Catching Up With... Del the Funky Homosapien

Del the Funky Homosapien has long been a staple on the underground hip-hop scene. He released his first solo album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, in 1991 at the encouragement of his cousin, Ice Cube, and immediately found success through the single "Mistadobalina." In the 17 long years that have passed, Del has released three more solo records and lent his voice to several side projects, including Gorillaz (he's all over smash hit "Clint Eastwood") and Deltron 3030, his classic collaboration with Dan the Automator. He also established an independent record label, Hieroglyphics, but in recent years, fans haven't heard much from the Funky one.

Now, Del is back with 11th Hour, his first solo album since 2000's Both Sides of the Brain, and first on El-P's label Definitive Jux. To prepare for the making of the album, he took music theory and studied songwriting in hopes of taking his music to a new level.

Paste caught up with Del recently to discuss the new record, his move to Def Jux and the state of hip-hop in the still-young 21st century.

Paste: I've heard rumors that there's a new Deltron project in the works. Can you tell me anything about that?
Del: Yeah. Basically, it's pretty much finished music-wise. I just have to sit down and write it. I wrote a couple songs, but I have to be in the right state of mind to write it.

Paste: Do you have any idea if it's going to continue in the same sort of futuristic vein, or are you going to develop a new theme for it?
Del: I have developed a new theme. I sat down with a friend of mine, Grant James, who directs a lot of my videos, and came up with a concept. It's a different time frame, so it's not taking place in the year 3030. The main theme is centered on what people will do once they're reduced to the bare necessities, if government and civilization are destroyed.

Paste: I've read that you've been studying music theory recently. How has that influenced your new release?
Del: I wanted to have a concrete type of musical style and focus on funk and hip-hop. I did a lot of studying on basic music theory based on James Brown's band. I wanted to get the groove tight and together. I feel like hip-hop is based on that anyway. Some people were telling me that you couldn’t make hip-hop without samples. You know how purists are sometimes. If there's not a sample involved in it then it's not the real deal. That's not the way it's always been. So I was set on a quest to learn what those cats were doing that we sample from, which I grew up on anyway, I mean, I was born in '72. I grew up on all that. So that's what I tried to bring to the table with the album.

As far as lyrics are concerned, I also studied songwriting so I could tighten up the bolts a little. It made it really easy for me to make that album. Before, it took me a while to make something because I wasn't sure what people would make of it. At this point, I know what people consider music, and I'm hip, so I know how far I can go, and how far I need to push it. I feel like people want something new, but they don’t want it too new.

Paste: What made you decide to put the album out on Def Jux, rather than your own label?
Del: I wanted it out now. They had the ability to do that. The main reason I decided to go with Def Jux is that I know El-P, I respect his stuff, I respect his music, and I know a lot of artists on his label. That made me feel comfortable with my choice. And I knew that he had a tighter machine over there happening. I knew that he had the money and the funds to put behind some publicity, maybe a video.

Paste: The Onion AV Club recently did an interview with Ice Cube where he made the claim that you hate everything about commercial rap music. Do you agree with that statement?
Del: Cube and I haven't kicked it in a very long time. At that time, I just wasn't feeling it; it just wasn't what I was about. I feel like I was somewhat blinded, because I was a purist. I felt like, if anything, it was intruding upon the real form of hip-hop. I got mad. I grew up with hip-hop. I was doing it when people thought it was BS. I remember when I started, people were like, "You're wasting your time, this is a trend, it's going to play out. You need read a book or something." It was a joke to people, especially out here in Oakland, because people were like, "Oh, you're trying to be from New York?"

To answer your question though, I say this: I don’t have a problem with commercial stuff. I like music; it doesn't even matter what it is. I know a lot of people out there are purists. Basically, it's like this right now out there: If you sell hella records, you must be wack. It's like once it leaves your backyard, or your little realm of existence, it's kind of like...man, it's not cool anymore. I think a lot of people are against authority in general, so if it's on a major label, it's got to be weak. I don’t feel that.

Paste: Kanye West has been quoted as saying he's the bridge between backpacker hip-hop and mainstream. What's your opinion on the gap between so-called backpacker hip-hop and the mainstream, and what do you think about the claim that Kanye is the bridge between the two?
Del: First of all, I love Kanye West. I feel he's a great artist, always loved him. When I first learned he was coming out with some new stuff, I was like, "Whoa, this is going to be something to look for." And sure enough, it blew up. I think that Kanye is extremely talented, and I do think that he sort of bridges the gap, because he comes from that so-called backpacker line of thinking, that real hip-hop line of thinking, but he also has some type of sensibility that a lot of people can enjoy. You don’t have to be just a backpacker or just into underground hip-hop to like it. And I think that's what pushes you over; that's what gets you more play.

Paste: Do you have any new projects coming up in the near future?
Del: I've been working with Lady Bug Mecca from Digable Planets, Dave from De La Soul and Prince Paul on a project called Modest Millionaire. It's basically Dave's idea, but the idea is living modestly with whatever you make. You don’t have to be spending all your money on ridiculous stuff that isn't even going to be worth anything later on, you can just be cool. It's just an attitude basically. You'd probably have to ask him to explain it more thoroughly than that since it's really his concept, but that's one thing I’m working on. I'm working on an LP with A+ from Souls of Mischief called Hypnotize. I'm working on a new Hiero album. El-P and I are supposed to work on something too.