De La Soul Nike Mix

Laidback hip hop types De La Soul are set to get active by preparing a new mix for sportwear giants Nike.

An exclusive interview with the trio on the subject will run on ClashMusic.com soon - watch this space!

And on with the story...

De La Soul were formed in late 80s New York, and took the hip hop scene by surprise with their bizarre clothes and whimsical lyrics. Debut album '3 Feet High And Rising' was an instant hit, mixing pioneering Daisy Age jams with humorous skits. However not everyone in the rap community took to the band, who received some harsh criticism from their peers.

Self-styled rap hippies (hippy hoppies?) the band's later work sacrificed some of their early humour to deal with harsher issues. Acclaimed single 'Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa' may sound sweet, but it actually dealt with a child who could no longer take her father's abuse.

Despite their massive success and huge importance within the hip hop community De La Soul have only received one Grammy - for their work on the Gorillaz track 'Feel Good Inc'.

However the band have been recognised by sportswear company Nike who have chosen them to craft a new running mix. De La Soul will follow in the footsteps of A Trak and LCD Soundsystem, both of whom have created acclaimed mixes for the series.

Stateside entertainment magazine Billboard reports that the band have been working on "eight or nine songs" which have been mixed into one continuous groove by Chicago group Flosstradamus.

"The set we did is an actual album, with eight or nine songs, not one long DJ set," says Mercer. "We recorded the songs and took them to Nike for feedback, and then brought in Flostradamous to mix it all together."

Bizarrely, it seems that Nike give the mixes to a team of runners to test things out. De La Soul mainstay Mercer took matters into his own hands however, claiming that "I've dabbled in running before, but I got back in to it and would run to test it out".

Billboard also reports that De La Soul are preparing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their classic debut album '3 Feet High And Rising' and are planning a massive world tour.

De La Soul are set to release their new Nike mix on April 28th. Look out for an exclusive interview on the pages of ClashMusic.com REAL SOON.