Pos of De La Soul has shared a personal playlist spanning soul, funk, pop and hip hop, explaining how each song connects to a different moment in his life.
His earliest musical memory is Love and Happiness by Al Green. Pos recalls hearing his father, who sang in a choir, perform the song around the house. Because his father looked like Green on the record cover, Pos said he once believed he was the singer.
The first single Pos bought was Underlove by Melba Moore, purchased at a small record shop inside the Abraham & Straus department store in Long Island. He later discovered that Kashif produced the track, beginning his appreciation for the producer’s work.
For karaoke, Pos would like to try Everybody Wants to Rule the World or Shout by Tears for Fears. At parties, he favors All I Do by Stevie Wonder, describing it as a classic soul record whose opening can immediately be seen in people’s reactions.
Despite being an MC, Pos says lyrics have never been his main focus. He is more likely to remember every drum detail than the words to a song, and says he is amazed by artists such as Mos Def, Black Thought and the members of Gorillaz, who seem able to recall lyrics effortlessly. The one song he can almost recite is Top Billin’ by Audio Two.
Pos says he does not permanently fall out of love with songs, even when they have been overplayed. His private favorite is These Dreams by Heart, which he plays in his dressing room when he thinks nobody is listening. He associates it with the era of big hair.
His morning soundtrack is Lovely Day by Bill Withers, which he once used as a 6am alarm. He credits Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force with making him want to pursue rap while he was living in the Bronx. Hearing it on one of his brothers’ mixtapes left him asking what he was listening to, prompting a reprimand from his mother for swearing.
For a romantic setting, Pos chooses Barry White or Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye. He rules out using De La Soul’s own music for that purpose. The song that moves him to tears is Stevie Wonder’s I Love Every Little Thing About You, because of its expression of devotion.
For his funeral, Pos would choose I Am I Be by De La Soul. The band’s remixed version of Stakes Is High, featuring J Dilla, Mos Def and Truth Enola, and its ninth studio album, Cabin in the Sky, are both out now.
Sources: The Guardian Music.