# The Magic Number

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For other uses, see [Magic number (disambiguation)](/source/Magic_number_(disambiguation)).

"**The Magic Number**" is a song by American hip-hop group [De La Soul](/source/De_La_Soul). It was released in 1989 as a single from the debut album *[3 Feet High and Rising](/source/3_Feet_High_and_Rising)* (1989). It gained popularity after being used in the end credits of the film *[Spider-Man: No Way Home](/source/Spider-Man:_No_Way_Home)* (2021).[3]

## Background

De La Soul is an American hip-hop group from Long Island, New York.[1] It consisted of [David Jolicoeur](/source/David_Jolicoeur) (Trugoy the Dove), [Vincent Mason](/source/Vincent_Mason) (Maseo), and [Kelvin Mercer](/source/Kelvin_Mercer) (Posdnous).[1] The group got signed to [Tommy Boy Records](/source/Tommy_Boy_Records).[4] With producer [Prince Paul](/source/Prince_Paul_(producer)), 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

Posdnous and Trugoy provided vocals to "The Magic Number".[5] The song contained a sample from [Bob Dorough](/source/Bob_Dorough)'s "[Three Is a Magic Number](/source/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](/source/Double_Dee_and_Steinski)'s "Lesson 3",[5] a chopped version of [John Bonham](/source/John_Bonham)'s drum breaks on [Led Zeppelin](/source/Led_Zeppelin)'s "[The Crunge](/source/The_Crunge)".[7] A line from [Johnny Cash](/source/Johnny_Cash)'s "[Five Feet High and Rising](/source/Five_Feet_High_and_Rising_(song))" ("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

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](/source/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

Jack Needham of [Red Bull Music Academy](/source/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](/source/Beastie_Boys) (*[Paul's Boutique](/source/Paul's_Boutique)*, 1989) and [A Tribe Called Quest](/source/A_Tribe_Called_Quest) (*[The Low End Theory](/source/The_Low_End_Theory)*, 1991)."[9]

In 2017, *[NME](/source/NME)* placed the song at number 77 on its list of the "100 Best Songs of the 1980s".[13]

## In other media

"The Magic Number" was used in the end credits of the film *[Spider-Man: No Way Home](/source/Spider-Man:_No_Way_Home)* (2021).[14][15]

The song was featured in the 2025 sports simulation game, *[MLB The Show 25](/source/MLB_The_Show_25)* [16]

## Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[17]

- [De La Soul](/source/De_La_Soul) – production, arrangement
- [Prince Paul](/source/Prince_Paul_(producer)) – production, mixing
- Scotty Hard – mixing
- Michael Fossenkemper – mastering
- Deborah Mannis-Gardner – sample clearances

## Charts

Chart performance for "Buddy" / "The Magic Number" Chart (1990) Peak position

Chart performance for "The Magic Number" Chart (2023) Peak position

## References

1. Smyth, David (May 31, 2025). ["The Magic Number — how a children's maths song became a hip-hop classic"](https://www.ft.com/content/0fd0600a-3807-4499-a3d5-58a3f3e861f9). *[Financial Times](/source/Financial_Times)*. Retrieved February 5, 2026.

1. De La Soul (1989). *[3 Feet High and Rising](/source/3_Feet_High_and_Rising)* (CD liner notes). [Tommy Boy](/source/Tommy_Boy_Records)

1. Fekadu, Mesfin (January 3, 2023). ["De La Soul's Entire Catalog Coming to Streaming Services"](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/music/music-news/de-la-soul-catalog-spotify-apple-music-streaming-services-1235290216/). *[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)*. Retrieved February 4, 2026.

1. Cantor, Paul (March 3, 2023). ["De La Soul, '3 Feet High and Rising' at 25: Classic Track-by-Track Review"](https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/de-la-soul-3-feet-high-and-rising-at-25-classic-track-by-track-5923057/). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved February 5, 2026.

