The Magic Number

As the opening track to De La Soul's seminal debut album 3 Feet High And Rising, "The Magic Number" sets an early tone for one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time. The song's main melody is a sample of Bob Dorough's "Three Is A Magic Number" which soundtracked the 1971 pilot episode of the long-running children's show Schoolhouse Rock! De La Soul drew on the playfulness and good humour of the sample and made both elements central to the album. Ushering in the D.A.I.S.Y. Age (Da Inner Sound, Y'all), the track also includes samples from Johnny Cash's "Five Feet High and Rising" and James Brown's "Funky Drummer."