By Daniel Paiz

De La Soul has returned with a new project after nearly a decade without an album. After some time away from this project, another review arrives with a week’s worth album review of De La Soul’s Cabin in the Sky. All the way back in 2016 is when and the Anonymous Nobody dropped, and all three members were present: DJ Maseo, Posdnous, and Trugoy the Dove, better known as Dave.

There is a bit of a misnomer here, as De La has released albums between these two projects. However, those releases are anniversary editions of earlier works. Whether one heard these tapes when they first released or in the past few days, it’s hard not to nod your head along to these works. There’s a refreshing mixture of rap cadences and enveloping beats, harmonizing as well as any other entities in nature. Clever bars, peak storytelling, and true to self-narratives run rampant.

This remains the case with this 10th album from the NYC trio (…well, duo now, technically).

Standout Tracks

The album moves along nicely. There’s a natural rhythm of songs with plenty of bars along with a few interludes/skits dispersed throughout, giving the listener a brief break. Not that a break is needed, but rather a recentering or refocusing opportunity to cleanse one’s musical palate.

“Cabin in the Sky”, “Different World”, and “Sunny Storms” are this listener’s top three tracks to check out first. There isn’t a bad song on this project. A few such as these three have a staying power about them, that tough combo of timeless meets timely.

The title track “Cabin in the Sky” is done so well. Posdnous reflects on where one goes after they exit this life. This anthem and memorial to Dave has a few memorable bars, such as:

True connections can never be severed, defined in friendship the storms that got weathered

-Posdnuos

No double entendres or slick punchlines here, just a regular old punch to the gut from Pos. Losing someone close leaves one feeling tragically powerless. What you have with that person is what must be held onto in order to get through the grief.

Pos reflects on Dave’s journey to the sky cabin throughout this track. He ponders if he’ll reach that place as well eventually. There’s a realization during grief as well that is best described with the following:

Heartache deserves a good mourning, so my attitude is gratitude when the sun comes on it

-Posdnuos

Another standout line that has a nice double entendre with mourning there. Also, the “u” in morning could also be double entendre-worthy; if it’s meant to be something along the lines of “mo(u)rning”, that’s a clever little recognition how you are in mourning but also in the morning with that sunrise of realization. If it isn’t meant that way, it’s still an important reminder that another day without someone is another day of both hurt and healing.

Speaking of another viewpoint when dealing with grief, “Different World” brings up another kind of epiphany. The opening lines on this song ensnare your ears immediately. Those lines follow as:

There was a time when my mind was so, caught up in a bind, cuz the grind was so, in my face, but now I’m in a place where the taste for the grit is no longer what I’m craving

-Posdnuos

These might be the most memorable opening lines of a song on this album. Tragic events permanently shift perspective, and what one was taking before can no longer be imbibed. A paradigm shift arises out of grief and processing life presently.

“Sunny Storms” brings up that life goes through cycles, just like the weather. Different cycles move through our lives, and there are times to move past storms into sunny days. De La brings up how people process in a simple yet clever way with the following:

Owning the right pair to walk away from it, is not fairly easy, so some do plummet, gotta learn to evolve outside the lines, that’s how I do it with mines

-Posdnuos

There are times to walk away, deciphering when is the key. This involves learning from mistakes, learning from loss, and accepting what is as opposed to what should be. The portion about “right pair” forms for one once they learn from life experiences. Grief plays a role in how one continues to move on and evolve.

Learning how others move around you also takes time. If someone doesn’t find you useful, they’ll switch up on a person quickly. De La warns of this with the following:

Knowledge isn’t here to work on behalf of ego, stormy weather moves through emotions of the people, and if they don’t find a trace of what they feel in your face, they treat you like your actions aren’t legal

-Posdnuos

Too often people use others, even when one is processing grief. Having others around you from the previous quote paired with this one essentially reminds the listener to navigate life with awareness. One’s inner circle will help in such journeys; keeping that circle tight knit via experiential knowledge brings the sunshine despite the storms. Unlearning why one made past mistakes is also key to all of this.

Other tracks that are worth having on repeat from Cabin in the Sky include “Run It Back!!”, “YUHDONTSTOP”, “Good Health”, and Dave’s finale in “Don’t Push Me”.

Final Verdict

2025 has been the year of veteran groups and artists reminding listeners age is only a number and shouldn’t be deciding all of our choices. De La reminds listeners of their chemistry, their signature sounds, and the importance of celebrating life.

Death takes so much from not only the person greeted by it but also loved ones feeling an emptiness of sorts. Grief never fully departs from one’s life, but it can be navigated if not diminished in some way. Celebrating Dave is celebrating his impact on all of the artists on this album, and the listeners as well. Time teaches artists how cerebral and communal it is sharing their lives with fans, and the music here reflects that. Dave has passed, but the music has not.

Not to be too pop culture-focused, but Dave is here, man. Although not in physical form, this key member of the trio will forever be present in the music. There’s no denying Dave’s impact.