In the United States, the Library of Congress houses something called the National Recording Registry. Each year, a list of sound recordings that are deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." are preserved, presumably for as long as the United States exists, in the Library.
In 2010, the Library selected a hip hop album that reflected a very particular part of American life. But the album wasn't crafted in the alleyways of Compton, Los Angeles. It wasn't penned in the projects of Brooklyn, New York or the South Side of Chicago or any of the other locales we associate with classic hip hop.
This album was made by three high school friends in the leafy middle class suburbs of Amityville, Long Island.
Kelvin Mercer, David Jolicoeur, and Vincent Mason Jr. would spend any free time they had after school sifting through their parents vinyl collections, listening to old funk and soul records. They worked as janitors to finance their dreams of recording a demo.
Their 1988 demo tape would catch the attention of tastemakers in New York, just an hours drive away. And when they signed a deal with Tommy Boy Records, Vincent was still in high school.
It's hard to say what Tommy Boy thought they were getting when they signed three part time janitors from the suburbs to a record label.
But there was no way of knowing that the trio, collectively known as De La Soul were going to release a debut album that would tangibly and drastically change the sound of hip hop forever.
On March 3rd, 1989, De La Soul released 3 Feet High and Rising. It has been consistently regarded as one of the most influential and important records in hip hop history, going platinum in the United States and being recognised for its impact by the Library of Congress.
Which is why it's a shame that it was completely outdone four days later by Girl You Know It's True, the US debut of infamous frauds Milli Vanilli, which sold over 7 million copies worldwide and earned the duo a Grammy for Best New Artist....before they had to give it back.
Can you really fake it til you make it? Should it be Milli Vanilli enshrined in the Library of Congress? We're gonna find out, Welcome to When Albums Collide.