Everyone who has not heard of DEL tha Funkee Homosapien gets a slap on the head. As the leader of the Oakland HIEROGLYPHICS crew -- Del, Souls of Mischief, Casual, The Prose -- Del is a 25-year-old Leo, internationally known for clever rhymes inside complex lyrical patterns with much humor thrown in. In short, "no one has found the comparable variable". We were, however, able to catch up with his self on the lanai of the 32nd floor of the Waikiki Banyon. Del and the whole crew were on O'ahu filming the video for "You Never Knew." He also proved himself the undisputed master of Tekken3, but that's another story... Here's some of what was said:So what's up, how was Europe?
IT WAS COOL. WE HAD SOME FUCKED UP CONDITIONS, WHERE WE WERE STAYING AND SHIT. HAD TO PAY FOR EVERYTHNG OURSELVES, YOU KNOW. IT WAS COOL.How's the scene over there, as far as hiphop goes?
PHAT. WAY PHATER THAN IN THE STATES. THEY STILL BREAK AND SHIT OVER THERE. LIKE HELL OF. LIKE IT'S NOT STRANGE TO SEE FOOLS BREAKIN AT A PARTY, YOU KNOW. WHEREAS OUT HERE, YOU GOT A FEW KIDS THAT STILL BREAK BUT IT AINT LIKE IT WAS. THEY GOT THEIR OWN RAPPERS AND SHIT THEY RAP IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE AND SHIT. THEY DONT EVEN TRIP OFF AMERICAN RAPPERS, REALLY. While moving outside to get away from the mad ruckus in the hotel room, he saw the Sir Menelik sticker on my notebook, says he likes him and worked w/him...HE'S HELLA COOL.
Who else are you looking to collaborate with?
REDMAN, IF I COULD EVER CATCH UP WITH HIM. I WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING WITH REDMAN ON MY ALBUM BUT I GOT DROPPED BEFORE I COULD GO OVER TO NEW YORK AND FREAK SOME SHIT....FOR "FUTURE DEVELOPMENT" ON "FUTURE DEVELOPMENT"... THAT SHIT IS COOL, IT'S UNFINISHED, THOUGH. I GOT DROPPED BEFORE I COULD ACTUALLY FINISH IT. I WAS GONNA GO TO NEW YORK AND DO HELLA SHIT. I WAS GOING TO WORK WITH DE LA, TRY TO WORK WITH TRIBE, WAS GONNA FUCK WITH REDMAN. I TALKED TO THEM AND EERYTHING. I DONT KNOW. MY SHIT WAS, I DONT KNOW, TOO WILD FOR THEM [the label] I GUESS. I WAS GOING DEEP ON THE RECORD COMPANY AND EVERYTHING. ON "SLAVE MASTERS' ACTUALLY TALKING SHIT ABOUT THE RECORD COMPANY. THEY PROBABLY WAS LIKE, OH WELL, YOU DONT NEED US THEN, WE MIGHT AS WELL DROP YOUR ASS. IT'S COOL, THO. IT'S BETTER BEING ON MY OWN, REALLY.Are there any negative points about being on your own, about being fully independent?
YOU GOTTA DO EVERYTHING YOURSELF AND PAY FOR EVERYTHING YOURSELF. YOU AINT GOT THE FAT BACKING LIKE YOU HAD WHEN YOU WAS ON THE LABEL. KNO'WHATI'MSAYIN', PRETTY MUCH ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS SIT BACK AND RECORD YOUR SONGS AND LET THEM WORRY ABOUT GETTING YOU YOUR PUB KNO'WHATI'MSAYIN' GETTING YOU IN PUBLICATIONS, GETTING YOU ON TV OR WHATEVER. THROWING FLYERS UP, STICKERS, WHATEVER. BEFORE THEY'D DO ALL THAT. NOW KNO'WHATI'MSAYIN' WE GOTTA HIRE TEAMS TO DO THAT. AND ALL THAT MONEY COME RIGHT OUT OUR POCKET. NOT SAYING IT DIDNT COME OUT OUR POCKET WHEN WE WAS ON THE LABEL. IT'S JUST THAT NOW WE GOTTA DO THE BUSINESS PART OF IT. TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH IT AINT EVEN REALLY NO DIFFERENT, 'CAUSE I DONT DO IT NO WAY. DOMINO USUSALLY DO ALL THAT SHIT.So how's your distribtion, then, is that pretty tight?
