Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
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Del tha Funkee Homosapien, also known as Del the Funky Homosapien and a few other phonetic approximations, is an alternative hip hop artist. Del was born Teren Delvon Jones on August 12, 1972 in Oakland, California.
Biography
Del was born and raised in Oakland, California. In 1991 Del, with part of his cousin Ice Cube’s backing band Da Lench Mob, made his first solo album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, with support from Ice Cube. “Brother George” refers to legendary funk musician George Clinton. Critics and fans had mixed opinions about the album, but more were positive then negative. Del's next album, No Need for Alarm, did not feature Ice Cube. It did, however, mark the first appearance of Del's "crew" Hieroglyphics.In 1998, Hieroglyphics came out with their first full length album, Third Eye Vision. This album was well received by both fans and critics#redirect . Two years later, Del came out with Both Sides of the Brain, and in 2001 he released Deltron 3030 with Dan “the Automator” Nakamura and Kid Koala, which garnered praise from critics#redirect and helped expand Del's audience.
Del collaborated with Gorillaz for two songs on their debut album, both of which became singles: "Clint Eastwood" and "Rock the House". In their videos he was portrayed as a clown-like ghost. Del later commented on the success of "Clint Eastwood" by saying that he actually wrote the song with the book "How to Write a Hit Song," a book that he bought with a coupon his mother gave him#redirect . After the song went platinum he gave the plaque to his mother#redirect .
Most recently, 2003 saw the release of Full Circle, a second album with the Hieroglyphics crew. This latest album has received mixed reviews#redirect .
Together with his crew, Del has established his own independent record label, Hieroglyphics Imperium, which primarily consists of Hieroglyphics and a few others artists with whom the group collaborates regularly.
Del’s lyrics often reflect his interests, offering humor and themes that differ from mainstream hip hop. His songs have discussed video games, bad hygiene, intergalactic rap battles, and more. In 2000, the song "Positive Contact" from Deltron 3030 was featured in the game Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX. In 2001, the song "If You Must" was featured in the game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. In 2003, the song "Positive Contact" from Deltron 3030 was featured in the game Tony Hawk's Underground. In 2005, the song "Burnt" featuring Hieroglyphics was featured in the game Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland. In 2006, the song "Catch A Bad One" was used in the game .
Del is currently working on his next album 11th Hour which will come with both a CD and a DVD.
Discography
- I Wish My Brother George Was Here (1991)
- No Need for Alarm (1993)
- Third Eye Vision (1998)
- Future Development (1998)
- Deltron 3030 (2000)
- Both Sides of the Brain (2000)
- Full Circle (2003)
Other projects and guest appearances
- Deltron 3030 (2000)
- Deltron 3030 Instrumental Version (2001)
- Gorillaz, tracks "Clint Eastwood" and "Rock the House"
- Judgement Night (movie soundtrack), track “Missing Link” (with Dinosaur Jr.)
- One Big Trip (movie soundtrack), track “One Big Trip”
- Think Differently Music Presents-Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture tracks "Fragments" and "Preservation(with Aesop Rock)"
- Handsome Boy Modeling School, So... How's Your Girl? (1999)
- Handsome Boy Modeling School, White People (2004)
- The Coup, track "The Repo Man Sings For You," from "Steal This Album" (1998)
- Zion I "What U Hear", from True & Livin', 2005
- Opio of Souls of Mischief, "What's Wrong With This Picture?", from "Triangulation Station", 2005
External links
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