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Del the Funky Homosapien

Del is a man of many names. Born Teren Delvon Jones, he’s been known by a variety of stage names, among them Del the Funky Homosapien, Deltron Zero, Sir Diesel, Deltron Z, and Del Diablo Diabolique. Whatever he might be calling himself, Del’s distinctly old-school style of funk-influenced lyrical hip-hop speaks for itself. With seventeen years of experience, five solo albums, a myriad of mixtapes and countless tour dates to his name, Del is a force to be reckoned with in the world of underground hip-hop.

He first burst onto the scene in 1991, when the Oakland, California-born rapper released his first album I Wish My Brother George Was Here on Elektra Records (Fabolous, Ziggy Marley) at age nineteen. The album - a nod to funk legend George Clinton - was produced by his cousin, legendary rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube. Though I Wish My Brother George Was Here was a commercial success (moving just under 200,000 units based on the popularity of tracks like "Mistadobalina" and "Same Ol' Thing"), Del wasn’t completely happy with Ice Cube’s production, and decided to part ways with his cousin to retain creative control over his music in the future.

Similar to contemporaries like Devin the Dude and Consequence, Del’s idiosyncratic style of alternative rap certainly breaks the mold - something that often puts status quo-minded record executives on edge. Though his second album, 1993’s No Need For Alarm, hit the Billboard 200 and sold over 300,000 copies, Elektra dropped Del from their roster after its release, terminating his contract by mail and refusing to comment further on the subject. Ironically - just months before going bankrupt - Elektra Records would re-release some of Del’s early recordings as an unauthorized best of CD in 2004, after Del’s association with trip-hoppers Gorillaz brought him into the limelight.