61-24 Channel Study #2 - De La Soul

“Everyone, please celebrate the life and legacy of Dave, Trugoy The Dove, Plug Two, David Jude Jolicoeur.”

★ Thank You Dave - De La Soul Mailing List

(Trugoy = Yogurt backwards)

As many of us now know, De La Soul tri-founding member Trugoy (Plug Two) passed away on Sunday February 12th, 2023. Born: 1968, in the United States of America, on Saturday, September 21st, he remained a group member for the rest of his life after meeting fellow band members Posdnous (Plug One) & Maseo (Plug Three) at high school in New York.

This is also where they met Prince Paul who eventually brought their demos into a completed format, producing their debut album, 3 Feet High And Rising.

Prince Paul, a fellow Aries Sun, was a pioneer of the ‘Skit’ in Hip Hop, a technique we hear echoed by the likes and legends of Organized Noize, Dr Dre, and The Fugees to name a few. This legacy has remained a part of De La Soul’s presentation and how they choose to represent their eclectic art through transitional ‘skits’.

I’ve been enjoying streaming their digital catalogue, something that has taken their entire career to get the licence for, due to complications with the licensing and in particular ‘samples’ that were used. The access to streaming their digital catalogue finally comes to the group while in the face of Dave’s passing.

Just before this sad news a personal favourite ‘Eye Know’ had come into circulation in my regular roster, as it is simply magic and so proudly unique. Their music paved a way for artists to be even more true to themselves, and not conforming to the ‘pantomime of the day’ as ‘The Key Of G’ YouTube Channel wisely phrased it.

‘Me Myself and I’ being a clear example of them owning their authentic output with style that became pioneering. In an interview with Apple Music hosted by Ebro, the question is asked…

“Do you guys still hate Me Myself and I?”

★ Ebro - Apple Music Interview with De La Soul 2018

The group admitted there was some resentment to ‘having to play it no matter what’ however Maseo continues by thanking the fans for ‘making it fresh every time’ the group perform it. I like how Dave replies off the back of Maseo’s comments as he reflects on the song and why they still perform it, as it provides detail to the foundations of their pursuit of following their true selves, even against the odds as young teenagers.

“It’s a moment in our lives that was really important… it’s really important to us… it’s guided us in a direction that has made us who we are today… fighting for our music, fighting for our legacy, and fighting for what felt good to us and what’s important to us”

★ Plug Two - Apple Music Interview with De La Soul 2018

In the same interview the authenticity of their content is deeply shared by the interviewer and host, Ebro, who gives them insight into how their authenticity was what brought their art to him, as a 14 year old boy growing up in California, on the other side of the country.

“When you look at a lot of artists now that take creative risks, right, and push the envelope, you know!? Do things that are ‘quote on quote’ unpopular in Hip Hop…

… Y'all did that…

When you look back at the visuals its bonkers, right!? I was like 14 years old at the time … instantly you know? Me being a kid, I got a white mom, I’m growing up in northern California, Pan Africanism and activism is part of the dinner table conversations right? The hairstyles, the flat tops… African medallions, no gold… these were real conversations… and things that were happening in black households, it wasn’t just the guy on the street, the drug dealer… the Cadillac, the car, or all these stereotypical ‘quote on quote’ images… you guys shattered some of that right?

In the moment… were you thinking about that?”

★ Ebro - Apple Music Interview with De La Soul 2018

Plug One handled this question with his reply, which reinforced Plug Two’s first comments about being unique and true to themselves and how they wanted to be…

“In the moment no, we were just being us, I mean like, we were the same kids who could tell you any Kool G Rap lyric, Rakim, ‘Kane, we idolised some of the MCs who would be considered the most street MCs, though knowledgeable, but we were just still just being us, you know? We had to do it the way we did it… we helped each other to be comfortable in being ourselves…”

★ Plug One - Apple Music Interview with De La Soul 2018

The interview is really deep, and dubbed by Apple as the last one they did together, which I am not certain to verify, however it highlights why their unique sound was so pivotal. ‘A stand out artist’ for me, Alex, delivers what you expect but not how you were expecting it, the album 3FHAR delivered this by role modelling introspection, activism, collective calls, skits, samples, intentful fashion, and many musical influences.

The lyrics of ‘Eye Know’ nod but a flaunt of how gracious and non-conforming their rhymes were to the majority of the underground Hip Hop scene, and part of why they stood out.

