DJ Drama Announces De La Soul "Gangsta Grillz" Mixtape

BYAron A.Published on March 16, 20231.8K Views

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 28: DJ Drama performs onstage during 2 Chainz 10th anniversary edition of "T.RU. Realigion" mixtape concert at The Buckhead Theater on November 28, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

DJ Drama and De La Soul are working on a "Gangsta Grillz" mixtape after the group's discography returned to streaming services.

DJ Drama is gearing up to drop off a Gangsta Grillz mixtape with De La Soul. The Drama recently sat down on Rap Radar where he divulged plans for the future of Gangsta Grillz. In the wake of De La Soul’s discography returning to DSPs, he said he discussed plans to create a tape with the group. Though no release date has been set, it appears that we have something to look forward to this.

DJ Drama announced the project as he explained his ability to connect with different generations flawlessly. He said he was “addicted to new shit” and being able to be ahead of the trends. As he explained his love for hip-hop, he slyly slipped in the news of the De La Soul project. “I was a teenager in the 90s, so that’s my era. I love that. That’s why I ride around to, listening to – De La Soul’s coming to streaming. I can’t be more excited,” he said. “And we got a Gangsta Grillz coming. Little sidebar.”

DJ Drama & De La Soul “Gangsta Grillz” Project

As DJ Drama mentioned, De La Soul’s discography finally came to streaming service after battling with Tommy Boy Records. De La Soul and their former label reached an agreement that allowed their discography to hit streaming platforms. 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul Is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate, Stakes Is High, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, and Bionix finally appeared on streaming services at the top of the month.

Unfortunately, it seems like DJ Drama filmed his interview with Rap Radar earlier this year, prior to the tragic announcement of Trugoy The Dave’s death. Trugoy battled congestive heart failure over the past few years, which he discussed on De La Soul’s “Royaly Capes” in 2016. A week after De La Soul graced the Grammys stage (sans Dave), his rep announced that he passed away. However, there’s yet to be an official cause of death released publicly. Though it’s unclear how this will affect the Gangsta Grillz mixtape, we can only hope that DJ Drama and De La Soul pay tribute to him in some form on the project.

About The Author

Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.