Del tha Funkee Homosapien
| Del the Funky Homosapien | |
|---|---|
Del performing at Austin City Limits, 26 September 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Teren Delvon Jones |
| Also known as | Deltron, Sir DZL, Del, Del the Ghost Rapper, Joe Higashi |
| Born |
August 12, 1972 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Origin | Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop, alternative hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels |
Asylum (1993–1997) Elektra (1993–1997) Hiero Imperium (1997–) Definitive Jux (2007–) |
| Associated acts | |
Teren Delvon Jones (born August 12, 1972), better known as Del the Funky Homosapien or Sir DZL, is an alternative American hip hop MC, producer and singer.
Born in Oakland, California, he is the cousin of seminal west coast rapper Ice Cube, and began his career writing lyrics for Ice Cube's group, 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. The album was a commercial success largely due to the popularity of the hit single, "Mistadobalina". Ultimately Del, who was not pleased with the limited musical range of the album, severed his production-artist relationship with Ice Cube for his next album, No Need for Alarm.
No Need for Alarm saw the introduction of the Oakland clique Hieroglyphics, whose original members included Souls of Mischief (Opio, A-Plus, Phesto and Tajai), Casual, Pep Love, Del, and producer Domino. No Need for Alarm helped to expose both the regional Oakland sound of hip hop, as well as the freestyle based, "golden era 90's" style of hip hop being expanded at the time.
Del would not produce another album for five years. About a month before the release of his third album, Future Development, Del received a letter from his label, Elektra, stating that his contract had been terminated.
Future Development became available in 1998. The album was only available on the Hieroglyphics website in tape form, but was re-released in 2002 under the Hieroglyphics Imperium label. Del also released another collaborative work with the Hieroglyphics crew in 1998, which was also the Hieroglyphics crew's first album: 3rd Eye Vision.
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