Del tha Funkee Homosapien

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Image:I Wish My Brother George Was Here.jpg

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, August 12, 1972, in Oakland, California.

Del was part of his cousin Ice Cube’s backing band Da Lench Mob and made his first solo album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, with support from his cousin in 1991 (“Brother George” referring to George Clinton). Critics and fans had mixed opinions about the album, many feeling that Del’s and Cube’s styles weren't an ideal match. Del decided to part ways with his cousin for his next album, No Need for Alarm, which allowed him to find his own style and subject matter, and also start his own crew, Hieroglyphics.

In 1998, Hieroglyphics came out with their first full length album, Third Eye Vision, on which Del stood out. This album was well received by both fans and critics. 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 extreme praise for its combination of beats and flow and futuristic style. Deltron 3030 helped expand Del’s audience, though not quite to the commercial mainstream.

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.

Most recently, 2003 saw the release of Full Circle, a second album with the Hieroglyphics crew. This latest album has gotten many mixed reviews, with some people liking its originality and display of talents of the entire crew, whereas some have complained that Del was seen only sporadically on the album, acting more like a guest artist.

Together with his crew, Del has established his own independent record label, Hieroglyphics Imperium, which primarily consists of Hiero and a few others that they often collaborate with.

Del’s lyrics often reflect his interests, offering humor and themes not usually found in most new hip hop, including 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 Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.

Del is currently working on his next album 11th Hour which will come with both a CD and a DVD.

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