Number 8 - Both Sides of the Brain by Del the Funky Homosapien

 Number 8: Both Sides of the Brain by Del the Funky Homosapien

Unlimited lyrical potential

Release: April 11th, 2000
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: If You Must, Pet Peeves, Skull & Crossbones

 

Where I heard it: 

Who ever could have imagined that a game about skateboarding could influence someone's music tastes so strongly? Sadly, this is the last time I get to gush about Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, so it's only right that I pay a proper homage to the second-most influential video game franchise in shaping my music preferences (behind only Guitar Hero). Skate culture was hitting the mainstream at the turn of the millennium, injecting a rebellious aspect of counterculture into a society once appalled by these very creatures. Tony Hawk became a household name through his pioneering of the sport in X-Games appearances that held top billing on reputable networks like ESPN. I'm not sure how the concept of a video game came about, but it seemed like a natural progression when Tony Hawk's Pro Skater released to the masses. I didn't personally catch on until I acquired the third installment for my Gamecube in 2002, and I played the hell out of that disc. I determinedly set out to complete every goal in each level, abusing the cheat codes of the game to rack up the highest combos I could score. All the while, I was treated to an in-game soundtrack that perfectly aided the experience with a plethora of different genres. I heard some of my favorite artists of all-time like KRS-One, Iron Maiden, Aesop Rock, and even System of a Down for my first time because of this franchise. The only problem was that I was still a child, so none of it really resonated with me. However, even as a child, I gravitated toward one particular song off THPS3: If You Must by Del the Funky Homosapien. The song had a bouncy riff that caught my ear at an early age, punctuated by synth patches that really leapt out of my terrible TV speakers. Although I played this game significantly in my youth, it wouldn't be until 2015 that I revisited the soundtrack outside of gameplay due to nostalgic curiosity. I was interested in seeing if any of the songs held up to my tastes after repeatedly hearing praise for them from numerous sources. Quite a few selections I found to be even better then I remembered, which led me to checking out the albums each track resided on. I instantly remembered my love for If You Must during this process, and that reverence has only grown after taking a deeper look at Del. Both Sides of the Brain is easily my favorite rap album, and it doesn't take long to find out why that is.

Yo wassup this is D-E-L

Man, I was listening to these two cats on the street

They was talkin' about which MC was the livest, right?

This one cat was like, "Man, D-E-L, he's so tight, right?"

The other one was like, "D-E-L? He hella weak!
I'll never buy his shit!"

I was sittin' there amazed, like, "Man, I gotta hit the studio, man!
Come up with some new shit!"
~ Signature Slogans

What to expect:

Whether you know it or not, you've likely already been exposed to Del through his uncredited contributions with the Gorillaz on their hit song Clint Eastwood. His bars are no doubt the feature presentation, but it's criminal to base Del off of this performance alone. The accolades Del had notched under his belt to earn him this opportunity in the first place put him way further beyond any of the verses he lends to Clint Eastwood. Cousins with legendary west-coast rapper Ice Cube, Del produced his 1991 debut album I Wish My Brother George Was Here at just 19 years old with the assistance of his famous family. Although the album was well-received, Del was disappointed with the direction of the album, splitting off from Ice Cube's team to join the hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics. Many of its members accompanied Del on his follow-up record No Need for Alarm, while simultaneously participating in the creation of Hieroglyphics' first release 3rd Eye Vision. Del found himself committed to the studio in the latter half of the 90's, pursuing collaborations left and right such as Deltron 3030 that kept his imaginative verses coming. Both Sides of the Brain was dropped right in the middle of this period of activity, containing some of the strongest material Del has ever been a part of. Much like his cousin Ice Cube, Del utilizes playful rhyme schemes and witty songwriting to demonstrate his verbose lyrical content. However, Del contrasts the intimidating demeanor of Ice Cube's gangsta rap with a consciousness that reflects his aspirations to be a rapper and not a criminal. As a result, Both Sides of the Brain largely condemns rappers of this style as inferior novelty acts, dismissing their criticisms towards Del's mindset as feeble attempts to undermine his dedication to the art. Songs like Phoney Phranchise and Fake as Fuck aren't shy in the slightest about putting Del's foes on blast, even going as far as directly calling out Chuck D of Public Enemy in Pet Peeves for spreading inflammatory rumors to the tabloids. Del isn't looking to pick a fight without provocation; he's busy letting his bars do the talking for him. Del's rapping is comprehensive in ways I haven't heard from any other artist. His tantalizing lexicon fluently constructs rambling rhetoric that emulates the improvisational skills of freestyle rappers. While his vocabulary is certainly extensive, the narrative structure of every verse is tightly strung together with a conversational pace that feels completely natural in practice. Similarly, the mixing of the album is orchestrated as such to seamlessly transition from one song to the next. This method gives Both Sides of the Brain a satisfying thoroughness that encourages the listener to stay tuned for the next spectacle. It also allows Del to expand upon a particularly catchy beat to ensure its inclusion isn't thrown away so easily. The symbiotic relationship between artist and producer establishes palpable chemistry you can hear in the clean flow swaps within Pet Peeves and Signature Slogans, each component of the music vying for supremacy. Together, Del's team competes among themselves to make Both Sides of the Brain as enjoyable as possible, a feat I believe they attained with plenty of effort to spare.

 Check the rearview mirror, the coast is clear
Tryin' to focus here but I can't
Drunk as hell
Bust a rail
Now I'm sailin' off the cliff
High off a spliff plus a fifth
I bust my shit
Now I'm rollin' down the side like a suicide
What will my family do if I die?
~ Skull & Crossbones

 

Why it's my favorite:  

I've only been listening to hip-hop for the better part of a decade, but that duration was long enough for me to know what my tastes in hip-hop gravitate toward: musically challenging, high energy bops with an aura of sophistication to their composition. Albums from artists like MF Doom and KRS-One exhibit these traits to a tee, but they still don't manage to touch Both Sides of the Brain in terms of favorability. Part of that I feel is attributed to Del's laymen songwriting approach to Both Sides of the Brain. Without the reliance of common hip-hop tropes involving sex, money, and violence, Del's raps have broader sources of inspiration that listeners can relate to closer than some of the genre's more exuberant examples. BM's recounts a celebratory trip to Amsterdam after completing a year of drug probation, and Proto Culture flexes Del's close affiliation with the innovative medium of gaming at the turn of the millennium. Both Sides of the Brain can be tongue-in-cheek just as well, with songs like Soopa Feen and If You Must hyperbolizing stereotypes of transient and unhygienic people to form fictional anti-hero type characters that are charmingly lovable, but social nuisances nonetheless. When Del isn't reminiscing upon the simple pleasures of life, he's cementing his legacy as one of rap's great wordsmiths. Although his popularity seldom crossed over into the mainstream, Del is humble enough to embrace his underground label, while simultaneously possessing a cockiness that leaves no doubt in his mind that he's one of the best MCs to ever rock the mic. I've gotta say, I don't have a lot of evidence against him to disagree. Across his entire repertoire, Del has diligently crafted some of the most fun bars I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. I think that's a large part of what modern hip-hop fails to acknowledge in regards to the success of the classics: there was so much room for fun. Del never takes himself so seriously that it damages his ego; he's just gonna do his thing, critics be damned. I wish Del had a greater presence in hip-hop than he does currently, but the fact he is so publicly revered solely off one performance is a testament to the potential Del had to be the next sensation in rap, had he chose that path for himself. Instead, Del's love for the music helped bring forth albums like Both Sides of the Brain that have forever set the precedent for hip-hop groups going forward.