After years of label disputes, sample clearance issues, and wrangling, De La Soul's catalog is finally coming to streaming services on March 3, 2023.

A story long circulated among De La fans, due to sample clearance issues and label disputes with Warner Bros. Records and Tommy Boy Records, none of the pivotal group's music before 2004 had ever made it to streaming services. In early 2019, another stir-up occurred when Tommy Boy Boy acquired the group’s master recordings from Warner. However, plans to bring their first six albums to streaming services were abandoned when De La pushed back on the move, urging fans not to stream the albums because they would only be receiving 10 percent of the profits.

Progress was made in June 2021, when music rights company Reservoir acquired Tommy Boy for $100 million. A representative for the company promised Reservoir would work with De La Soul “to bring the catalog and the music back to the fans," and true enough, De La regained control of their master recordings by August 2021.

While the group intended to get their music to streaming services in 2021, “a lot of back work that need[ed] to be done,” so the time frame was bumped. Now, the wait is over. This March, their albums 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), De La Soul Is Dead (1991), Buhloone Mindstate (1993), Stakes Is High (1996), Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000), and AOI: Bionix (2001) will be available on all major streaming platforms.

In addition to the streaming arrival, De La will issue vinyl, CD, and cassette reissues via their label AOI and distributed by Chrysalis Records. The reissue o f3 Feet High and Rising is now available for pre-order.