Photo Credit: Paul Natkin
Gen-Z is Learning About De La Soul Due to 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'
Spider-Man: No Way Home closes with De La Soul's "The Magic Number" from 3 Feet High and Rising. To Spidey fanatics dismay, De La Soul's full catalog isn't available on streaming platforms.
Spider-Man: No Way Home got a taste of De La Soul. And now some TikTok users are calling for the group to release their catalog on streaming platforms. Hip-hop heads can hear the 1989 De La Soul track "The Magic Number" during the end credits of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
For some viewers — mostly Gen-Z Spidey fans — it was there first time hearing De La Soul's classic '80s jam. While new fans of "The Magic Number" took to streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music to play the song, they were limited to only YouTube to hear the track. (Spoiler alert, "The Magic Number" is a clever nod to the three versions of Spider-Man that make an appearance in the film.)
\u201cthe craziest thing about Spider-Man No Way Home is "The Magic Number" by De La Soul in the credits. that song isn't on Spotify\u201d— Sugar Mittens (or Bitter Mittens) (@Sugar Mittens (or Bitter Mittens)) 1640194922
\u201cMy son, a Spider-Man fan has discovered that The Magic Number by De La Soul is not on Spotify. A whole new generation as disappointed as the rest of us have been about this...\u201d— amar singh (@amar singh) 1640171641
A number of users took to TikTok to air out their grievance.
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Fans won't have to wait any longer for more De La Soul spins. In August, the group confirmed that their six album back catalog would soon be released to streaming platforms. The announcement followed decades of legal battles with their former label Tommy Boy Records, in which the group was offered 10% of album royalties. Reservoir Media recently purchased Tommy Boy Records for $100 million, which provided De La Soul with masters to their catalog.
In 2014, the group celebrated the 25th anniversary of their debut album with a 25-hour giveaway of their albums that were available for download through their website. While De La Soul's last release was their 2016 Grammy-nominated album and the Anonymous Nobody..., the group can look forward to a resurgence of popularity once their full catalog hits streaming platforms.
