Stakes Is High

Stakes Is High is De La Soul's fourth full-length album, released during the summer of 1996. The album marked a change in the groups sound and direction as it was their first release not to be produced in collaboration with Prince Paul. Stakes Is High was mainly produced by the group themselves with additional tracks provided by Jay Dee, DJ Ogee, Spearhead X and Skeff Anslem. It received mostly strong reviews but little commercial success.
Stakes Is High was responsible for introducing rapper/actor Mos Def to a wider audience, on the cut "Big Brother Beat". Common also makes an appearance on "The Bizness".
Stakes Is High marked the first time the group did not collaborate with long-time producer Prince Paul on an album.
On Stakes Is High, De La Soul also attempted to bridge the growing gaps between the original members of the Native Tongues collective, although none of those artists make an actual appearance on the album. After the album's release, the group toured extensively and remained rather quiet before returning in 2000 with the first installment in their "Art Official Intelligence" series, Mosaic Thump.