De La Soul - Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump

The triumphant return. Released on August 8, 2000, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump is De La Soul's fifth studio album and the record that brought Posdnuos, Trugoy the Dove, and Maseo back to chart territory after a difficult mid-decade period, confirming once more what the most attentive listeners already knew: that this Long Island trio remained among the most creative, witty, and genuinely essential acts in hip-hop, more than a decade into their career and still impossible to categorize or contain.

Conceived as the first installment of what was originally planned as a three-album AOI series, Mosaic Thump marks De La Soul's hardest and funkiest album to date, the group producing ten of the sixteen actual tracks themselves and bringing a darker, more muscular energy to their signature sound without losing any of their intelligence or humor. Tracks like "U Can Do (Life)," "Thru Ya City," and "Declaration" find the trio addressing urban violence, racial tension, and politics with the seriousness of elder statesmen, while "Copa (Cabanga)" and "The Art of Getting Jumped," a razor-sharp satire of club culture, provide the essential lighter counterbalance.

The guest list is one of the most impressive of any De La Soul record: Redman, Xzibit, Tash and J-Ro of Tha Liks, Busta Rhymes, Mike D and Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys, Busy Bee, Freddie Foxxx, and the incomparable Chaka Khan all appear, each track shaped to suit its collaborators rather than simply slotted in. Hit single "Oooh" featuring Redman earned a Source Award nomination and remains one of the most irresistibly fun records either artist has made. "All Good?" featuring Chaka Khan is equally memorable, her voice bringing a warmth and grace that elevates the entire record around it. The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

As Robert Christgau observed, De La Soul had evolved into hip-hop's purest musicians, their art embedded in beats and flow and tunes as much as in their celebrated wordplay. Mosaic Thump is the fullest expression of that maturity, a record that proved these three could go shoulder to shoulder with anyone in hip-hop at the turn of the millennium and come out ahead.