Iconic hip-hop trio De La Soul will appear in the latest Teen Titans Go! episode this week, teaming up with the Titans to get their music back.
Ahead of the premiere of the episode, Complex is debuting an exclusive clip that shows the trio fighting to escape a trap. With their music stolen by evil forces—a clear reference to De La Soul’s extensive issues with Tommy Boy Records—the Titans must help Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo retrieve what is rightfully theirs. It’s clear the writing team includes huge fans of De La Soul, with a slew of wink-and-nudge references to their music.
The Titans not-so-subtly mention 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul Is Dead, and Stakes Is High in a matter of seconds. “Listen man, we’re willing to negotiate,” the band tells the evil alien in the clip. “Give us our music back, and we’ll split the royalties!”
De La Soul have been fighting to get control of their masters for years now, failing to reach an agreement with Tommy Boy Records. In a statement released in 2019, the trio urged fans not to stream their music. “All parties involved WILL profit but De La Soul WILL NOT benefit or earn deservedly/fairly,” they said of their music on streaming services. “We really tried.”
Check out the preview of their Teen Titans Go! appearance above, and make sure to catch the full episode on Feb. 20 at 9 a.m. ET on Cartoon Network.
