3 Feet High and Rising
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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3 Feet High and Rising is the debut studio album by American hip hop group De La Soul, released on March 3, 1989 by Tommy Boy Records. It is the first of three collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. The album title comes from the Johnny Cash song "Five Feet High and Rising". The album contains the singles "Me Myself and I", "The Magic Number", "Buddy", and "Eye Know".
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Track listing
| writer1 = hlist|Al Watts|Kelvin Mercer|David Jolicoeur|Vincent Mason|Paul Huston | length1 = 1:41 | title2 = The Magic Number | writer2 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Robert Dorough|James Brown|Johnny Cash | length2 = 3:16 | title3 = Change in Speak | writer3 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Patrick Patterson|Steve Scipio|Estelle Axton|Randle Catron|Linda Andrews|Willia Parker | length3 = 2:33 | title4 = Cool Breeze on the Rocks | writer4 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston | length4 = 0:48 | title5 = Can U Keep a Secret | writer5 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Tony Churchill|James Baker|Robin Russell|Austin Lander|Robert Jackson|Leroy Taylor|Charlie Hearndon|Leslie Wilson|Melvin Wilson|Londee Wiggins|Allen Frey | length5 = 1:41 | title6 = Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge) | writer6 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Bob Crewe|Sandy Linzer|Denny Randell|Brown | length6 = 3:25 | title7 = Ghetto Thang | writer7 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Kevin Toney|Keith Killgo|Joe Hall|Orville Saunders|Stephen Johnson | length7 = 3:36 | title8 = Transmitting Live from Mars | writer8 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston | length8 = 1:12 | title9 = Eye Know | writer9 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Otis Redding|Steve Cropper|Walter Becker|Donald Fagen|Booker T. Jones|John Gary Williams | length9 = 4:13 | title10 = Take It Off | writer10 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston | length10 = 1:53 | title11 = A Little Bit of Soap | writer11 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Ahmet Ertegun|Betty Nelson|Bert Berns | length11 = 0:57 | title12 = Tread Water | writer12 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Frank Brunson | length12 = 3:46 | title13 = Potholes in My Lawn | writer13 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Sylvester Allen|Harold Ray Brown|B.B. Dickerson|Lonnie Jordan|Charles Miller|Lee Oskar|Howard E. Scott|Jerry Goldstein|Ruth Copeland | length13 = 3:50 | title14 = Say No Go | writer14 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Daryl Hall|John Oates|Sara Allen|Abrim Tilmon | length14 = 4:20 | title15 = Do as De La Does | writer15 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston | length15 = 2:12 | title16 = Plug Tunin' (Last Chance to Comprehend) | writer16 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Linzer|Randell|Crewe|Manzel Bush | length16 = 4:07 | title17 = De La Orgee | writer17 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston | length17 = 1:14 | title18 = Buddy | note18 = featuring Jungle Brothers and Q-Tip | writer18 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Nathaniel Hall|Michael Hall|Jonathan Davis|Lionel Richie|Thomas McClary|Odetta Gordon | extra18 = | length18 = 4:55 | title19 = Description | writer19 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Sylvester Stewart|Bush | note19 = | length19 = 1:32 | title20 = Me Myself and I | writer20 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|George Clinton|Philippé Wynne|Edwin Birdsong | length20 = 3:50 | title21 = This Is a Recording 4 Living in a Fulltime Era (L.I.F.E.) | writer21 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|George Godfrey|Jerry Barnes|Katreese Barnes|Sal Abbatiello|Joseph Saddler | length21 = 3:10 | title22 = I Can Do Anything (Delacratic) | writer22 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston | length22 = 0:41 | title23 = D.A.I.S.Y. Age | writer23 = hlist|Mercer|Jolicoeur|Mason|Huston|Felix Cavaliere|Eddie Brigati | length23 = 4:43 | title24 = Plug Tunin'- | note24 = Original 12" version<ref>3 Feet High and Rising Internet Archive</ref> | length24 = 3:43
Track listing notes:
- On the original issues, "Plug Tunin' (Original 12" version)" is exclusive to CD releases; UK releases move "Potholes In My Lawn" to the final track.
- Some copies of the bonus disc reissue contain "The Magic Number (Chad Jackson Hip Hop Version)" as track 15 on disc two.
- Otis Redding is only credited as a featured artist on "Eye Know" on 2023 digital releases.
- Songwriting credits sourced from 2023 digital release; original release only officially credited sampled artists as songwriters for "Change in Speak" (Patterson & Scipio), "Eye Know" (Becker & Fagen), "Say No Go" (Hall, Oates, & Allen), and "Me Myself & I" (Clinton & Wynne)
- All tracks are produced by Prince Paul and De La Soul, except "Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge)", produced by Prince Paul, De La Soul, & Michael Fossenkemper, and "Description", produced by Prince Paul, De La Soul, and Q-Tip.
Partial list of samples
The following lists some of the songs and sounds sampled for 3 Feet High and Rising.