IT'S AIIGHT. IT'S MOSTLY EVERYWHERE I BEEN TO IN THE STATES, BUT UH, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE...WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT IT WASNT EVERYWHERE AND THAT KIND OF PISSED ME OFF, 'CAUSE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN EVERY STORE. BUT NOW, LIKE IN THE TOWN WHERE WE AT, IT'S EVERYWHERE, LIKE I'LL GO TO SAM GOODY AND SHIT--I WOULDNT EVEN EXPECT IT TO BE SOMEWHERE LIKE THERE--BUT IT'S IN THERE Y'KNOW, SO, BUT THAT'S 'CAUSE WE FROM THE BAY AREA SO MUTHAFUCKERS KNOW AND SHIT. I GUESS IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW.Have you ever hooked up with artists from around the same area, like the Invisible Skratch Picklz or something like that?
I'M DOWN WITH MIXMASTER MIKE, MATTER OF FACT HE USED TO BE MY DJ FOR A MINUTE. BUT HE WAS HELLA HARD TO WORK WITH BECAUSE HE WOULD ALWAYS BE DOING SHIT, LIKE GOING TO JAPAN OR SOME SHIT. WE STILL COOL, THO. APOLLO WAS THE SOULS OF MISCHIEF DJ FOR A MINUTE.That's cool, you guys work with live musicians ever?
SOMETIMES WE MIGHT HIRE A BASS PLAYER OR SOMETHING TO PLAY SOMETHING, LIKE UH, WHAT SONG DID I DO THAT ON? "OAKLAND BLACKOUTS" WE HAD A LIVE BASS PLAYER. BUT NOT USUALLY, THO. BUT I PLAY BASSLINES AND SHIT, TOO, LIKE ON THE KEYBOARD OR WHATEVER.So you were originally part of the Lynch Mob, is that right? How was it for you when Ice Cube blew up? How old were you then?
17, 18. I WAS CHILLIN. SMOKIN BOMB ALL THE TIME, TALKING SHIT, LAUGHING AND SHIT. MAKING MUSIC. POOH, DJ POOH WAS HELLA COOL. CUBE WAS COOL. JD, T-BONE, ALL THEM FOOLS. KING TEE USED TO COME THROUGH SOMETIMES, I REMEMBER J-RO FROM THA ALKAHOLIKS, I MET HIM BACK THEN, BEFORE THEY REALLY CLAIMED [?] THA ALKAHOLIKS, HE WAS COOL.So, you produced how many tracks on the new album?
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT? Er, on the Family Album?
OH DAMN, HOW MANY DID I PRODUCE? ONE, I THINK. ONE AND I DID CASUAL'S SHORT.And on the "Future Development"?
I DID ABOUT HALF THE ALBUM.How is it for you, like mentally, the difference between producing and performing?
PERFORMING? I DONT KNOW. I USED TO NOT LIKE PERFORMING THAT MUCH. I THINK I LIKE IT MORE NOW. I MEAN I CAN DO IT, BUT I'D RATHER BE DOING OTHER SHIT.Like what?
SOMETHING ELSE. PERFORMING AINT THAT TIGHT TO ME. I'VE GOTTEN USED TO IT, THO, SINCE I'VE BEEN PERFORMING FOR LIKE A YEAR NOW WITH THE HIEROS TOUR, GOING TO EUROPE FOR A MONTH WITH CAS. I THINK I TIGHTENED UP MY SHOW. NOW I GOT A NEW DAT PLAYER NOW AND SHIT SO I CAN MAKE A REAL SHOW TAPE. Y'KNOW WITH AN INTRO, A LITTLE SHIT COMING IN, PEOPLE TALKING OR WHATEVER. SO IT'S TIGHT NOW THAT I CAN ACTUALLY DO WHAT I WANT. JUST DOING SONG AFTER SONG AINT TIGHT TO ME. JUST DOING THE SONG AFTER SONG JUST THROWING THE RECORD ON, OKAY, NEXT SONG, NEXT SONG, NO KINDA NOTHING IN-BETWEEN IS WEAK TO ME. LIKE THE NEW SHOW TAPE I DID, WHAT'D IT DO? IT COME ON, IT GO, I'M IN THE BACKGROUND, I'M SAYIN, "D-E-L IS" AND THE TAPE SAY, "IN DA HOUSE, IN DA HOUSE, IN DA HOUSE, HERE WE GO YA'LL," AND THEN A LITTLE INTRO BEAT COME ON, A LITTLE INTRO SKIT I DO. THEN IT SAY, "I'M COMING, I COME TO INFECT, I'M COMING TO TAKE YOUR CHILDREN INTO THE STREET," AND THEN UM "YOU'RE IN SHAMBLES" COME ON KNO'WHATI'MSAYIN' JUST SOME LITTLE SHIT TO KIND OF MAKE IT MORE ENTERTAINING THAN JUST SONG AFTER SONG 'CAUSE EVERYBODY DO THAT SHIT.You guys released your new stuff on vinyl, right?
