Between the Lines: High and Rising: A Book About De La Soul

Marcus J. Moore, author of High and Rising: A Book About De La Soul will be in conversation with Dr. Christoper Emdin, alumni fellow at the Hip-hop Archive and Hutchins Center at Harvard University and Professor of Science Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Formed in 1988, De La Soul is one of the groundbreaking groups in hip hop and are perhaps best known for their multi-platinum debut album 3 Feet High and Rising. This year marks the 35th anniversary of its release.

Moore and Emdin will weave themes of boyhood, Hip Hop, and the indelible impact of music on shaping us at pivotal moments in our lives. A book signing will follow.

Accessibility requests can be made by e-mail [email protected].

Copies of High and Rising: A Book About De La Soul by Marcus J. Moore and Ratchetdemic: Reimagining Academic Success by Christopher Emdin, PhD, will be available for purchase from the Schomburg Shop in Harlem.

Marcus J. Moore is a music journalist, editor, curator, pundit, professor, and author of The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America. He has co-led the jazz-focused “5 Minutes That Will Make You Love...” series at the New York Times. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, NPR, Pitchfork, TIME, TIDAL, GQ, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone.

Christopher Emdin, PhD is the Maxine Greene Chair for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Professor of Science Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He is also the Director of Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship At the STEAM DREAM and Ideal Lab. Dr. Emdin is an alumni fellow at the Hip-hop Archive and Hutchins Center at Harvard University, Scholar in Residence at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and was STEAM Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State and Minorities in Energy Ambassador for the U.S. Department of Energy. He is the creator of the HipHopEd social media movement, Science Genius BATTLES and the CREATE Accelerator – an initiative that funds non-profits focused on culture and education. He is the author of numerous award winning works; including the New York Times bestseller, For White Folks Who Teach In the Hood and the Rest of Ya’ll too. He has been named one of the 27 people bridging divides in the United States by Time magazine and the Root 100 list of most influential African Americans.

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A stunning cultural biography of De La Soul, the era-defining hip-hop trio that touched millions of lives and changed rap forever.

De La Soul burst onto the scene with the release of their groundbreaking 1989 album 3 Feet High & Rising, an “anything goes” hip-hop masterpiece hailed as a new masterwork from a bygone era of Black experimentation.

Formed in Long Island in 1988 by Kelvin “Posdnuos” Mercer, Dave “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur, and Vincent “Maseo” Mason, De La Soul rebuked classification and appealed to the Black alternative. Their music was positive and psychedelic, their imagery full of flowers and peace signs. It was rap with a broad sonic palette which set the blueprint for an entire generation of artists who followed. But as quickly as De La ascended, they were faced with the pressures of a changing industry and bitter legal battles.

Completed in the wake of Dave’s passing and the group’s arrival on streaming platforms after years in digital purgatory, High and Rising tells the story of one of the most influential rap groups of all time. In the process, acclaimed music journalist Marcus J. Moore braids in a deeply personal coming-of-age story about his journey through life with De La as a backdrop.

The first book about De La Soul, High and Rising shows that De La Soul is Black history, American history, world history, our history. This is a tale about staying the course, and how holding true to your virtue can lead to dynamic results.

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