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... More >

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Biography

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.

After the release of No Need for Alarm, Del spent most of his time with his Oakland-based rap crew, Hieroglyphics, releasing a number of mixtapes with Hieroglyphics throughout the mid-1990's. His third album, Future Development - originally set to be released on Elektra before his departure from the label - saw an internet-only release in 1998, though it was later re-released on the independent Hieroglyphics Imperium imprint in 2002, two years after dropping his fourth album Both Sides of the Brain on Imperium. Though Future Development and Both Sides of the Brain were both solid albums, Del received more attention for his 2001 appearance in the hit Gorillaz track "Clint Eastwood", which introduced the prominent hip-hopper to a wider mainstream audience.

Del released his most recent solo album, Eleventh Hour, in early 2008 on New York indie label Definitive Jux (Aesop Rock, RJD2). His first solo album in eight years, Eleventh Hour debuted at #122 on the Billboard 200, selling over 5,000 copies in its first week on store shelves. Standout tracks from Eleventh Hour include "Workin' It" and "Slam Dunk".

From Discogs:

Born: August 12, 1972, Oakland, CaliforniaRapper from Oakland, CA. Member of the Hieroglyphics crew. Cousin of Ice Cube.

From Lastfm:

The current moniker for the artist previously known as Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, used now for a number of years on his last few album releases, compilation and guest appearances. He is also a member of Hieroglyphics and Deltron 3030. Del The Funky Homosapien is Teren Delvon Jones (born August 12, 1972 in Oakland, California) Cousin of seminal west coast rapper Ice Cube, Del began his career writing lyrics for Ice Cube's 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.

Read more about Del The Funky Homosapien on Last.fm.

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From Wikipedia:

Teren Delvon Jones (born August 12, 1972 in Oakland, California), better known as Del the Funky Homosapien or Del tha Funkee Homosapien, is a hip hop artist.

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