De La Soul, Royal Albert Hall, review: a bittersweet tribute to absent friends

• De La Soul’s appearance in London was always intended as a celebration – initially to coincide with an anniversary reissue of the group’s 1989 debut, hip-hop classic Three Feet High And Rising, and, having fought through an acrimonious, years-long battle with their former label over sample clearances, the arrival of their first six albums to streaming services. “We are here to celebrate our music being let out of prison,” announced Kelvin “Posdnuos” Mercer at the show’s opening. This would be a