Back in 1989, the Long Island trio De La Soul changed the game with its classic Prince Paul–produced debut, 3 Feet High and Rising. In the 20+ years since, it's released a ton of great music and maintained its legendary status. On First Serve, Dave and Pos make a welcome return to the microphones for a concept album set to whimsical, multi-genre throwback beats courtesy of the French production team 2 & 4 (Chokolate and Kahlid). Adapting the alter egos of aspiring emcees Jacob Barrow and Deen Whitter, they give us a musical story of two young rappers and their eventful journey from the basement to the charts. They bring us a dozen dope tracks full of storytelling verses and unpredictable yet consistently funky beatwork, interspersed with several quality skits. Standouts joints include "Small Disasters," "We Made It," "Clash Symphony," and the rollicking blues-rock jam "The Book of Life."