“May I cut this dance to introduce myself as the chosen one to speak.

Let me lay my hand across yours and aim a kiss upon your cheek.

The Name’s Plug Two,

and from the soul I bring you the DAISY of your choice,

may it be filled with the pleasure principle in circumference to my voice”

★ De La Soul - Eye Know, Verse 2, Plug Two

I have been watching some of their more recent live performances, and I began recalling the last time I heard them live, which was in 2014 a day after my birthday, 9 or so years ago.

This memory made me ponder on how much this trio must have been through together in the past 30 years. Tour memories of places and or faces, meetings, compliments and criticisms, sun rises, sun sets… intimate memories experienced uniquely as the ‘DAISY’ group, three friends.

DAISY = ‘Da Inna Sound Y’all’ - De La Soul.

Listening to their music I feel compassion for their human experiences, the journey we all go on societally, individually, internally, existentially, spiritually and so on… Getting old, having family, friends and foe, being in the fame and media light, or losing life long friends like Dave, who also happened to be the founding member of the group you have travelled the world with, doing what you love in an authentic way.

I will always remember being called out by Maseo as I rushed across a busy Manchester Street in 2010. I was on my way to get a train home after DJing a house party the night before. The date of November would check out that they performed with the Gorillaz that month in Manchester.

As I carried my weighty record box and hungover-sorry-self through the hustle and bustle of an overcast Mancunian-cobbled street, from across the noise I distinctly hear:

“Yo DJ.”

★ Maseo?

Having surrendered to the fact that if you carry a record box around with you, someone may recognise you as a DJ… I steadied my gaze to see perhaps a trio gathered outside a busy building, and at the time I had never seen a picture or a video of De La Soul, but as someone born in 1990 I knew their music as a soundtrack to my childhood. I walked up to them as I was caught between being late and needing to bounce, but also curious: Who was recognising me here?

“Do you know who De La Soul are?”

★ De La Soul - Manchester, UK 2010

I believe my answer would have been something along the lines of:

“No way!”

★ Alex - Manchester, UK 2010

We fist-bumped and said our respects, and as I announced my departure I began to continue my paced dash towards the train station when another question came at me…

“Where’d you play, how was your set?”

★ De La Soul - Manchester UK 2010

I’m not sure of my words on this day but I know I did proudly tell them we had to unplug the fire safe heat detector alarm because the dancing from my DJ set, had set it off.

It felt like a very cardinal Aries fire sign DJ thing to say ‘bringing the heat’.

As I turned and I carried on I was supported in a cheer and hype of their humble dignity and well wishes behind me. I’ve met a lot of musical idols or famous musicians and they had to be up there, for being super laid back and understanding.

Reflecting on this now I wonder what hangover cure ‘hanging’ out with them a little longer would have given me, had I been in less of a rush or caught so off guard.

As someone who at that time had been producing music and Hip Hop for nearly 5 years I’m sure we could have found some things to talk about. I didn’t want to mob them as artists, as they are human, I was also in a rush, very hung over, and I felt like our quick exchange was genuine and everything it needed to be. It’s not like I had time or money as my everything was in that train ticket home. I’ve met Maseo around the world since, and not had huge exchanges but he was always very humble and level headed, very popular, and really in his element as a DJ. You can sense it in their ‘Eye Know’ music-video a young eager focused DJ - 30 years ago - who to this day, continues to turn up this way.

It’s so humbling to see that after 30 years they can still recall their love for who they are, where they came from, what they went through together, and what they achieved. They influenced the music industry and the group attest to Dave really painting this energy of influence. In an Apple Music podcast, the group shared how Dave came up with the term ‘De La Soul Is Dead’ which was sort of a joke aimed at being tired from touring, where Dave struck out the schedule on a marker board and wrote DLSID. This became a running joke, and also the title of their 2nd album.

In many ways this title of DLSID is them being ‘reborn’ past the success and criticism of their first album. It’s a mutation of their authenticity, their confidence in who they were, and perhaps was their way of breaking away from the ‘hippies and daisy rhymes’ image they had picked up from the hype of their first album, 3FHAR. I see it as their way of saying ’Strike us down and we will only be stronger’ as they are true to who they are, and they continued to prove to be very versatile throughout their career.

Songs like ‘A Roller Skating Jam Named “Saturdays”’ from the DLSiD album, hold so many layers of influence to it and presses towards a more uniform material without losing its roots in format and presentation that was so obviously De La Soul. As a music producer I can’t even fathom how you would make this the end result, never mind it be as flawless and addictive as this, and I can only comprehend this as pure immersion in the music around them...

