The sonic landscape of 3 Feet High and Rising was revolutionary. Prince Paul utilized a groundbreaking, collage-like sampling technique, bridging hip-hop with funk, soul, pop, rock, and even children’s records.
For decades, the very thing that made 3 Feet High and Rising a masterpiece—its dense, unrestricted sampling—became its legal curse. Because the album was recorded in 1989, a time when sample clearance laws were still in their infancy, the copyright landscape shifted drastically shortly after its release.
The album was the brainchild of the Long Island trio—Posdnuos, Trugoy the Dove, and Pasemaster Mase—and the legendary producer Prince Paul. Their sound introduced a new ethos: the "Daisy Age," standing for "Da Inner Sound Y’all".
The original release of "3 Feet High and Rising" on February 7, 1989, was on vinyl and cassette tape. The album was released through Tommy Boy Records and was produced by the Bomb Squad. Over the years, the album has been re-released on various formats, including CD, digital, and vinyl.
