Christgau, Robert (2000). "De La Soul: Buhloone Mindstate". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-24560-2 . Retrieved September 1, 2011. Bernard, James (October 8, 1993). " Buhloone Mindstate". Entertainment Weekly. No.191. New York . Retrieved June 23, 2020. Made up of David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur (R.I.P.), Kelvin “Posdnuos” Mercer, and Vincent “Maseo” Mason, the trio had been artistic iconoclasts since they dropped their debut LP 3 Feet High and Rising (1989). The problem was, even though their music was deep, layered, and reasonably successful, their record label and much of the record-buying public adopted a surface-level view of their art and perceived them only as hip-hop eccentrics. Tommy Boy Records, which signed the group in the late ’80s, hoped the group would pander to the lowest common denominator and put out happy yet ultimately shallow music. The tension between the group and the label was present on De La Soul Is Dead (1991), their sophomore release. By the time Buhloone Mindstate hit the shelves, things were close to exploding. Jones, Alan (September 25, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums" (PDF). Music Week. p.17 . Retrieved February 1, 2023.

Buhloone Mindstate is the third studio album by American hip hop group De La Soul. It was released on September 21, 1993, through Tommy Boy Records, and was the group's last record to be produced with Prince Paul. In other words, Buhloone Mindstate was a slow-burner. "It's just like an incense that burns slowly," says Pos, "and even after it's finished burning, the smell and what it has left is still there, as opposed to something that's coming in and blowing up, and then when it blows up, it's kind of over."Nosnitsky, Andrew (July 24, 2016). "De La Soul: Buhloone Mindstate". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 24, 2016. DAVE: No, not Paul—Pos actually. Pos had it all mapped out in his head. I don’t think we even got into the studio to do that song for weeks. But he knew exactly what it was gonna be.

Buhloone isn’t a particularly happy album, and judging from the lyrics, the group didn’t sound like they were in a “good” place when they recorded it. De La were increasingly bitter about their situation with Tommy Boy, troubled by the more “gangsta”-fied direction that hip-hop was moving towards, and increasingly distraught that the Native Tongues collective was possibly collapsing. Patti Dooke (feat. Guru, Frank Wes, Fred Wesley, Larry Goldings, Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis and Rodney Jones)|5:54 5 The old saying goes that success is a journey, not a destination. And in that sense, few artists have committed the undertaking of this journey like De La Soul, one of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time, if not the greatest. Bursting onto the scene as fresh-faced and naïve kids living in Long Island, New York, they found success and acceptance in the hip-hop world largely by being their quirky selves. But even being true to yourself on record can be draining, and by Buhloone Mindstate, their third album, released 30 years ago, the successful journey was grinding De La Soul down. MASE: How do you know when it’s over for you? But we could all clearly see across the pond when it’s over for somebody else. And when you can almost see it’s over for somebody else and you have such a reverence for them, you just want to help. It was a moment of just tryin’ to be there to help and support keeping a legacy alive. Buhloone Mindstate is arguably the most "concept album-y" title of all of De La's releases but the joke is that whatever the album's concept was, the group seemed content to keep it to themselves. It's as if De La, with its well-established ire toward the recording industry, decided to just forgo any pretense of commercial accessibility in favor of being "just weird, lost in the woods," according to Pitchfork's Andrew Nosnitsky, who also lauded Buhloone as "notoriously and proudly ­inaccessible."

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Unsurprisingly mainstream audiences did not show Buhloone the patience it demands upon its release. It did not go pop; it did not blow up. It fared well critically—four-and-a-half mics in the Source, No. 8 on the Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop critics poll —and was embraced by diehards but was basically dead-on-arrival commercially. It remains a bit of a favorite amongst critics to this day, but isn’t nearly as adored as the more accessible De La albums. When it does get a mention, its inherent and remarkable weirdness is usually brushed over in favor of parroting the basic Won’t Go Pop thesis. Buhloone Mindstate is the third studio album by American Hip Hop group De La Soul, released on September 21, 1993. POS: Shortie was just like our little baby sister—hanging around and doing the parts she needed to do. On “En Focus,” it was her just talking. And, you know, she toured with us. At that point she had started becoming like family. The echoes of Buhloone Mindstate reverberate beyond the confines of its initial release, capturing the essence of an era while simultaneously transcending it. The album's influence is palpable in the tapestry of today's hip-hop landscape, where its experimental spirit lives on in artists who refuse to be bound by genre. The cultural impact of De La Soul's third opus is measured not just in sales or accolades but in the intangible ways it has shaped the dialogue around what hip-hop can be—intellectually rich, musically diverse, and boundlessly creative. As hip-hop continues to evolve as a global force, Buhloone Mindstate stands as a beacon of artistic freedom, a reminder that commercial success and critical acclaim are not mutually exclusive with cultural contribution.

The album also included the candid " I Am I Be." The song was an accident of sorts, says producer Paul Huston, aka Prince Paul. "'I Am I Be' — I actually made for myself," he says. "The guys came by the house one day and I was just playing music, and I kind of passed through that one. They were like, 'Yo! What's that?' 'Eh, that's not really for you guys. Let's go to the next one.' They was like, 'No no no, what is that?' And they said, 'Yeah, we want to write it and use it for the album.' I was like, 'Are you sure?' " I Am I Be (feat. Chip Fu, Dres, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, ..., Pee Wee Ellis and Busta Rhymes)|5:03 4.75 - 5 DAVE: You know, it was pushed in my face how much simplicity and sex sells. Simplicity, sex, and violence really sell. Violence? We weren't there with that. We weren’t really simplistic [Laughs]...MASE: I wish she, um, maximized on the opportunity, you know? She tapped out early, became a wife, a mom. You know, that changes the trajectory. Buhloone Mindstate was lauded by critics when it came out. Cepeda remembers being impressed. " Buhloone Mindstate proved that they can continue to reinvent themselves," she says. "Especially at that time, it was really difficult to be able to release an album that is really so brutally honest." Now, decades since its release, Buhloone Mindstate maintains a profound relevance, its themes of individuality and authenticity resonating with new generations. In an industry often criticized for commodifying creativity, De La Soul's work is a bulwark against such trends, a testament to the group's vision of hip-hop as an art form, not just a commercial enterprise. The album's anniversary is a moment to reflect on its legacy—a legacy that has not bloated with time but rather has matured, expanding the boundaries of musical innovation and integrity in ways that continue to inspire and influence. For all the talk of how De La coded their speak in abstract sensibilities, the group has always worn its heart on its sleeve. Pos and Dove have never been shy about expressing their feelings, you just may need to decipher their rhymes to fully appreciate them. And after 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul had a lot of animosity towards the major label machine.

Johnson, Brett (November 1993). "De La Soul: Buhloone Mindstate". The Source. No.50. New York. p.75 . Retrieved June 13, 2012. Mase and Pos may be feel differently, but to me that was an album I didn’t personally enjoy recording. I can’t even say so much the music, I just didn’t enjoy recording at the time. But from what I hear, you know a lot of De La fans feel that is their favourite album. That’s the album feel most comfortable with, so I’m happy to feel to and to know even during the time of disliking or not even feeling comfortable of what I was doing, I still put my best work into it, so it’s cool.The group took a more active role in the production side of the equation for this project. Though Prince Paul’s presence and influence is definitely felt throughout the album, there’s a more serious edge to the material, which is in keeping with its themes.