To be honest, I was disappointed once I heard what the actual content would entail. Instead of fresh new lyrics, the group reuses verses from their most classic songs, but over some of the darker, more soulful production of J Dilla. Its a similar feeling that I had on Quasimoto's record last year, but once I wrapped my brain around the idea, it was easy to appreciate the record. Its really, really fucking weird to hear the heavier voices of Pos and Dave reciting the same lyrics of their '89 classic "Potholes In My Lawn", but its refreshing nonetheless, and makes one of the more intriguing experiences of the year for long time fans. To add to that, the verses are rarely verbatim. The emcee's often change up their flows, or slightly alter their lyrics. When looked at in this light, its hard not to appreciate the nostalgia, and introspective looks on some of the genre's most beloved rhymes.
That's not to say that Smell the D.A.I.S.Y.'s 29-minute runtime is merely a trip down memory lane. There are moments where the 2014 take on older material actually surpasses the original. On "No More No Less", the crew's reflective take one "The Magic Number" makes one hell of a run at the the source material. Even on "Leave Your Cares Behind", which essentially is the new "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" (one of my all time favorite De La Soul songs) turns an up-tempo, cheesy '80s spoof into a relaxed, reflective song that has an obvious place in the current era. The mixtape reaches its peak on the Nas sampled "Vocabulary Spills", which alone makes a good case for new and old listeners to check the record out.
Of course the cynical side of me will always be looking for flaws, but unless you hate De La Soul (in which case you would also hate hip hop) there's really not a whole lot on here to complain about. Posdnuos, Dave, and Ma$e have been in a generous mood over the last couple months—a timespan that includes them giving away their entire catalog for free—so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Smell the D.A.I.S.Y. is also being given away. Along with the already solid eleven songs, the package comes along with J Dilla wallpaper, an audio letter explaining their reasoning behind making the tape, and a short documentary filmed after the death of James Yancey in 2006, detailing his life and letting friends and relatives speak their final words. His influence is nearly untouched, and his fan-base, even after death, is arguably bigger than any producer in history, so it was a nice move throwing in extra goodies for the dedicated fans, especially when the only money you could possibly pay for this project goes directly to the J Dilla foundation. So yeah, I'd feel like a total douche if I spent too much time complaining.
2014 is looking to be a hell of a year for De La Soul. On top of this mixtape, the crew promises to release their first full length album since 2004, titled You're Welcome, along with an EP entirely produced by DJ Premiere and Pete Rock, which should be beyond awesome. Smell the D.A.I.S.Y., though, is their first step, and their tribute to their fallen friend was executed nearly flawlessly.
Rating: 3.5/5