User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 23
  3. Negative: 4 out of 23

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  1. StoP
    Oct 21, 2004
    10
    As fresh as Three Feet High and as ill as Stakes is High. 15 years in the game and De La hasn't missed a step. One of the best hip-hop albums of the year. All you youngsters run, NOW, pick it up!
  2. DavidJC
    Oct 12, 2004
    10
    So different from anything I've heard before. Amazingly catchy beats create a rich and diverse landscape for the lyrics. This is the first De La release I've got and from the quality of this release I think I'm going to get many more Classic!
  3. ChrisC
    Oct 20, 2004
    10
    This is the First album I reviewed on this websight.Frankly on this album I found no mistakes at all and it is one of the top 3 albums in rap for the year with Madvillian and Kanye West being the others.The Lyrics are exactly on point and so are the beats
  4. AlexH
    Dec 1, 2006
    10
    One of the best hip hop cds I've heard in the last few years. Check out the MF Doom track. If you like it, i also recommend Handsome Boy Modeling School and Dr. Octagon ...
  5. nyps
    Oct 11, 2004
    10
    This is De La's best work since Stakes Is High, and it cements their place in the annals of hip hop as its most consistently creative crew. "He Comes" and "Verbal Clap" are simply brilliant songs, and the album as a whole is tightly, beautifully produced and perfectly sequenced.
  6. PittBalls
    Oct 18, 2004
    10
    This Album is beautiful.
  7. moec
    Feb 23, 2005
    10
    this is by far one of the best albums of hte year.. one of the few albums in my collection i can listen to form begining to end... flawless... a 10
  8. tomc
    Mar 13, 2005
    10
    super album from the smoothiest rap band ever!!!
  9. DaneC
    Sep 3, 2005
    10
    Still supporting the DA Inna Sound Y'all age of rap, (although now not using the D.A.I.S.Y. abbrivition), De La Soul have bounced back from the Commerical sound of the AOI albums and there old record labels refusual to release an album to create what can only be deseribed as a masterful peice of work. I mean, it has with MF Doom, Flava Flav and Common rapping on this album, and Jake Still supporting the DA Inna Sound Y'all age of rap, (although now not using the D.A.I.S.Y. abbrivition), De La Soul have bounced back from the Commerical sound of the AOI albums and there old record labels refusual to release an album to create what can only be deseribed as a masterful peice of work. I mean, it has with MF Doom, Flava Flav and Common rapping on this album, and Jake One and Madlib producing all one one 13 track album, and you even get to hear sean paul accually sound good on a track. Brilliant. Buy now. Expand
  10. LawrenceP
    Oct 17, 2004
    10
    De La Soul is back to save hip-hop again. Put that 213 cd back on the shelf. "grind date" is the best hip-hop song of the year.
  11. gb
    Nov 6, 2004
    9
    great album. at least 6 really strong songs. solid like de la soul is dead or buhloone mindstate. the return of de la! finally, some hip hop that fits between the blatantly commercial and the boring alternative / mf doom stuff (yeah yeah, i know all yall are up on mf doom.. don't know why).
  12. sunbust
    Jan 13, 2005
    9
    this album is classic. the only misstep was ITS LIKE THAT. tolerate sometimes. otherwise its stellar. only true de la heads can appreciate potential singes like CHURCH, HE COMES, VERBAL CLAP AND MUCH MORE. support DA Inner Sound Y'all!
  13. AndyR
    Dec 9, 2004
    7
    A solid album, though over rated. Still does not touch the originality of the early De La days. Who knows, though, it may grow on me.
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 21
  2. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. There's little personality and no surprises here.
  2. Without a concept to tout, The Grind Date doesn't gel like AOI: Bionix, but it does show De La Soul keeping everything together more than 15 years after their debut.
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    Notably fresh for a group that's been rhyming for 15 years. [8 Oct 2004, p.117]