There are three things in life that are certain; death, taxes and the fact that De La Soul are virtually guaranteed to put on an amazing show every time. This past Sunday was no different as Plug One, Two and Three paid a visit to London to give us a lesson in life, lyrics and longevity.

 As to be expected, De La Soul collectively possessed an aura and stage presence that was both charming and magnetising. Their confidence on this night loudly declared “we've been doing this for a while, we enjoy it and we're pretty good at it”. Throughout the show, Pos and Dave divided the audience in half and did the tried and tested routine of “which side was the loudest”. Many acts follow this routine but De La's energy and charisma made it in no way boring. 

Along with Maseo on the decks (who at one point exposed his stomach for additional comedy), the two lead emcees dug into a list of classics that was longer than the O.J. Simpson trial. The audience were treated to hits like Potholes In My Lawn, Ring, Ring, Ring, Stakes Is High, Itsoweezee, Much More, Buddy and Oooh just to name a few. Even though they joked about having to perform Me, Myself & I for the millionth time, they still rocked it like they had just left the studio with the master copy. 

Just before the show closed, Maseo treated the crowd to an impromptu tribute to A Tribe Called Quest and it was extremely heartwarming to see a group that is as revered and respected as De La Soul pay tribute to a set of their peers who are as equally legendary. 

Overall, it was fun and enjoyment to be had by all. De La Soul gave their fans 100% and definitely earned every penny on this night. It was particularly cool to see that they could bring out music lovers of all ages. I saw fans in their 30s, 40s and 50s getting down like they had a new lease of life. Some people even brought along their teenage children, and that in itself reminded me of a time when Hip Hop was “inclusive” rather than “exclusive”.