De La Soul’s first two albums – 3 Feet High And Rising and De La Soul Is Dead – were masterpieces in form and execution; the storytelling was inventive and the sampling by producer Prince Paul created the gold standard of an artform. The group’s third LP, Buhloone Mind State, with its jazzier palette and subtle emphasis on the groove, has ended up an unduly underrated gem not only De La’s catalog, but in the story of ‘90s rap in general. It’s soulful, features biting critiques of the other rap music of the time (“Ego Trippin (Part Two)”) and collaborations with jazz greats like Maceo Parker, and is a testament to the lyrical greatness and vocal interplay of Posdnuos, Dave and Maseo. No self-respecting rap fan’s collection is complete without it.