Del The Funky Homosapien

Del the Funky Homosapien (born Teren Delvon Jones in Oakland, California on August 12, 1972) is the founding member of the hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics. His debut album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, was released in 1991 and featured production by himself, The Boogiemen, and his cousin Ice Cube. The album included Del’s most popular solo single, “Mistadobalina,” although Del wasn’t keen on the funk-sampled sound prevalent on his album, that would characterize the West Coast scene in the following years. He began his shift in sound with the “Mistadobalina” B-side “Burnt,” marking the first appearance of the Hiero crew on a record. His next album, 1993’s No Need For Alarm, featured a darker, jazzy tone, with production contributed by Del and Hiero crew members Casual, A-Plus, Snupe, Jay Biz, and Domino along with Stimulated Dummies.

Before the release of his third album, Future Development, Del was dropped by Elektra Records, prompt him to release the album in 1997 on the Hieroglyphics Imperium label in cassette format. He also featured on the Hiero group’s album 3rd Eye Vision in 1998 and released his fourth album, Both Sides of the Brain, on Hiero Imperium in 2000, which included the well-known single “If You Must.”

On October 17, 2000, Del released the collaborative project Deltron 3030 with Dan the Automator and Kid Koala. In 2001, he made two notable appearances on the Gorillaz tracks “Rock the House” and “Clint Eastwood.” After various appearances on Hiero group albums and other projects, Del dropped his album Eleventh Hour in 2008 through Definitive Jux and has since released more albums independently via platforms such as Bandcamp and Soundcloud. After several decades in the industry, Del continues to tour and perform with the Hiero crew.