Maybe it is your internet?
Listen to stakes is high if you haven't, my favorite album of their probably.
I also picked up Stakes Is High thanks to the giveaway but it hasn't clicked with me yet. I think I prefer their earlier, less serious style.
Seemed to be a thing back then. There was Main Source, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Camp Lo, Fugees, and even Beck's first album, Mellow Gold, which has a playful vibe.