1. Pinnock, Tom (February 13, 2023). ["The Making Of "The Magic Number" by De La Soul"](https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/interviews/the-making-of-the-magic-number-by-de-la-soul-141870/). *[Uncut](/source/Uncut_(magazine))*. Retrieved February 5, 2026.

1. Serpick, Evan (June 3, 2009). ["'3 Feet High and Rising': De La Soul's Track by Track Guide to Groundbreaking 1989 LP"](https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/de-la-soul-1989-lp-3-feet-high-rising-track-by-track-guide-69292/). *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)*. Retrieved February 5, 2026.

1. Chang, Jeff (September 23, 2018). ["De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising"](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/de-la-soul-3-feet-high-and-rising/). *[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))*. Retrieved February 5, 2026.

1. Williams, Jaelani Turner (January 13, 2023). ["You Can Now Stream De La Soul's "The Magic Number" on DSPs"](https://www.okayplayer.com/you-can-now-stream-de-la-souls-the-magic-number-on-dsps/772101). *[Okayplayer](/source/Okayplayer)*. Retrieved February 4, 2026.

1. Needham, Jack (August 3, 2017). ["The Unlikely Influence of Schoolhouse Rock! on Hip-Hop"](https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2017/08/schoolhouse-rock-and-hip-hop). *[Red Bull Music Academy](/source/Red_Bull_Music_Academy)*. Retrieved February 4, 2026.

1. Aswad, Jem (January 3, 2023). ["De La Soul's Music Is Finally Coming to Streaming Services in March"](https://variety.com/2023/music/news/de-la-soul-available-streaming-services-march-1235477592/). *[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))*. Retrieved February 4, 2026.

1. Eede, Christian (January 13, 2023). ["De La Soul's 'The Magic Number' hits streaming services for the first time: Listen"](https://djmag.com/news/de-la-souls-magic-number-hits-streaming-services-first-time-listen). *[DJ Mag](/source/DJ_Mag)*. Retrieved February 6, 2026.

1. Brereton, Greta (January 13, 2023). ["De La Soul release 1989 single 'The Magic Number' on streaming platforms"](https://www.nme.com/news/music/de-la-souls-release-1989-single-the-magic-number-on-streaming-platforms-3380199). *[NME](/source/NME)*. Retrieved February 4, 2026.

1. Hewitt, Ben; Horton, Matthew; Elan, Priya (March 26, 2017). ["100 Best Songs Of The 1980s"](https://www.nme.com/lists/100-best-songs-of-the-1980s-1161). *[NME](/source/NME)*. Retrieved February 4, 2026.

1. Williams, Jaelani Turner (December 28, 2021). ["Gen-Z is Learning About De La Soul Due to 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'"](https://www.okayplayer.com/gen-z-is-learning-about-de-la-soul-due-to-spider-man-no-way-home/550234). *[Okayplayer](/source/Okayplayer)*. Retrieved February 4, 2026.

1. 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?"](https://variety.com/2022/film/news/spider-man-no-way-home-de-la-soul-magic-number-streaming-services-1235149098/). *[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))*. Retrieved February 4, 2026.

1. Peer, Steve (2025-03-03). ["MLB® The Show™ - MLB The Show 25 Soundtrack Revealed"](https://theshow.com/news/2025-soundtrack/). *MLB® The Show™*. Retrieved 2026-05-05.

1. De La Soul (2023). *The Magic Number* (7-inch vinyl liner notes). A.O.I./[Chrysalis Records](/source/Chrysalis_Records)

## Further reading

- Batey, Angus (March 4, 2019). ["Magic Number: The Story Of 3 Feet High And Rising"](https://thequietus.com/opinion-and-essays/anniversary/de-la-soul-3-feet-high-and-rising-review-anniversary/). *[The Quietus](/source/The_Quietus)*
- Murray, Nick (May 7, 2019). ["59 Hay-Ya! Moments in Rap and Country's Uncomfortable History"](https://www.spin.com/2019/05/country-rap-history-timeline-old-town-road/). *[Spin](/source/Spin_(magazine))*

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Magic Number](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_Number) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_Number?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.