De La Soul’s Stakes Is High captures the group at a crucial turning point: older, sharper, and completely locked in. Released in 1996, the album marked their fourth full-length and their first without Prince Paul, opening the door to a tougher, more stripped-back sound led in part by a young J Dilla on the title track. Stakes Is High remains such a vital listen because it hears De La Soul confronting the mid-’90s head-on, with wit, frustration, and a deep sense of artistic confidence.

Directed and Animated by Mason London.