De La Soul’s catalogue could reach streaming services shortly, it seems.
The iconic hip-hop group’s back catalog isn’t available digitally, one of the major black holes in the current streaming landscape.
The omission goes back to 2019, when Tommy Boy Music – who also hold the rights to Queen Latifah, House Of Pain, and more – attempted to put plans in place for a streaming release.
De La Soul spoke out against the terms of the contract, calling them “unbalanced” and “unfair” – the trio would have received 10% of profits.
Now music rights company Reservoir has bought Tommy Boy Music, placing a $100 million valuation over the seminal hip-hop stable.
This could be the key to unlocking De La Soul’s digital inhibitions, and bringing their stunning catalogue to a new generation of listeners.
In a short statement, Reservoir commented: “We have already reached out to De La Soul and will work together to the bring the catalog and the music back to the fans…”
In a cryptic post on Instagram, De La Soul said they had “woke up feeling a sense of greater peace of mind….”
Call me a cynic but I'm a bit skeptical that De La Soul's music will appear on streaming services even if Reservoir, the new owner of Tommy Boy's catalog, claims it will. Unclear if the persistent sample clearing issues have been resolved. https://t.co/M7EtPjI7HN
— Stephen Thomas Erlewine (@sterlewine) June 4, 2021
