10 Years Later: De La Soul’s “and the Anonymous Nobody…”
On this day, August 26, 2016, legendary Long Island hip-hop trio De La Soul dropped their eighth studio album, and the Anonymous Nobody…, via their self-owned label AOI Records. It was their first full-length effort in twelve long years following 2004’s The Grind Date. At a time when many Golden Era veterans were either struggling for relevance or hopelessly chasing modern radio trends, Posdnuos, Dave (Trugoy the Dove), and Maseo did what they always do best — they zigged when everyone else zagged.
A Decade Since the Kickstarter Revolution
You can’t talk about this album without talking about how it came to life. Due to decades of legal tangles and sample clearance issues, De La’s iconic early catalog was locked in digital limbo for years. Rather than waiting on major label hand-outs, the group launched a Kickstarter campaign in early 2015 aiming to raise $110,000 for independent recording costs.
The response from hip-hop heads and die-hard fans was historic: the initial goal was blown away in less than 10 hours, and the campaign wrapped up with an astonishing $600,874 pledged by 11,169 backers. At the time, it was the second highest-funded music project in Kickstarter history, granting the trio absolute artistic control without any label executives breathing down their necks.
The Self-Sampling Blueprint
Instead of standard crate-digging through vintage records — which would have invited more legal headaches — De La Soul came up with a brilliant workaround. They brought in top-tier studio musicians, including the Rhythm Roots All-Stars, and spent three years recording over 200 hours of unscripted, improvised jam sessions spanning funk, soul, jazz, afrobeat, and rock.
This massive audio vault — equivalent to about 300 vinyl records — served as their own private sample library. The group and their co-producers chopped, flipped, and arranged their own live recordings, preserving that warm, gritty boom-bap aesthetic while remaining 100% sample-clearance free.
A Star-Studded, Genre-Bending Roster
While Posdnuos and Dave proved on the mic that they hadn’t lost a single step in lyrical sharpness and maturity, the album is equally defined by its wildly diverse guest list. Rather than playing it safe with standard underground features, De La brought together an unexpected lineup of collaborators.
On “Pain,” Snoop Dogg delivers his trademark laid-back West Coast funk, while “Memory of… (Us)” sees Pete Rock and Estelle team up for a gorgeous neo-soul and orchestral hip-hop piece. Raw boom-bap energy is maintained via Roc Marciano on “Property of Spitkicker.com,” while Southern trap icon 2 Chainz delivers a surprisingly energetic turn on the funky track “Whoodeeni“.
The boldest moves, however, ventured far outside hip-hop boundaries: “Snoopies” features Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, “Drawn” hosts Swedish synth-pop outfit Little Dragon alongside a swelling string section, and the 7-minute epic “Lord Intended” with Justin Hawkins of rock band The Darkness explodes into a full-on hard rock and gospel fusion.
Critical Reception and Lasting Legacy
Looking back ten years later, and the Anonymous Nobody… is not a flawless record, nor was it meant to appeal to everyone. Some critics, including Pitchfork (which gave it a 6.4 score), pointed out that the broad genre shifts occasionally disrupted the album’s overall cohesion. Yet, the project debuted at #12 on the Billboard 200, hit #1 on the Top Rap Albums chart, and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
Today, the record also carries deep sentimental value as the final studio album released during the lifetime of David Jolicoeur (Trugoy the Dove / Plug Two), who passed away in February 2023. and the Anonymous Nobody… wasn’t an attempt to recreate the youthful innocence of 3 Feet High and Rising. Instead, it stands as a mature, fearless, and dignified statement from three brothers who proved that hip-hop icons can age gracefully and stay completely independent on their own terms.
