Buhloone Mind State

“Buhloone Mindstate” stands as the third studio album from the American hip hop group De La Soul. Released on 21 September 1993, via Tommy Boy Records, this album marked the end of the group’s collaboration with producer Prince Paul.

The title “Buhloone” phonetically resembles the word “balloon,” a theme playfully introduced in the intro track. The album kicks off with the sound of a balloon inflating, and the hookline “it might blow up, but it won’t go pop” is persistently chanted until the sound of a balloon popping replaces the final word “pop.”

De La Soul’s commitment to experimenting with jazz during the early to mid-1990s continued with this album. They collaborated with jazz veterans Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, and Pee Wee Ellis on tracks like “Patti Dooke” and “I Am I Be.” “Patti Dooke” explores the group’s perspective on the mainstream’s influence on black music

Other notable appearances on the album include Japanese rappers Scha Dara Parr and Takagi Kan on “Long Island Wildin’,” Biz Markie on “Stone Age,” Guru contributing the spoken chorus on “Patti Dooke,” and Dres of Black Sheep on “En Focus.” The album’s lead single and video, “Breakadawn,” featured samples from Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It” and Smokey Robinson’s “Quiet Storm.”