In 1996, Del was ready to release his Future Development album. However, just before its release, Del was released from his recording contract with Elektra Records. Around this same time, Souls of Mischief, Extra Prolific and Casual (all members of Del's Hieroglyphics group) were all released from their recording contracts with Jive Records. Frustrated, Del and the rest of Hieroglyphics decided to start their own record label, called Hieroglyphics Imperium. Because of the problems with Elektra, Future Development was available only on cassette via the Hieroglyphics website for a time, until its eventual widespread release on CD in 2002, six years after its proposed release date.
The mistreatment of Del & Hieroglyphics by their record labels became infamous in hip-hop circles, as a perfect example of "industry rule #4080" (record company people are shady). After Hieroglyphics' successful reemergence with their own independent label, Del & Hieroglyphics became an inspiration for some rap artists to start their own labels while keeping the lion's share of the money for themselves. Arguably the efforts of Del & Hieroglyphics paved the way for other famous independent rap labels known today, such as Roc-a-Fella Records or Rawkus Records.
In 1998, Hieroglyphics came out with their first full length album, Third Eye Vision, in which Del shined. The album was well received by both fans and critics. Two years later, Del came out with Both Sides of the Brain, and in 2001, he released Deltron 3030 with Dan the Automator Nakamura and Kid Koala, which garnered extreme praise for its combination of beats and flow and futuristic style. Deltron 3030 helped expand Del’s audience, though not quite to the commercial mainstream.
Del collaborated with Gorillaz for two songs on their debut album, both of which became singles: "Clint Eastwood" and "Rock the House". In their videos he was portrayed as a clown-like ghost. 2003 saw the release of Full Circle, a second album with the Hiero crew. This latest album has gotten many mixed reviews, with some people liking its originality and display of talents of the entire crew, whereas some have complained that Del was seen only sporadically on the album, acting more like a guest artist.
Del’s lyrics often reflect his imaginative interests, offering humor and themes not usually found in most new hip hop, including video games, bad hygiene, intergalactic rap battles, and more. In 2000, the song "Positive Contact" from Deltron 3030 was featured in the game Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX. In 2001, the song "If You Must" was featured in the game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. In 2003, the song "Positive Contact" was again featured in a video game - this time in Tony Hawk's Underground. In 2005, the song "Burnt" featuring Hieroglyphics was featured in the game Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland. In 2006, his song "Catch a Bad One" was featured in the game Mark Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure.
Eight years following his last solo album, Both Sides of the Brain, in March 2008 Del released his newest solo, titled Eleventh Hour, under the Definitive Jux record label.
In 2009, Del released Del's Leak Pack #1 (download) & #2 (download) via his MySpace page. In April of 2009 he released his 6th solo album, Funk Man (The Stimulus Package). The album was released online and can be downloaded for free here. He also released a second new solo album, Automatic Statik, via his BandCamp site in September of 2009. October of 2009 saw the release of Del's collaboration with Tame One, entitled Parallel Uni-verses. In January of 2014, he dropped a free album titled Iller Than Most online. On April 20th 2018, Del and producer AMPLIVE collaborated for the entirety of their newest project, GATE 13
What Is a Booty
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've returned from the meadow with a fellow named X
two turntables and a spark upon his set
wet behind the ears from the tears of my peers
rap is outta control that's what we fear
so we collapse any actual threats
with the new batch of catchy little quirks
and it works like a charm as I bomb and alarm
coming through crisper
on your transistors
so we can eliminate the frauds
filled with pride as the audience applauds
might sound odd to the average Joe Schmoe
the new school passed ya ass like Flo Jo
Dodo
me and CM-PX both construct
like Kid Creole and the Coconuts
as we drop the bomb with a blast
and now all the natives ask...
[Chorus: "What is a booty and how do I know if I'm shaking it?. . .]
The lyrics of Del Tha Funkee Homosapien's "What Is a Booty" seem to be a commentary on the state of rap music at the time, particularly its mainstream appeal and the fear of "actual threats" to its dominance. Del references collaborating with a DJ named X to create music that is catchy and effective in eliminating potential competition. He also mentions being "wet behind the ears from the tears" of his peers, perhaps a reference to the pressure and criticism from within the hip-hop community to maintain authenticity and integrity.
The chorus, which repeats the question "What is a booty and how do I know if I'm shaking it?", can be interpreted in a few different ways. On one level, it's a playful reference to dance culture and the importance of having rhythm and style on the dance floor. On another level, it could be seen as a satirical take on the objectification of women's bodies in popular music. Del seems to be calling out the shallowness and superficiality of mainstream rap, while also acknowledging its power and influence.
Line by Line Meaning
I've returned from the meadow with a fellow named X
I've come back with a guy named X from the countryside
two turntables and a spark upon his set
X has brought along two turntables and his skills have ignited the set
wet behind the ears from the tears of my peers
We're new and inexperienced, having cried and struggled to get here
rap is outta control that's what we fear
Rap music is getting too wild and we're scared
so we collapse any actual threats
We'll take down any real threats to our music
with the new batch of catchy little quirks
Using new and catchy techniques
and it works like a charm as I bomb and alarm
Our methods are successful and have an explosive impact
any listeners coming through crisper on your transistors
We want our audience to hear us crystal clear through their radios
so we can eliminate the frauds filled with pride as the audience applauds
Our goal is to weed out the fake rappers who are praised by the crowd
might sound odd to the average Joe Schmoe
This might seem strange to the average person
the new school passed ya ass like Flo Jo Dodo
The new generation of rappers has left you behind like Flo Jo left her opponents
me and CM-PX both construct like Kid Creole and the Coconuts
My collaborator and I build our music like Kid Creole and the Coconuts build their sound
as we drop the bomb with a blast
We make a huge impact with our music
and now all the natives ask... [Chorus: 'What is a booty and how do I know if I'm shaking it?...']
People now want to know what a booty is and how to dance to it
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACKSON, O'SHEA / JONES, DERRICK T. / SHIDER, GARRY / BISHOP, BARBARELLA / FORD, RONALD / SHIDER, LINDA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind