Posted on November 30th
As a testament to the boundlessness of African culture, ancient Kemetians (Egyptians) left no traceable evidence of a spoken language but did leave a form of communication in symbolic artwork known as hieroglyphics. Centuries later in the era where bandannas and baseball caps have replace crowns marking royalty, where baggy jeans and sneakers have replaced regal togas and sandals, where tagging graffiti on walls and trains have replaced tagging temples and tombs, and skillz on the mic have replaced telling a story on papyrus, hip-hop has become the dominant culture and once again we find ourselves in the presence of hieroglyphics.
As cerebral, scientific and mysterious as their ancient ancestors, the rap crew known as Hieroglyphics apply these same qualities in their roles as MCs. Their flow is mad infinite, they paint a picture and leave you to decipher the shit. Consisting of two solo artists (DEL thafunkeehomosapien and Casual), three groups (SOM, Extra Prolific, and Pep Love & JBiz), and managers (Domino and Kwame), Hiero is a self-contained crew of homies that have been down since elementary school. Having six producers in the crew is enough to make sure all of their different projects hit you from different angles. Keeping all management, music and video production and merchandising within the family, these kids have all bases covered for the foundation of a true hip-hop empire.
After writing lyrics for Lench Mob members Yo-Yo and Ice Cube, Del was the first Hiero member to bust a nut on the hip-hop scene back in 1991 with his album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here. He had some funky cuts like "Hoodz Come In Dozens," "sunny Meadowz" and "Dr Bombay," but the album might have been a little too weird for the average rap fan resulting in little publicity and album sales. But with a phat new album entitled No Need For Alarm, Del lets loose on all wack MCs who doubted his skills.
Source: Do you think the last album didn't hit because of a lack of publicity?
Del: I don't know, but they (Elektra) was still hella new to this shit themselves. When I signed, they had Brand Nubian and all that but I think they didn't know how to freak publicity then.
Cuts like "Wacky World of Transit" and "Mistadobolina" were cool for people in Oakland, but might have been too weird and scared outside fans off?
Del: That was a cool single, i just wish that shit wasn't stuck in the Brides of Funkenstein singing, live sax and all that.
That wasn't your idea?
Del: No! That was them. I just wrote a song called "Mistadobolina." I know it was a little weird, but personal experiences is what I talk about. Shit that people can relate to like. . .your friends, bitches, whatever, you know what I'm sayin'? Either that or freestylin', like over half the new album is freestyle, you know? A freestyle about this and that or either destroying other MCs. this album I'm a little less cryptic.
You kept this album a straight Hiero project. You didn't want to fool with Cube or the Boogiemen for this album?
Del: The last album. . .that whole function was really Ice Cube's idea and I just went along with it. this time i just [Pauses] I didn't really like what I did, you know? i wasn't satisfied, so I had to take matters into my own hands, me and Hieroglyphics, you know what I'm sayin'? Not to take anything away from Pooh, 'cause he can make some shit [that] I like too without funk, but I just wanted to step away from that.
The tracks on No Need For Alarm are tight and you've opted for a more jazz than funk.
Del: Oh! But let me say a little something about Jazz. It's not really about that, that's just the records I use to make shit. I'm not trying to make shit sound hella jazzy, i don't want to get clumped up with all the other jazz rappers. I listen to all type of music and if it sounds cool, that's just the way i do shit. [Lights up and takes a drag from a clove cigarrette]
Cypress Hill said that smoking weed helped them create lyrics and I know you smoke big bud, does it enhance your flow?
Del: I can't smoke weed right now cause I'm on probation but it all depends. Umm. . .Weed doesn't but other shit do, you know what I'm sayin'? like acid, shrooms that shit helps me cause it's making my mind change.
I figured you were on a genius level like George Clinton, Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. They used outer-dimensional stimulants to expand their creativity.
Del: I'm still pretty much down-to-earth, though. I'm not like hella spaced or nothin', it just makes me do shit.
You chill with a crew that have tight skills and it seems that having them around helped you make your album better.
Del: Yeah, it really helped me out. It's not like it used to be because everybody is doing their own shit, but we definitely build off each other.
You all seem to be returning West Coast rap to the old school of MC battles and crushing sucker MCs.
Del: I've pretty much returned not to the old school but to my old school standards like when I was freaking shit with Jinx. Back when I was kickin' shit and fools would be like, "Oh he said that? Damn he's clever." I'm not really crusading against sucker MCs, that's just fun to make fun of rappers you know what I'm sayin'? It's just like cappin' or baggin', it's funny.
I haven't seen the movie, Made In America, but I heard you did a cut supporting interracial relationships that wasn't too favorably recieved in the hip-hop community. You gave up the "dark skin girls better than light skin"?
Del: Well my girlfriend is white, you know what I'm sayin', so I can't really say shit and I don't care. But peep this, you could be black, white Asian and be a bad person. I personally don't care, if I hate you, I hate you. If you cool then you cool. All types of people have shit about them I don't really like.
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