Song Storage: May 01

VintageHipHopSeattle | 2011/05/05
From 1993 Single.....

Del's Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/delthefunkyhomosapien

Get Del's Music:
http://www.amazon.com/Del-Tha-Funkee-Homosapien/e/B000APXM0A/ref=ntt_mus_dp_pel
&
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/del-tha-funkee-homosapien/id153070

Del was born Teren Delvon Jones (born August 12, 1972 in Oakland, California).

Cousin of renowned rapper Ice Cube, Del began his career writing lyrics for Cube's backing band, Da Lench Mob. In 1991, with the help of Ice Cube, Del released his first solo album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, at the age of 18. The album was a commercial success, largely due to the popularity of the hit single, "Mistadobalina". Ultimately Del, who was not pleased with the limited musical range of the album, took matters into his own hands, and severed his production-artist relationship with Ice Cube for his next album, No Need for Alarm. Del is considered a member of the Native Tongues Posse according to the myspace page.

No Need for Alarm also saw the introduction of the famous Oakland clique Hieroglyphics, whose original members included the widely acclaimed Souls of Mischief (Opio, A-Plus, Phesto and Tajai) Casual, Pep Love, Del, and producer Domino. No Need for Alarm was a bold move on Del's part as it allowed him to develop, display, and solidify his unique style as an MC, and also helped to expose both the regional Oakland sound of hip hop, as well as the freestyle based, "golden era-97" style of hip hop being expanded at the time. Del grew up in the Boston area and attended Melrose public school systems before moving to Oakland to pursue a rap career.

Cousin of renowned rapper Ice Cube, Del began his career writing lyrics for Cube's backing band, Da Lench Mob. In 1991, with the help of Ice Cube, Del released his first solo album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, at the age of 18. The album was a commercial success, largely due to the popularity of the hit single, "Mistadobalina". Ultimately Del, who was not pleased with the limited musical range of the album, took matters into his own hands, and severed his production-artist relationship with Ice Cube for his next album, No Need for Alarm. Del is considered a member of the Native Tongues Posse according to the myspace page.

No Need for Alarm also saw the introduction of the famous Oakland clique Hieroglyphics, whose original members included the widely acclaimed Souls of Mischief (Opio, A-Plus, Phesto and Tajai) Casual, Pep Love, Del, and producer Domino. No Need for Alarm was a bold move on Del's part as it allowed him to develop, display, and solidify his unique style as an MC, and also helped to expose both the regional Oakland sound of hip hop, as well as the freestyle based, "golden era-97" style of hip hop being expanded at the time. Del grew up in the Boston area and attended Melrose public school systems before moving to Oakland to pursue a rap career.

Due to touring, mundane activities, and frequent psychedelic drug use, it would be another five years before the release of his third album. About a month before the release of his third album Future Development Del received a letter from his label, Elektra, stating that his contract had been terminated.

Del's third solo album Future Development became available in 1998. The album was only available on the Hieroglyphics website in tape form. Future Development was re-released in 2002 under the Hieroglyphics Imperium label. Del also released another collaborative work with the Hieroglyphics crew in 1998, 3rd Eye Vision, it was the Hieroglyphics crew's first album. Two years later, Del released his fourth solo album, Both Sides of the Brain, as well as Deltron 3030 which was a collaborative work with artists Dan the Automator Nakamura and Kid Koala, featuring a special guest appearance by Scotty "the Great Gatsby" Beezle. Exposure from the 3030 project helped to expand Del's fan base—the 3030 project worked well as a marketing move because the CD capitalized on the growing interest of computer technology, incorporating motifs of science fiction, telling stories about life and hip hop based in the year 3030, and infusing much of the popular internet terminology and culture in circulation at the time.

2003 also saw the release of Full Circle, the second full-length album from the Hieroglyphics crew.

In 2004 Elektra released The Best of Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: The Elektra Years without the approval of Del. The CD only includes songs from his first two albums, along with a handful of b-sides from that era. Del was not pleased and advised people to not buy the CD, saying it was just Elektra trying to make money off of him due to his newfound fame.

Together with his crew, Del has established his own independent record label, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings, which primarily consists of an expanded Hieroglyphics roster and a few other artists with whom the group collaborates regularly.