YEAH WE DO HAVE IT ON VINYL, SOME PLACES, I THINK IT'S KIND OF LIMITED, THO. BUT I WENT TO EUROPE AND FOUND OUT THAT THEY AINT EVEN FUCKIN WITH YOU IF YOU AINT GOT NO VINYL. THEY REALLY HIPHOP HEADS, THEY HELLA INTO VINYL AND SHIT. SO I WAS TRYING TO SELL MY "FUTURE DEVELOPMENT" TAPES. I WAS NOT BUBBLIN. THEY WAS LIKE, NAW, WE NEED SOME WAX, MAN. SO MY SHIT, DEFINATELY I'MMA HAVE WAX. THINKING ABOUT DOING SOME SINGLES AND SHIT, TOO, I WANNA DO LIKE AN EP WITH CAS[UAL].When is that gonna come out? What dates are you looking at right now?
MY ALBUM? I DONT KNOW. DOMINO TRYING TO GET ME TO FINISH IT BY THE END OF THE YEAR, LIKE NOVEMBER OR SOMETHING. PERSONALLY I DONT THINK IT'S GOING TO BE DONE BY THEN. THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR IS PROBABLY MORE FEASIBLE, Y'KNOW. 'CAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE MIX IS DONE RIGHT. RECORDING IT AINT GONNA TAKE THAT LONG 'CAUSE I GOT ALL MY SONGS WRITTEN. I GOTTA FIND SOME BEATS FROM OTHER PEOPLE BUT BASICALLY I GOT THE PRODUCTION DONE. I GOTTA DO LIKE A DEMO VERSION OF MY ALBUM FIRST, THAT'LL PROBABLY TAKE LIKE A MONTH TO DO.Why do you have to do a demo?
JUST SO I CAN SEE WHAT IT'S GONNA SOUND LIKE BEFORE I WASTE MY MONEY IN THE STUDIO.What's it gonna be called?
"BOTH SIDES OF THE BRAIN"Who's your favorite female MC?
MAN, I DONT KNOW. I'VE HEARD BAHAMADIA IS SO TIGHT, SHE HELLA TIGHT. THIS NEW GIRL, RAH DIGGA, SHE DOWN WITH FLIPMODE, BUSTA RHYMES, SHE HELLA TIGHT. RAGE, RAGE IS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST. I WANNA DO A SONG WITH HER. TRY TO HOOK THAT UP. IF I CAN FIND HER. LAST THING I HEARD SHE SAID SHE WASNT RAPPIN NO MORE.You ever see a day where you wont be rapping any more?
PROBABLY MAYBE YEAH. DEFINATELY NOT GONNA BE RAPPIN FOR NO REST OF MY LIFE. TRYING TO STUDY JAPANESE NOW, TRY TO TAKE SOME OF THIS MONEY, HOPEFULLY THIS ALBUM WILL GET ME SOME MONEY, I CAN GO TO ART SCHOOL WITH IT. GET MY ART SKILLS ON. I DONT REALLY HAVE A DIRECT AIM FOR IT YET, KINDA WANNA DO VIDEO GAME DESIGN, LIKE CHARACTER DESIGN, SEE WHAT'S UP WITH THAT.Werent you guys gonna do like a soundtrack or something for a video game?
I WANTED TO. MUTHAFUCKERS BE SAYING SHIT, BUT I THINK MUTHAFUCKERS BULLSHITTIN. I JUST WAS TALKING WITH PRINCE PAUL, AND HE SAID HE WANT ME TO DO A RAP FOR THIS CHILDREN'S SHOW, LIKE SOME KIND OF CARTOON OR SOMETHING. HE GONNA TRY AND GET TRUGOY AND ME TO DO THE RAP FOR IT. THAT'LL BE TIGHT. I GUESS IT'S SOME KIND OF NEW CARTOON. I DONT EVEN KNOW IF IT'S REAL OR NOT, IT'S STILL TENTATIVE, BUT HOPEFULLY IT'LL GO DOWN 'CAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER AREA I CAN MAKE SOME MONEY IN.So you work to uh diversify your skills, your talents?
