De La Soul brings true-school hip-hop to Day 2 of Pitchfork

On Saturday, July 20, 2024, Pitchfork Music Festival launched its second day of festivities. Among all the great artists who were on the bill, the most anticipated easily had to be the rap group De La Soul. People were standing shoulder to shoulder on the lawn of the red stage area of Pitchfork, ready to see the legends hit the stage with some true school hip-hop. This performance is the first for De La Soul since the passing of their group member Dave Jolicouer, also known as Plug Two. Maceo and Posdnous, also known as Plug One and Plug Two, are the remaining members and they proudly carry the torch for Jolicouer as they continue to tour all over the world.

Before Jolicouer’s passing, the group was able to have all of their music made available on all streaming services after fighting for their publishing and the right to earn from their creations. Their first album, 3 Feet High and Rising, is celebrating 30 years this year. Maceo made note of that fact and also mentioned they were celebrating 40 years of friendship. The energy that swelled up in the audience when the group hit the stage and started performing their songs was infectious. They surprised the audience with a set from Pharoahe Monch, who brought the crowd into a frenzy with his song “Simon Says.” Talib Kweli of Blackstar fame, who sometimes tours with De La Soul as the third member, joined the guys on stage as support and performed his hit songs.

Real hip-hop filled the red stage at Pitchfork, and the people loved it. The atmosphere spoke to De La Soul’s enduring legacy and how they have managed to remain staples in a genre of music and a culture that has impacted the world in such a great way. Take a look at a few pictures from the event below.