3 Feet High and Rising is the debut studio album from the American
hip hop trio
De La Soul, released in 1989. It marked the first of three full-length collaborations with producer
Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. It is consistently placed on 'greatest albums' lists by noted music critics and publications.
Robert Christgau called the record "unlike any rap album you or anybody else has ever heard." In 1998, the album was selected as one of
The Source Magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums.