De La Soul Condemns Unauthorized Biography, Explores Legal Action
De La Soul, the legendary hip-hop trio, has strongly denounced a new unauthorized biography, "High and Rising: A Book About De La Soul," written by Marcus J. Moore and published by Dey Street Books on November 19.
De La Soul hip-hop trio
The group released a statement expressing their disapproval and revealed they are exploring legal options. They emphasized the importance of maintaining control over their narrative, particularly following their recent successful fight to regain ownership of their music catalog.
"We want to make it absolutely clear: this is an unauthorized book, and we are not connected to it in any way," the group stated. They also announced plans for their own project coming in Spring 2025.
Author Marcus J. Moore, known for "The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America," defended his work, describing it as a "cultural biography with critical analysis" that took four years to complete. He explained that the book combines critical analysis with personal memoir, reflecting on how De La Soul influenced his own development.
While some fans support Moore's right to document the group's impact, others stand firmly with De La Soul's position against unauthorized storytelling. The outcome of potential legal action and details of De La Soul's planned 2025 project remain to be seen.
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