De La Soul went on Teen Titans Go! to fight to get their music back

Slate

The members of the pioneering rap group appeared in cartoon form on the Cartoon Network series on Saturday. "Not only is the entire episode full of references to De La Soul’s classic songs, right down to the day and date this show is airing, but the plot revolves around a fraught real-life issue: the ownership and availability of the group’s back catalog," says Nitish Pahwa. But why Teen Titans Go!? Pahwa adds: "Appearing on a high-profile TV show like Teen Titans Go! makes sense for a few reasons: 1) The rap golden age–era group can make itself known to younger audiences who may not have heard of them; 2) hip-hop, comics, and cartoons have a long, intertwining history; 3) a major network show tailored for kids can get away with including more didactic lessons and explanations than perhaps countless documentaries and online entreaties read by their fans would."