Review: Cokeboy Zack “Here’s Half”

De La Soul’s tenth studio album is built around a steady and unwavering mission: to honour the life and legacy of founding member David Jolicoeur (also known as Trugoy The Dove) after his heartbreaking death in 2023. Speaking with NME earlier this year, MC Posdnuos remembered what Jolicoeur’s family told them at the funeral: “If y’all stop, Dave stops. We’re not putting necessary pressure on you, but we would love to see y’all continue on.”

The fact that De La have not shared a release since their Grammy winning 2016 album ‘And The Anonymous Nobody’ makes it clear that they only speak when they have something meaningful to offer. With so many layered emotions around grief, reflection, and legacy rising to the surface, this moment feels right for such a powerful return.

Drawing together an impressive gathering of talent, including iconic hip-hop figures like Nas, Slick Rick, Q-Tip, Pete Rock, Black Thought, and DJ Premier, all acknowledged in an extended opening roll call, Posdnuos and Maseo aim to craft an experience that fully pulls you in. With poetry and spoken word woven throughout, sweeping orchestral touches, and a clean, grounding narration from actor Giancario Esposito, ‘Cabins In The Sky’ attempts to capture the long process of facing Jolicoeur’s absence while firmly insisting on his lasting presence, expressed through lines like “When its Pos and Maseo you see, the magic will always remain three” (‘YUHDONTSTOP’).

One of the album’s most emotional moments arrives on ‘Different World’, which features poet Gina Loring and showcases some of Pos’ most exposed and heartfelt writing to date. Blending internal rhymes with a gentle flow that pulls you along, he shares: “Hard for me to cry, ‘cause I’m thankful… steering us through right and left turns / What we earn is another angel on our side.”

It is important to recognise that this album is not weighed down solely by sorrow or sentimentality. Instead, it stays grounded in the reality of the world we are living in now, offering plenty of new and outward-looking thoughts. On ‘YUHDONTSTOP’, Posdnuos reflects, “There’s high stakes being played around the world, and it’s understandable to be rooted in the present,” while also speaking honestly about De La’s place in contemporary American culture: “Some young ones don’t think we got that edge… Telling us ‘you a pioneer’ means you have American Pie nowhere near you.” Elsewhere, ‘A Quick 16 For Mama’ brings a tribute to the love and sacrifice of mothers alongside Killer Mike, and ‘Just How It Is’, which explores the story of a woman betrayed by her partner, highlights the deeper empathy and insight that maturity has given Posdnuos.

While De La Soul’s reflections on society are sharp and clear, the heart of this project belongs to David Jolicoeur and the space he has left behind. By examining the deep influence he had on their lives, both personally and creatively, the remaining members of the group shine a light on his essential contribution to American hip-hop and show exactly why they continue to be celebrated as some of the culture’s most cherished voices.