So now we have our trivia outlined, let’s take a look at the Human Design charts of De LA Soul group members.

I admire and agree in their words of ‘Thank You’ in Dave’s passing as you could not pick truer words, and I hope that Dave’s family and friends find peace in this experience they shared with him, as well as grace in the recent hardship of losing a genuine friend and family member.

Data Hypothesis

Plug One and Two were the front men, and Plug Three Primarily the DJ, however Plug Three did also rap and produce, and I believe all three members had their hand in writing, rapping, producing, DJing, and all the other aspects of the creative output and brand that they built. They all came from a sound-system culture and had a natural affinity towards music that rocked well together. I sense that the Third-Line energy would also be prominent in the group’s birth data as they were very mutative musicians, and hold hallmarks of some Role Models in the tri-phasic life of the Sixth-Line energy. I’d expect to see the channel of 61-24 in at least one of these charts if not the associated Gates, and look forward to continuing this Channel study.

Maseo is an amazing DJ and added such an edge to their live performances. I’ve heard him play around the world and he really does a great job of representing music tailored to their unique form of expression, while still maintaining the underground raw sound of hip hop and turntablism. Historically he educates audiences on generalised music with sharp performance skill sets that paired with the introspective rhymes of Plug One & Two made them stand out on stage, as well as on albums.

This introspection is really strong in the track ‘Trying People’ in which Dave leads with depth internalising raw honest feelings so maybe we are looking at some personality First-Line, and Second-Line, and or Third/Sixth-Line energy. The track starts with a skit of a friend of Dave calling him about the track, you can really here the hype in his voice about the way ‘Maseo was talking about it’ … as if it was the next best thing in Hip Hop.

“Am I just another lost in the pack?
We Horshack shit, you know laugh it off
Years just blow by
My eyes stay fixed but the picture's kinda outta focus

I cry a lot but admit to it
Enjoyin' life now but I've been through it
Sometimes I wish that I can go back
No bills, no kids, just getting tore back

I want a wife, I love women
How could I front like I don't be in love wit' 'em?
A lil man that I can teach, a lil sand but not the beach
I figure excess'll only bring an excessive amount of fussin'

So when I'm gone, make sure the head stone reads, 'He did it for us...”

★ Trying People - Verse 1, Plug Two

So let’s Start with Plug Two - Dave - may he rest in peace. Thank You Dave!

An emotional generator with an open Root Center all day. Consistent amount of Third-Line energy, as well as Triple-Split Definition possibilities throughout the day, but on topic of the 61-24 we only see this present in the first hour and twenty minutes of the day in the form of a hanging Gate-24. This potential ‘birth-time data’ would mean his Sun Gate-6 would also be 6.6.6.6 - so potentially Innocence-Motivation. We also see a 6/3, or 1/3 Profile, which could weigh in on the Third-Line mutative role he played in the music industry, never mind Hip Hop, or the group De La Soul.

In interviews Plug One & Three credit Dave a lot for being the genius to some of their greatest hits or say combination of samples that made a distinguishable beat. They also describe the way the group originally ‘made music’ which was in a jam session format where they would take it in turns to share and build upon ideas, using a ‘sample’ from one track, and DJing another element over the top of it, which was another big reason I felt like the experimental and mutative quality of the Third-Line would be prominent in the group, especially Dave. The following comments are Dave talking about their first album. (The ‘fourth’ member being mentioned most likely referring to Prince Paul.)

“It was a capsule of our innocence. I can hear four individuals who didn’t give a damn about the rules and just went in and had a good time.”

★ Plug Two on 3FHAR - Check The Technique Vol. 1, by Brian Coleman

Below we look closer at the potential birth data of Dave between 00:00 - 2:40 - broken out into twenty minute increments, which is one of many options available on Bcurio.us in the ‘day search feature’ which is a great exploration of unverified birth data.

So that’s Dave… Now let’s take a look at Posdnuos AKA Plug One, Plug Won, Mercenary, Sop Sound, Plug Wonder Why, Pos, Kelvin Mercer. (DJ Sound Sop reversed).

Born August 17, 1969 in New York, USA.

Let’s see if we have any signs of the Gates that are in the Channel of Awareness.

