De La Soul Absolutely Hates the New De La Soul Biography

Hip-hop legends De La Soul denounce an 'unauthorized' biography, saying they're exploring taking legal action.

Author Marcus J. Moore released his new book, High and Rising: A Book About De La Soul from Dey Street Books on Tuesday, November 19. But the hip-hop legends took to social media on Thursday to let their fans know they did not approve the “unauthorized” book, and they are exploring “all of our legal options.”

“We want to make it absolutely clear: this is an unauthorized book, and we are not connected to it in any way,” their statement begins. “For years, you've stood with us in our fight for ownership of our catalog and the right to benefit from the music we created. That same dedication to protecting what's ours extends to being the ones who tell OUR story — something deeply personal and 'De La' to the core.”

“If you choose to support this book, that's your right,” they continued. “We just want it to be clear that we do not and we are exploring all of our legal options,” the group concludes. “We're cooking up something special for Spring 2025 — so the wait won't be long for more of that authentic 'De La.'”

Some fans have continued to defend author Marcus J. Moore and his right to pay tribute to the group. Moore also published the 2020 book, The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America.

Back in April, hey commented on social media about his De La Soul book. “This book has been a labor of love and struggle over the past four years. Completed in the wake of Dave's passing and my mother's death, parts of it wrestle with grief and mourning in public, how to move forward when the body and mind refuse.”

“High and Rising is a cultural biography with critical analysis,” he continues. “It's also a memoir that not only celebrates De La, it unpacks my coming of age. At the behest of friends and colleagues, I'm asserting my voice and perspective a lot more (in this book and elsewhere moving forward.)”

“Ultimately, High and Rising gives flowers to De La for inspiring a Black boy from Landover to be his genuine self,” Moore concludes. “It doesn't give passes to albums and attitudes that were less than ideal.”

Still, other fans are less than enthusiastic about an unauthorized book about the hip-hop legends. It remains to be seen if De La Soul will take legal action against Moore, or what the crew has in store for their fans in 2025.