AOI : Bionix by De La Soul
AOI: Bionix is De La Soul's sixth full-length album, released in 2001. The album was the second in a planned three-disc installment, which was originally intended to be a three-disc album. The first single, "Baby Phat" featuring Yummy Bingham and Devin the Dude, was an ode to larger sized women. Elsewhere, "Held Down", featuring Cee-Lo, found Posdnuos in an introspective mood as he mused on fatherhood, religion, and fame. Slick Rick also made an appearance on "What We Do (For Love)"; a humorous song about puberty and sexual discovery. Plans were made to release the Kev Brown-produced "Special" (featuring Yummy Bingham) as the second single, however Tommy Boy soon folded as a label, cutting short any further promotion of Bionix. Like many Hip-Hop albums, there is an official instrumental version of the album available on vinyl, with artwork.
On their sixth album, 2001’s <i>AOI: Bionix</i>—the second volume in a never-completed trilogy—De La Soul took on a gently robotic feel for their head-nodding-est project ever. There’s a little bit of hedonism in here, with a few breezy songs about what they used to call “buddy”: “Pawn Star” is like X-rated Curtis Mayfield, “What We Do (For Love)” features Slick Rick with an adult update of “Children’s Story”, mild hit “Baby Phat” is a celebration of thicker women. And there’s a little weed smoke in the air, too, on “Peer Pressure”—though, in true Delacratic fashion, Posdnuos abstains, even when going toe-to-toe with Cypress Hill’s B-Real. However, De La Soul had not turned into a mellow party crew, as the gospel-tinged “Held Down” and the child-chant-abetted “Trying People” attest—they are existential soul jams with raps about jealousy, growth and the changing rap world.
