Our favorite plugs Pos and Dave (stop, you know we got love for Maseo, too) drop a remixed version of “The Work”–a track off their conceptual First Serve project that they debuted on the BBC not to long ago. The new beat is by 2&4 AKA Chocolate & Khalid–the same producers who put together the album versions–and balances dramatic soul strings with a subtle reggae skank. Stream below via Duck Down records and get the LP version with the entire First Serve album via the iTunes button at bottom.

props to DD

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First Serve opens with the youthful exuberance of Jacob (Pos) and Deen (Dave) trading rhymes in a basement, fueled by blunt smoke and dreams of stardom. “Pushin’ Aside, Pushin’ Along” soars atop a driving piano loop and sped-up vocal sample, unfolding as an anthem of defiance against  deterrents to a dream. The propulsive “Work” hits like a crushing upper cut as the the second half of the opening one-two punch, with the two MCs trading lines with the vigor of hungry new jacks and the precision of seasoned vets.

The album moves Jacob and Deen briskly through the backbreaking grind of dues being paid (“Small Disasters”), to the jubilation of inking the first record deal (“We Made it”) with the nuanced mix of humor and humanity that has always defined the Plugs at their best. But, as any viewer of Behind the Music (or the recent A Tribe Called Quest documentary, Beats, Rhymes and Life, The Travels of ATCQ) has come to expect, the good times and fun rhymes soon come to a crashing halt, as inner turmoil begins to sabatoge the group. The blues tinged “Book of Life” and the cinematic “Clash Symphony” combine for the album’s musical and narrative climax, the former a nuanced recounting of a crumbling friendship, the latter an exchange of venomous disses between former partners.

Both musically, and thematically, First Serve tails off a bit in the third act. The production–handled exclusively by French beatsmiths Chokolate and Khalid–rarely stands out on its own merits but generally compliments the mood and propels the story forward in the early going. But, it begins to lag on the final laps. Generic electronic instrumentation makes what should be triumphant moments of redemption feel coldly sterile on “Tennis” and “Top Chefs.” “Move ‘Em In, Move ‘Em Out,” presented as the fictional group’s comeback smash, plays more like the last desperate grasps for relevancy of a group whose era has passed.

Still, the whole of  First Serve  is greater than the sum of its parts, and the album’s crisp pace, infectious energy and playful humor make it an easy listen and a simple pleasure. That’s a bigger accomplishment than it may seem for two MCs whose legends are built largely on complexity.

- Jeff Harvey

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Blammo. New audio from First Serve AKA Plugs 1 through 2 of rap geniuses De La Soul. The infinitely catchy “We Made It” might be the best thing they’ve leaked yet and also the best argument in support of my thesis; that First Serve is a throwback to the care-free, soulful and sometimes goofy feel of the very first De La releases. Which makes you wonder how it’ll be different from the forthcoming, official De La LP? We may have some answers sooner than you think (within minutes in fact–stay tuned!). But it seems sure to be a win/win sitch-eeation. The self-titled First Serve is available on iTunes now–purchase via the button at bottom.

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I recently had the pleasure–and honor–of speaking with 2/3 of the legendary hip hop trio, De La Soul. Now in their 4th decade of releasing fun and insightful rap tunes, Pos and Dave have linked up with French producers Chokolate and Khalid (aka 2 & 4) for a narrative album, First Serve.

The album follows two friends Deen Whitter (Dave) and Jacob ‘Pop Life’ Barrow (Pos) and their ascending rap career, including the inevitable bumps along the way. Throughout the album the two De La rappers stay in character, and if you’ve seen the video for “Must B The Music” you will be able to see the physical differences of Dave and Pos and their First Serve personas.

We touched on many topics including the concept behind First Serve—due out thisc coming Monday, April 2 on Duck Down Music–what Maseo is into, The Roots picnic and the possibility of a new De La album.

OKP: I’ve gotten a chance to listen to the First Serve album a few times, can you break down the concept of album?

Dave: I mean, there is no concept; it’s just a story being told from another perspective. Everyone’s looking for a concept, especially when you put the name “De La” to it, it has to have some type of meaning or concept or something like that. It’s just a project we did in character. It’s like a movie without a screen.

It’s another project that we got into with two producers from France who were interested in working with us. They felt like they had a project that we could take to a place that they envisioned and that’s really what it’s about.

The subject is about two guys coming up, wanting to be rappers and go through their personal trials and tribulations. And they find a way to make that work, and the success of their careers come about and the story continues later on down the line.

The music is probably more of the story because all of the stuff in between kinda pieces the music together. There’s no real concept or guideline, just the idea to put together an album of the lives of these two characters.

OKP: How do these two characters differ from your real personas?

Pos: Yeah when me and him were putting together the characters, we didn’t want them to be just like who we are – the people in De La Soul. My character (Pop Life),  is physically a little bit more flashy. And his whole persona is just really out there.

Even when we were writing, we were trying to take on certain things – okay this is something that Pos would say so we wouldn’t say it like that. And we really tried to dive into making this person so much different than what I am.

My character’s name says it all – Pop Life – he’s trying to be popular, flashy and out there.

(Purchase Plug 1 & 2 Present First Serve on iTunes via the button below):

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You are right. This is a post just to remind you that the First Serve LP–Pos and Dave‘s side project with producers Chocolate and Khalid of 2 & 4–drops today, something we don’t normally do. But this is an important exception for several reasons. First and foremost, shit bangs (don’t believe me, listen to “We Made It“). Also the First Serve release provided us with a good opportunity to get the plugs on the phone and rap about their alter egos, plans for a new De La Soul LP and headlining the Roots picnic! Spring is here. y’all. Time to make the daisies. Check the tracklisting (after the jump), read the interview and purchase on iTunes using the button below.

1. Opening Credits (3:37)
2. Pushin’ Aside, Pushin’ Along (4:14)
3. The Work (4:05)
4. Small Disasters (2:28)
5. We Made It (4:27)
6. We Made It – Interlude (0:48)
7. Must B The Music (4:07)
8. Goon TV – Interlude (1:21)
9. The Book of Life (3:59)
10. Clash Symphony (3:24)
11. Pop Life (5:16)
12. Tennis (4:14)
13. The Top Chefs (2:58)
14. Backstage – Interlude (1:31)
15. Move ‘Em In, Move ‘Em Out (5:07)
16. Ending Credits (3:09)

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Pos and Dove from De La Soul took a break from going guerillas in Paris recently to debut their First Serve side-hustle live on the BBC. The 27-minute performance was the debut of the new songs “Move ‘Em In, Move ‘Em Out” (above) as well as “The Work” (below, along with some classic De La joints in the full-length video). The two plug-kateers sound super-tight live and look like absolute fools in bowtie and union jack-hat, respectively. They didn’t rock them for the whole show, but the goofy costumes seem to be sort of the point, the main theme of FS being to get back to the anything-goes spirit of their young days, far as I can tell. Not they are not ALSO putting in work on new LP from De La Soul proper. More on that soon.

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The 2nd serving of goodness from First Serve AKA Plugs 1 & 2 AKA Pos & Dove AKA 2/3rds of De La Soul AKA I can’t stop saying AKA. A straightforward flip of the disco era/b-boy classic of the same name from Secret Weapon, “Must B The Music” finds the Plugs in fine form and continues the journey through the alternate cartoon universe they launched with “Pushin’ Aside, Pushin’ Along.” Ironic, no, that when they loved in Long Island they had a French (Spanish?) sounding name and now that they live in Paris they sound like a Strong Island rap crew from the 80s. Ah, Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose, mon petits.

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