to Instagram on January 10 to confirm the news. Clear Lake Audiotorium, an EP that only had 500 copies originally pressed, will be coming to streaming shortly. “Originally pressed in 1994 as an exclusive promotional release for select DJs,” the duo explained. “Clear Lake Audiotorium has achieved near-mythical status among collectors.” It’s not hard to see why. The EP sees De La Soul work with some of the most respected rappers and producers of their era. “sh.Fe.Mc’s” is a collab between De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. “Stix & Stonz,” meanwhile, features a whole crew of artists.

The posse cut includes guest spots from Grandmaster Caz, Tito of the Fearless Four, LA Sunshine of the Treacherous Three and Prince Whipper Whip. It’s worth noting that four songs on the Clear Lake EP were also on their classic 1993 album Buhloone Mindstate. These songs include “In the Woods,” “I Be Blowin,” “Patti Dookie” and “I Am I Be.” The aforementioned Tribe collaboration, “sh.Fe.Mc’s,” was also added to the 30th anniversary edition of the album. Clear Lake Audiotorium will be released on March 7, 2025. It’ll get the attention it’s long deserved.

Posdnuos and Maseo talked about the impact of streaming during a Guardian interview in 2023. “It was frustrating that our first six albums weren’t on Spotify,” Maseo admitted. “It felt like we were being erased from history. Newer fans would ask: ‘Where’s your older stuff?’ Now, they’ll be able to get it.” We can’t wait to hear what Clear Lake Audiotorium adds to the De La legacy.