Net Worth →
Albums

3 Feet High and Rising: Album Guide, Artist and Facts

3 Feet High and Rising — album guide with key facts, artist and background.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team3 min read✓ Fact-checked
3 Feet High and Rising
Toby Mott via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

3 Feet High and Rising is the debut studio album by the American hip hop group De La Soul, released on February 6, 1989, by Tommy Boy Records. It is the first of three collaborations with the producer Prince Paul, and was 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". The album was a critical and commercial success. It is consistently placed on lists of the greatest albums of all time by noted critics and publications, with Robert Christgau calling it "unlike any rap album you or anybody else has ever heard". In 1998, it was selected as one of The Source's "100 Best Rap Albums" and in 2020 was ranked 103 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. It was selected by the Library of Congress as a 2010 addition to the National Recording Registry, which selects recordings annually that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". As of 2025, it is the only De La Soul album to be certified platinum by the RIAA. Along with the rest of De La Soul's back catalog, 3 Feet High and Rising was not made available for digital purchase or streaming until 2023, due to concerns about the legality of the samples for digital releases.

Quick facts about 3 Feet High and Rising

  • Title: 3 Feet High and Rising
  • Artist: De La Soul
  • Released: 1989
  • Type: Album
  • Wikidata ID: Q1079807

Compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

What is 3 Feet High and Rising?

3 Feet High and Rising is the debut studio album by the American hip hop group De La Soul, released on February 6, 1989, by Tommy Boy Records.

Who made 3 Feet High and Rising?

3 Feet High and Rising is by De La Soul.

When was 3 Feet High and Rising released?

3 Feet High and Rising was released in 1989.

Sources

More in Music