YEAH, I WAS DRAWING BEFORE I STARTED RAPPING, SO I WANT TO TAKE IT BACK TO THERE, MY ORIGINAL TALENT, BRUSH UP ON THAT.Do you have any advice to kids who look up to you, you know, as far as pulling themselves out of a bad situation?
JUST TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM NEGATIVITY. THAT SHIT AINT GONNA GET YOU NO WHERE. YOU CAN TELL WHEN MUTHAFUCKERS NEGATIVE AND SHIT, SOMETIME, IT SEEM LIKE IT'S THE COOL THING TO DO, TO BE AROUND THE MUTHAFUCKERS, ALL THAT SHIT'S GONNA DO IS GET YOU INTO TROUBLE, THO. JUST CONCENTRATE ON WHAT YOU GOTTA DO. TRY TO HAVE SOME KIND OF PLAN IN LIFE. DONT BE WANDERING AROUND AIMLESSLY. I GOTTA HELLA PARTNERS THAT DONT DO SHIT, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYIN. I MEAN, YOU COULD PROBABLY SAY THE SAME SHIT ABOUT ME. ME, I WAS JUST LUCKY, I GOT A RECORD DEAL OR WHATEVER, I MAKE RECORDS NOW. I BE LOAFIN' TOO, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYIN, SMOKING WEED ALL DAY, DRINKING AND SHIT. BUT IF I AINT HAVE NO RECORD DEAL, I WOULDNT BE ABLE TO DO THAT SHIT, JUST SIT AROUND ON MY ASS, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST MY SITUATION. USUALLY THAT SHIT AINT PRODUCTIVE, SO HAVEAre there other ways that having a record deal affected you, like you're growth as a artist, as a person? And where do you think you'd be right now if you werent [sic]?
I MADE ME MORE CYNICAL OF PEOPLE, FOR ONE, BUT ALSO IT KINDA HELPED 'CAUSE I COULD SEE WHAT KINDA DIFFERENT MUSIC WOULD WORK AND WHAT WONT WORK, YOU KNOW. SEE I'M TRYING TO MAKE SOME MONEY SO I AINT TRYING TO JUST THROW OUT ANY OLD GROUPIE PIECE OF SHIT I HAVE AT HOME, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYIN. WHEN BEFORE I WAS LIKE, WHAT EVER I MAKE IS TIGHT. YOU KNOW. NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT AINT NECESSARILY THE CASE, I GOTTA PICK LIKE THE BEST SHIT, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYIN. NOT JUST LIKE HAVE AN ALBUM WITH JUST ME FREESTYLING THE WHOLE ALBUM, THAT AINT TIGHT. YOU GOTTA HAVE SOME VARIETY. I GOT MY OWN RECORD LABEL SO I CAN DO SINGLES ALL DAY WITH JUST FREESTYLES, WHATEVER, SHOWING MY SKILLS, BUT YOU GOTTA HAVE SOME KINDA TOPICS OR SOMETHING ON YOUR ALBUM. I MEAN NOT SAYING EVERYBODY GOTTA GO THAT ROUTE, BUT FOR ME I THINK IT'S BETTER THAT WAY. 'CAUSE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST RAPPING IS BORING, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING. MOST PEOPLE THAT BE BUYING RECORDS AND SHIT, THEY AINT NO HIP-HOPPERS OR NOTHING, THAT UNDERSTAND FREESTYLING AND SHIT. TO MOST PEOPLE THAT'S JUST BABBLING. LIKE, WHAT THE FUCK ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? SO I LEARNED THAT SHIT, CHORUSES AND SHIT, JUST THE STRUCTURE OF A SONG. I THINK I CAN MAKE A BETTER ALBUM THAN BEFORE. WELL ACTUALLY, MY FIRST ALBUM [I wish my Brother George was Here] WAS KINDA DIFFERENT, 'CAUSE I HAD HELP DOING THAT ALBUM [from Ice Cube]. MY SECOND ALBUM, [No Need For Alarm] I THINK IT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER,...KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING... A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE IT BUT, I THINK IT COULD'VE BEEN BETTER.You feel you will always pretty much feel that way about something you do or, see, you know, like what you're working on now is reaching pretty close to perfection, to where you see perfection being?
