Hip-hop trio De La Soul has announced that their new album, and the Anonymous Nobody…, will be released August 26. This will be their first album in over a decade, and was funded entirely by fan donations.
Last year, the group unveiled a Kickstarter campaign in which they asked fans for donations to fund a new record. As this would be their first album since 2004’s The Grind Date, fans were more than willing to contribute to the cause and ended up raising over $600,000. De La Soul announced that the album would be released in late April 2016 and teased collaborations on the album from artists like Usher, Pete Rock, Roc Marciano, Estelle, Damon Albarn, David Byrne, 2 Chainz, and more.
However, the release date of the album had to be pushed back in light of technical difficulties. Amid disappointment from fans, the group decided to release a four-track EP, For Your Pain And Suffering, on the original release date as to not leave supporters empty-handed. According to Pitchfork, the EP was “a preview to future works and also exclusive tracks that did not make the final cut of the album.” For Your Pain And Suffering pokes fun at the situation, as the album cover features a man running from angry fans and shouting the new release date for the album, August 26. They have also made one of the tracks off the EP, “Trainwreck, available to purchase and stream. This will be the only song off For Your Pain And Suffering that will also appear on the full-length album, and it is a funky song that traces back to De La Soul’s pure hip-hop roots.
Formed in 1987, the group is composed of members Posdnuos, Dave and Maseo. De La Soul has released seven studio albums, and their debut, 3 Feet High and Rising, is considered by many to be a crucial part of hip hop history. Check out the full track-list for For Your Pain And Suffering below.
For Your Pain And Suffering Track Listing
01. The Devil Likes Candy
02. Trainwreck
03. Beautiful Night (ft. Dave West)
04. Schoolyard Studios