The Magic Number
"The Magic Number" is a song by American hip-hop group De La Soul. It was released in 1989 as a single from the debut album 3 Feet High and Rising (1989). It gained popularity after being used in the end credits of the film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
| "The Magic Number" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by De La Soul | ||||
| from the album 3 Feet High and Rising | ||||
| A-side | "Buddy" | |||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Genre | Hip-hop[1] | |||
| Length | 3:16 | |||
| Label | Tommy Boy | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers |
| |||
| De La Soul singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "The Magic Number" on YouTube | ||||
"The Magic Number" is a song by American hip-hop group De La Soul. It was released in 1989 as a single from the debut album 3 Feet High and Rising (1989). It gained popularity after being used in the end credits of the film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).[3]
Background
[edit]De La Soul is an American hip-hop group from Long Island, New York.[1] It consisted of David Jolicoeur (Trugoy the Dove), Vincent Mason (Maseo), and Kelvin Mercer (Posdnous).[1] The group got signed to Tommy Boy Records.[4] With producer Prince Paul, they went to Calliope Studios to create a record.[4] "The Magic Number" is the second song of the group's debut album 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), following "Intro".[4]
Composition
[edit]Posdnous and Trugoy provided vocals to "The Magic Number".[5] The song contained a sample from Bob Dorough's "Three Is a Magic Number".[5] In a 2009 interview, Trugoy said, "Obviously three of us in the group, '3 is the magic number' became the philosophy, but mostly, it was just a song that we loved and it became part of the album."[6]
The drums of "The Magic Number" were taken from Double Dee and Steinski's "Lesson 3",[5] a chopped version of John Bonham's drum breaks on Led Zeppelin's "The Crunge".[7] A line from Johnny Cash's "Five Feet High and Rising" ("How high's the water, mama? Three feet high and rising.") was also used in the song.[7] Multiple records were scratched at the end of the song.[5]
In a 2016 interview, Posdnous said, "It's one of those songs that has always had this great energy and freshness, because it brings everything together at the end, and it means a lot – three friends who've stuck through everything and have been through so many ups and downs, and have maintained what people consider a magic bond."[5]
Release
[edit]De La Soul released "The Magic Number" in 1989 as a single from the album 3 Feet High and Rising (1989).[8] In the United Kingdom, it remains the group's highest charting single, peaking at number 7.[9]
Due to sample clearances and other legal issues, De La Soul's first six albums were unavailable on digital streaming services for decades.[10] The catalog was acquired by Reservoir Media as part of its acquisition of the Tommy Boy Records catalog.[10] These albums were made available on digital streaming platforms on March 3, 2023.[10]
"The Magic Number" was made available on digital streaming platforms for the first time on January 13, 2023.[11] To celebrate the occasion, De La Soul also released the song as a 7-inch vinyl single, a cassette single, and a digital download.[12]
Critical reception
[edit]Jack Needham of Red Bull Music Academy wrote, "The Prince Paul-produced single, taken from De La's landmark rap debut 3 Feet High and Rising, helped usher in a new phase of modern hip-hop alongside records from the Beastie Boys (Paul's Boutique, 1989) and A Tribe Called Quest (The Low End Theory, 1991)."[9]
In 2017, NME placed the song at number 77 on its list of the "100 Best Songs of the 1980s".[13]
In other media
[edit]"The Magic Number" was used in the end credits of the film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).[14][15]
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from liner notes.[16]
- De La Soul – production, arrangement
- Prince Paul – production, mixing
- Scotty Hard – mixing
- Michael Fossenkemper – mastering
- Deborah Mannis-Gardner – sample clearances
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] | 39 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[18] | 7 |
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[19] | 71 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Smyth, David (May 31, 2025). "The Magic Number — how a children's maths song became a hip-hop classic". Financial Times. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ De La Soul (1989). 3 Feet High and Rising (CD liner notes). Tommy Boy.
- ^ Fekadu, Mesfin (January 3, 2023). "De La Soul's Entire Catalog Coming to Streaming Services". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ a b c Cantor, Paul (March 3, 2023). "De La Soul, '3 Feet High and Rising' at 25: Classic Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e Pinnock, Tom (February 13, 2023). "The Making Of "The Magic Number" by De La Soul". Uncut. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Serpick, Evan (June 3, 2009). "'3 Feet High and Rising': De La Soul's Track by Track Guide to Groundbreaking 1989 LP". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ a b Chang, Jeff (September 23, 2018). "De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Williams, Jaelani Turner (January 13, 2023). "You Can Now Stream De La Soul's "The Magic Number" on DSPs". Okayplayer. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ a b Needham, Jack (August 3, 2017). "The Unlikely Influence of Schoolhouse Rock! on Hip-Hop". Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ a b c Aswad, Jem (January 3, 2023). "De La Soul's Music Is Finally Coming to Streaming Services in March". Variety. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ Eede, Christian (January 13, 2023). "De La Soul's 'The Magic Number' hits streaming services for the first time: Listen". DJ Mag. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ Brereton, Greta (January 13, 2023). "De La Soul release 1989 single 'The Magic Number' on streaming platforms". NME. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ Hewitt, Ben; Horton, Matthew; Elan, Priya (March 26, 2017). "100 Best Songs Of The 1980s". NME. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ Williams, Jaelani Turner (December 28, 2021). "Gen-Z is Learning About De La Soul Due to 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'". Okayplayer. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ Aswad, Jem (January 7, 2022). "'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Blew Up De La Soul's 'The Magic Number' — So Why Isn't the Song on Streaming Services?". Variety. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ De La Soul (2023). The Magic Number (7-inch vinyl liner notes). A.O.I./Chrysalis Records.
- ^ "De La Soul – The Magic Number" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart on 7/1/1990 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart on 10/3/2023 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
Further reading
[edit]- Batey, Angus (March 4, 2019). "Magic Number: The Story Of 3 Feet High And Rising". The Quietus.
- Murray, Nick (May 7, 2019). "59 Hay-Ya! Moments in Rap and Country's Uncomfortable History". Spin.
External links
[edit]- "The Magic Number / Buddy" at Discogs (list of releases)
- "The Magic Number" at Discogs (list of releases)