While working on a new album due in the spring, De La Soul are keeping busy by serving as executive producers on an underground hip-hop compilation called "Hip-Hop 101." The album will be released through the Tommy Boy Black Label, the one-year old imprint of Tommy Boy Records, the label that has released all of De La Soul's albums.
Featured on "Hip-Hop 101" are tracks from the likes of Talib Kweli, Royce The 5'9", Masta Ace, Defari, and Natural Elements. The album's first single will be Medina Green's "I See," with Self-Scientific's "Best Part" as the B-side. "Hip-Hop 101" should be in stores in February. Meanwhile, De La Soul's fifth studio album, "Art-Official Intelligence," is due in stores in May. The group has already recorded tracks with Chaka Khan, the Roots and Xzibit, and is planning to work with Al Green, Outkast, Goodie M.O.B., Busta Rhymes and Sade on additional tracks (see ). According to a source at Tommy Boy Records, De La Soul has big plans for 2000; the group is looking to release three albums during the course of the year.
