De La Soul honors MF DOOM and Trugoy the Dove with a fully animated “Rock Co.Kane Flow” video celebrating the 20th anniversary of “The Grind Date.”
De La Soul resurrected a Hip-Hop classic and two fallen legends Thursday (July 3) with the animated release of “Rock Co.Kane Flow,” their 2004 collaboration with MF DOOM, as part of the 20th anniversary reissue of The Grind Date.
The video, which dropped alongside the re-release, reimagines the group—including the late Trugoy the Dove—and DOOM as superhero-style wrestlers in a fully animated world. Director Elliot Hutchings said the team avoided artificial intelligence and deepfake technology, opting instead for hand-crafted animation to honor the original era.
“With this project, we knew we wanted to create something special,” Hutchings said. “Posdnuos had a clear vision of the vibe and comedic tone of the video, looking to recreate the group’s look during The Grind Date’s release back in 2004 (with a wrestling superhero twist).
“We knew we didn’t want to go down the road of AI and Deepfaking, instead opting to create fully animated versions of all the characters, no small undertaking. We took influence from various superhero films and media, and drew upon hours of classic wrestling footage for reference. After months of animating, rendering and complex Visual effects work, we were finally able to bring De La Soul and MF DOOM to the big screen just as they were in 2004.”
The original Grind Date album dropped in 2004 and featured a lineup of heavyweights, including Ghostface Killah, Common, Carl Thomas and, of course, MF DOOM. The 20th anniversary edition includes two new tracks, with “Bigger” featuring Choklate leading the rollout.
The tribute is especially poignant following the deaths of two of the track’s key voices. MF DOOM, born Daniel Dumile, died on October 31, 2020, though his passing wasn’t publicly announced until New Year’s Eve. Known for his masked persona and cryptic rhymes, DOOM was widely respected for his influence on underground Hip-Hop and his collaborations with artists like Madlib and Danger Mouse.
Trugoy the Dove, born David Jolicoeur and a founding member of De La Soul, died on February 12, 2023, at age 54. His passing came just weeks before the group’s catalog finally arrived on streaming platforms after years of legal battles. Trugoy’s voice and vision helped shape the group’s legacy, and his absence is deeply felt in this anniversary celebration.
The 20th anniversary edition of The Grind Date is available now.
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