Album samples
- "The Magic Number"
- Bill Cosby dialogue
- "The Crunge" by Led Zeppelin
- "Hit By a Car" by Eddie Murphy
- "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson
- "Five Feet High and Rising" by Johnny Cash
- "Lesson 3 (History of Hip Hop Mix)" by Double Dee and Steinski
- Schoolhouse Rock song "Three is the Magic Number" (Performed by Bob Dorough)
- ABC by Jackson Five
- "Got to have soul!" from Putney Swope
- "Three is the Magic Number" by Bob Drough
- "Change in Speak"
- "Bra" by Cymande
- James Brown song (unknown)
- "Mary, Mary" by The Monkees
- "No Strings Attached" by The Mad Lads
- "Cool Breeze on the Rocks"
- "Hit It Run" by Run-D.M.C.
- "Rockin' It" by Fearless Four
- "Lyte as a Rock" by MC Lyte
- "Rock the Bells" by LL Cool J
- "Crap Game" by Richard Pryor
- "Rock the House" by The B-Boys
- "The New Style" by Beastie Boys
- "Rock with You" by Michael Jackson
- "Shake You Down" by Gregory Abbott
- "Body Rock" by the Treacherous Three
- "Solid as a Rock" by Ashford and Simpson
- "Brooklyn Rocks the Best" by Cutmaster D.C.
- "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll" by Mason, Vaughn & Crew
- "Bang Zoom (Let's Go-Go)" by The Real Roxanne feat. Hitman Howie Tee
- "High Powered Rap" by Disco Dave & the Force of the Five MC's (Crash Crew)
- "Night of the Living Baseheads" & "Cold Lampin' With Flavor" by Public Enemy
- "Can U Keep a Secret?"
- "Got to Get a Knutt" by New Birth
- "Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge)"
- "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins
- "Take the Money and Run" by Steve Miller Band
- "Ghetto Thang"
- "Funky President" by James Brown
- "Trans-Europe Express" by Kraftwerk
- "Rock Creek Park" by The Blackbyrds
- "Transmitting Live from Mars"
- "You Showed Me" by The Turtles
- Old, unknown French-education recording
- "Eye Know"
- "Peg" & "FM" by Steely Dan
- "Remind Me" by Patrice Rushen
- "Make This Young Lady Mine" by Mad Lads
- "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding
- "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & The Family Stone
- "Take It Off"
- "God Made Me Funky" by The Headhunters
- "Tread Water"
- "I Likes to Do It" by People's Choice
- "A Little Bit of Soap"
- "A Little Bit of Soap" by The Jarmels
- "Don't Play that Song" by Ben E. King
- "Say No Go"
- "That's the Joint" by Funky 4+1
- "Crossword Puzzle" by Sly & the Family Stone
- "You Got the Best of My Love" by The Emotions
- "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" by Hall & Oates
- "Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) by the Detroit Emeralds
- "I'm Chief Kamanawanalea (We're the Royal Macadamia Nuts)" by The Turtles
- "De La Orgee"
- "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little Bit More, Babe" by Barry White
- "Plug Tunin' (Last Chance to Comprehend)"
- "Intro" by Liberace
- "Stiletto" by Billy Joel
- "Son of Shaft" by The Bar-Kays
- "Written On The Wall" by The Invitations
- "Buddy"
- "Hit or Miss" by Bo Diddley
- "Girl, I Think the World About You" by Commodores
- "Description"
- "Poet" by Sly & the Family Stone
- "Me, Myself and I"
- "The Show" by Doug E. Fresh
- "Funky Worm" by the Ohio Players
- "(Not Just) Knee Deep" by Funkadelic
- "Rapper Dapper Snapper" by Edwin Birdsong
- "Potholes In My Lawn"
- "Little Old Country Boy" by Parliament
- "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
- "Magic Mountain" by Eric Burdon and War
- "This Is a Recording 4 Living in a Fulltime Era (L.I.F.E.)"
- "D.A.I.S.Y. Age"
- "My World" by The Rascals
- "Schoolboy Crush" by Average White Band
Bonus compact disc samples
- "Freedom of Speak (We Got Three Minutes)"
- "Funky President" by James Brown
- "Get on the Good Foot" by James Brown
- "Strictly Dan Shuckie"
- "Schoolboy Crush" by The Average White Band
- "Skip to My Loop"
- "13 (Death March)" by Wes Montgomery & Jimmy Smith
- "Baby It's Cold Outside" by Wes Montgomery & Jimmy Smith
- "Ain't Hip to Be Labeled a Hippie"
- "Hard Times" by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
- "What's More"
- "You Baby" by The Turtles
- "Brain-Washed Follower"
- "Booty Butt" by Ray Charles
- "Funky President" by James Brown
- "So This Is Our Goodbye" by The Moments
- "You Made a Believer (Out of Me)" by Ruby Andrews
- "The Mack Daddy on the Left"
- "Hector" by the Village Callers