Who: Del, the Funky Homosapien
Where: Garfinkel’s
When: Monday, Jan. 20
After more than 10 years in the fickle world of hip hop, this guy is one laid-back cat with a reputation for rapping about subjects considered unusual: the little things in life and keeping it positive.
Despite being cousin to gangster rapper Ice Cube, Del is in fact considered an upside inspiration to many. Maybe it’s because of his survival in the industry. He started out more than 10 years ago writing songs for Cube, but as all of us eventually do, he grew up. He ventured out on his own, made a couple of mistakes along the way, took up studying music seriously, made some talented new friends and ventured into a whole new world on the bright side of life.
Del talked to Pique about the evolution of not just the music industry but one very funky Homosapien indeed.
Pique: Hi Del, your fans all think you’re one hell of a visionary lyricist rather than just a rap/hip hop artist. Is that a vibe you’re content with?
Del: My lyrics, they are just a God-given gift, you know what I’m saying? It’s not a conscious effort I make doing it, it’s just me. It feels great to be respected and such but I don’t let it get to my head cos it’s not me trying so there’s no way I can sit back and take all the credit for it.
Pique: These days you seem to surround yourself with musicians and MCs who are all about the positive side of hip hop, especially with the Hieroglyphics, was that a conscious decision or a natural progression?
Del: It was natural. It’s just the kind of person I am. I try to stay on the positive side of things but the reality is you can’t have one vibe without feeling the opposite either. I try to add on though. Y’know, be on the developing side of things, as opposed to being on the destructive side of things.
Pique: Right on. So who are you bringing out to Whistler with you?
Del: This time I’m pretty much just solo, just me, but I’m bringing my DJ Zac Hendrix and my side man Kaos Unique plus MC Bukue One.
Pique: You’ve collaborated with so many amazing talents like Dan the Automator, Kid Koala, Handsome Boy Modelling School, Gorillaz and you’ve also got your own solo merits as well. What’s more rewarding for you, working with others or going solo?
Del: I like producing music now, mixing it means more to me than the rapping. I’ve been studying music theory for three years now so that’s my most favourite thing to do, use that knowledge in a real way to make good music with people.
Pique: The Gorillaz project has been an absolute hit all over the world, did you expect it to be as big as it has been?
Del: No I didn’t because they were making it just to be on the Internet; they didn’t make it to be a hit. It was just a hobby really, they just thought it would be a cool idea. Automator happened to be working on it with them, and he was working with me on Deltron 3030 at the same time so he asked me to kick a few lyrics for these characters. I was kinda reluctant to do it at first as I was hella burnt out at the time but I’d been studying song writing and applied what I’d learned to those songs. Tank Girl was really the reason why I did it, it was one of my favourite comics and creator Jamie Hewlett was drawing all the characters for Gorillaz.
Pique: You’re quite unusual in that it seems to be you’re considered an underground artist but almost everybody knows your name and knows your music – would you prefer to be mainstream or underground?
Del: I would prefer for everybody to be able to hear my music. I try to stay away from labels such as underground or mainstream because as far as I see it, everything is popular music. All rap is popular music, all hip hop is popular music. Everybody listens to it these days, so there is no real underground anymore. For me underground is the hard core shit, no frills music, it’s not mass produced, or manufactured like a McDonald’s burger.
Pique: So what music do you listen to then?
Del: Anything with heart and soul to it. I listen to hip hop a lot but jazz is my most favourite form of music. Funk is probably a close second because there’s so many elements of jazz in it.
Pique: So many people in the industry these days think if you have a hit record that you’re selling out, would you agree?
Del: Call it what you want, but I need to get some money. I can understand when you’re younger you feel your favourite artist is selling out when everybody else discovers them. I kinda used to be like that too, but once I got older and had to deal with real life issues like paying rent or I’m on the street it became clear to me you gotta get money. But I never felt that simply because you’re making money you’re selling out. A lot of people do feel that way but to me these people have not lived. They might not have ever heard your record but just because a hella lotta people buy it, they think you’re weak. If nobody listens to your record, you’re good? That’s backwards, man. Once you get higher, people get jealous.
Pique: Would you consider what you do a career or an art form?
Del: I look at music as a career based on an art form. I create art and get paid for it but it ain’t art like paintings which I call a freer form of art that is much harder to make a career out of. Music has a definite form to it that you need to have in order to make money, you need to do something people can relate to. If you don’t want to stick to none of those genres, don’t expect people to relate or buy your stuff.
Pique: So it’s tough if you want to just create art these days.
Del: People don’t really have the patience anymore. Now the economy is bad, people are reluctant to drop 20 bucks on something they don’t know. I am the same, I buy a lot of CDs and I’m like ‘I dunno man, I’m gonna get this one cos I know what it’s gonna sound like’. You really gotta make better music these days to survive. Having just one big hit to one section of the community is no longer a guarantee you’re gonna stick around.
Tickets to see Del the Funkee Homosapien are $27 at Ticketweb.com, Garfinkel’s or the Electric Daisy Internet Café. Whistler's No. 1 DJ, Mat the Alien will open.