Like Plug Two - Plug One has the 64-47 for most of the day but also has the hanging gate of 24 all day long with a potential for Open Head-Center. We see more potential for Third-Line energy too. Even potential for the rarer Ego-Projector as a 6/2 Profile early in the day. Plug One and Plug Two share some interesting Electromagnetic channels and we see potential for the Channel of Openness, Transitoriness, Rhythm and more… The 64-47 in this data entry below is a Companionship Channel which is within the Collective Circuitry.

It would be great to study these charts deeper, to determine accurate birth time data, but I am trying to stay on topic and investigate the 61-24, so let’s run the final chart and group members…

Last but not least ‘Maseo’ Vincent Lamont Mason, P.A. Pasemaster Mase, and Plug Three… born: Tuesday March 24th, 1970, New York, USA.

So there we have it! This Channel was present in this group and potentially the Gate-24 was shared by them all. Plug Three evidently had this channel activated all day long. Huge shout out to Bucrio.us for including me in the beta team, I love having access to this website and can’t wait to share more of its features…

Perhaps we will see this channel in more DJ’s in future investigations and I wonder what the likes of DJ Hype, DJ Scratch, or JFB’s chart would present…. Prince Paul is certainly added to the line up of investigations. The potential for the main lyrical providers of De La Soul both having the Collective mental channel of 64-47, is also quite high, so I wonder how many others in this industry we may come across with this too.

Thanks for joining me on some cool insights into the Channel Of Awareness through a legendary music group. De La Soul are very unique and all three members seemed to have defined Identity-Centres which is all about Love, Direction, and Identity.

They really tied underground culture like Boom Bap with the wisdom of poetic introspection and compassion to form a sound that was unique and true to themselves, and they marked history as role models. The Third-Line and Six-Line is prominent in the potential of their birth data with a lot of First-Line and Second-Line energy as suspected with their deeply personal lyrics that are rather introspective. Ultimately they made great music regardless of their birth data and I have enjoyed also sharing their music through this post.

One of my favourites which is now of course FINALLY available for streaming has to be ‘All Good’.

(Sings the main hook in head)

Further more, their album ‘and the Anonymous Nobody’ was gifted to me on Vinyl LP by a 5/1 Emo Projector friend. It’s an album that ages finer as time goes by and each track has served a chapter of recent years of my life, and the album grows deeper and deeper as time goes on. With the recent digital catalogue success and then the passing of Dave, this album now sits to be re-explored in a new depth of feelings and perspective. A master piece in unique expression and its legend continues to cure along with their legacy. Due to their copyright and licensing complications, the publishing date of this album made it one of the only few albums available on streaming platforms until recently, so between the 12” wax and modern streaming services it’s had some serious air time in my ears.

This video from their YouTube channel, features an amazing song from this album and I have shared the poetry quotes below, from Dr Gina Loring, used in the start of the song Royalty Capes - an example of how far the ‘Skit’ continued to mutate in their work. The video also highlights Dave’s health condition leading up to his recent passing, and how this impacted the group.

I love this phrase from the following poetry featured in Royalty Capes…. ‘The sky takes note when we speak’. What outstanding vision to apply Dr Loring’s poetry to the track Royalty Capes as it is nothing short of authentically De La Soul.

I will sign off with the Dr’s wonderful words and poetry in salute to De La Soul.

It sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it, and it really holds a testament to De La Soul’s legacy as a band, and also the ethos of ‘As as above, as below' something Human Design provides us with awareness to also.

“Behold this divine alignment scrolled secretly in cloud formations

Waterfall rhythms from crowns containing galaxies. Gems from past dimensions

A bond so strong it has unbreakable status

Spits hieroglyphic scripture like a god from Atlantis

We are an army of stars unleashed
The sky takes notes when we speak
Our capes move with the wind
Because of the wings beneath
This is royalty
The sky takes notes when we speak
Our capes move with the wind
Because of the wings beneath
This is royalty.”

★ Dr Gina Loring - Royalty Capes Poem

@acousticmutation

#acousticmutation #alexthearies #introspectionadaptation

Post is copyrighted by it’s publishing & with thanks for the free use images and work of:

Image 1:

Copyright De La Soul mailing list - “Thank You Dave”

Image 2:

Photo copyright - Adam Friedman

Image 3:

https://www.pexels.comphotowhite-flowers-3017118

Image 4:

https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-a-pink-flower-7999157/

Image 5:

Classic Pop Mag copyright

Image 6-10:

Becurio.us

Image 11:

mybodygraph.com