Members include Maseo (a.k.a. Pacemaster Mace, Baby Huey Maseo; born Vincent Lamont Mason, Jr. on March 24, 1970, in Brooklyn, NY); Posdnuos (born Kelvin Mercer on August 17, 1969, in the Bronx, NY); Trugoy the Dove (born David Jude Jolicoeur on September 21, 1968, in Brooklyn, NY). Addresses: Record company--Tommy Boy Records, 1747 First Ave., New York, NY 10128.De La Soul's pioneering sound, incorporating sampled children's records and television themes, humorous sketches, and thoughtful lyrics, challenged the rap status quo, which until De La Soul's appearance had been dominated by machismo, serious social commentary, and heavy beats. The trio's approach, tagged by critics as psychedelic, represented one of the first forays into rap and hip-hop by middle-class, African American artists.Formed in 1985 in Amityville, Long Island, New York, De La Soul consists of Posdnuos (Kelvin Mercer), Trugoy the Dove (David Jolicoeur), and Maseo (Vincent Mason, Jr.), also known as Baby Huey Maseo and Pasemaster Mase. The three chose their stage names from "inside" jokes and references; "Trugoy" is "yogurt," Jolicoeur's favorite food, spelled backwards, and "Posdnuos" is a reversal of Mercer's former nickname as a DJ. The three met in high school, and after playing in various groups began putting together a rap act distinguished by an offbeat selection of beats and samples and the three friends' personal slang. De La Soul presented their first demo, "Plug Tunin'," to local rap star Prince Paul (Paul Houston) of the band Stetsasonic. Houston was impressed enough to play the tape for a number of DJs and other music figures, and De La Soul became the unsigned sensation of the New York rap scene. The band decided to sign with Tommy Boy Records in 1988.