YEAH THIS SHIT I'M WORKING ON NOW IS PRETTY MUCH WHERE I WANT TO BE AT. THE THIRD ALBUM [Future Development] WAS GETTING THERE BUT I KINDA SIMPLIFIED A LOT OF MY SONGS 'CAUSE I WAS FEELING LIKE MY SHIT WAS TOO COMPLICATED FOR PEOPLE....I DIDNT DO THAT SHIT THIS TIME, YOU KNOW WHAT IM SAYING, I THINK PEOPLE WILL STILL BE ON TO GETTING ABOUT WHAT I'M SAYING, BUT I DIDNT WANT TO SACRIFICE SKILLS JUST FOR THE SAKE OF TRYING TO MAKE IT MORE UNDERSTANDABLE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING, I FIGURE IF I'M TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING IN A SONG THAT'S CALLED SOMETHING, THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING. I DONT WANNA SELL MYSELF SHORT.Do you have certain ideals that underlie all of your music? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? As far as where you're coming from, as far as, you know, just ideas that are important to you...uh nevermind that was a stupid question...
NAH I FEEL YOU SORTA...I MEAN YEAH I ALWAYS GOT SOME KIND OF UNDERLINING MESSAGE, IN MY SHIT, UNLESS IT'S JUST FREESTYLE, BUT EVEN IF IT'S FREESTYLE I DONT JUST FREESTYLE FOR THE SAKE OF IT. I ALWAYS DROP A LITTLE JEWEL HERE AND THERE. I TRY TO BE POSITIVE ON MY SHIT, IT DONT ALWAYS COME OUT THAT WAY. LATEST ALBUM I'M WORKING ON, I PRETTY MUCH CUT OUT AL THE CURSING. TRY NOT TO SAY NIGGER IN MY SHIT, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING...Why's that? BECAUSE NIGGA'S IGNORANT. Do you have children? NAH BUT I KNOW THAT A LOT OF KIDS LISTEN TO MY SHIT, SO I JUST DONT WANT PEOPLE TO PERCEIVE ME LIKE THAT. SO NOW WHEN I WRITE RAPS I TRY NOT TO EVEN USE ANY CURSE WORDS, I JUST FEEL IT'S MORE SHIT TO SAY, MORE WAYS TO EXPRESS MYSELF THAN THAT. EVEN THO, WHEN I'M TALKING, I CURSE A LOT. LIKE I'M WRITING SOME SHIT AND I ACTUALLY GOT TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO [NOT CURSE]. TO ME THAT'S JUST TAKING MY SHIT TO ANOTHER LEVEL, KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING. NOT SAYING THAT I THINK THAT OTHER MUTHERFUCKERS THAT DO THAT IS STUPID OR SOMETHING, I JUST TRY TO STEER AWAY FROM THAT NOW.Has anyone found the comparable variable?
[laughs] I DONT KNOW, I DONT KNOW, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I WAS JUST SAYING THAT SHIT, JUST TRYING TO BE CLEVER AND SHIT. I'M GONNA KEEP COMING WITH SHIT LIKE THAT, THO. LITTLE CLEVER SAYINGS OR WHATEVER.Think you'll be back out here again?
WHO ME?...[uh...] IF I CAN MAKE SOME MONEY, YOU KNOW, IF THEY CAN BRING ME OUT HERE FOR A SHOW. MY GIRL, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING, I MIGHT BRING HER OUT HERE FOR A VACATION OR SOMETHING.That's sweet, that's romantic.
IT'S THE TYPE OF SHIT SHE LIKE TO DO. I'LL PROBABLY BE BORED AS FUCK, YOU KNOW. BUT I'D DO IT FOR HER.How important are freestyle skills to the credibility of an MC?
IT AINT HELLA IMPORTANT TO ME, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYIN, THAT'S JUST AN ADDED PLUS. 'CAUSE IT'S ALWAYS COOL TO LISTEN TO, TO SEE WHAT SOMEBODY'S GOING TO SAY OFF THE DOME RIGHT THEN AND THERE. THAT'S ALWAYS ENJOYABLE, BUT I DONT THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NECESSARY. IT DONT DETRACT FROM HOW GOOD YOU CAN WRITE OR WHATEVER, THAT'S WHAT REALLY MAKES A GOOD MC TO ME IS HOW GOOD YOU CAN WRITE, HOW CLEVER YOU ARE. FREESTYLE AINT THAT IMPORTANT. FOR SOME PEOPLE, THEY THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT SHIT. THAT SHIT AINT EVEN HELLA IMPORTANT. IT'S ONLY SO FAR YOU CAN TAKE A FREESTYLE. WRITTEN IS ALWAYS BETTER.
[the end]
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