Del the Funky Homosapien

Del the Funky Homosapien, born Teren Delvon Jones on August 12, 1972 in Oakland, California, is a rapper and producer best known as the founding member of the Hieroglyphics collective. The cousin of Ice Cube, he emerged from the West Coast underground scene with a distinctive, laid-back vocal cadence and playful, offbeat wordplay that set him apart from the era's gangsta rap dominant on the coast.

His 1991 debut «I Wish My Brother George Was Here», produced with Ice Cube and The Boogiemen, yielded the hit «Mistadobalina» and showcased a funk-sampling sound Del would soon move away from. He darkened and jazzed up his style on 1993's «No Need for Alarm», produced largely with fellow Hieroglyphics members. After being dropped by Elektra, he self-released «Future Development» on the crew's own Hiero Imperium label, reflecting the collective's independent ethos.

Del later reached a new audience through his guest vocals on Gorillaz's «Clint Eastwood», introducing his voice to millions outside hip-hop circles. He continued releasing solo albums such as «Both Sides of the Brain» and «Deltron 3030», a concept album collaboration with Dan the Automator and Kid Koala that became a cult classic of underground and experimental hip-hop, cementing Del's reputation as one of the genre's most inventive and idiosyncratic voices.