Del the Funky Homosapien at Dreamcast Launch, 1999

It’s Thinking

On 9/9/99, Sega released their new video game console, Dreamcast, in North America with a bold and brash $100 million marketing campaign. A swanky launch party for Sega & its employees followed the next day at Club Townsend in San Francisco.

Del the Funky Homosapien observes Japanese Dreamcast games on a store shelf. He looks intently, his face merely inches away from the games. He is wearing a tan Polo baseball cap and glasses. — Photograph by Jacob Rosenberg

Already a massive fan—and one of the first people to import the console from Japan 10 months earlier—Del the Funky Homosapien was invited by Sega to perform “Proto Culture,” his hit ode to video games. He took the stage alongside producer and co-MC Khaos Unique at the console’s exclusive launch event.

Pep Love of Hieroglyphics also performed, creating an undeniable powerhouse lineup for the equally impressive new console.

I was in attendance, celebrating my 21st birthday no less, with my Hi-8 video tape recorder in hand, capturing most of the show.

Also present that night were Domino, Alex Tse, and Jacob Rosenberg—the latter of whom co-wrote a feature with me about the evening, which we published on Hieroglyphics.com.

I’ve shared our impressions from that night below, along with video footage of the evening’s performances. So grab that controller, and let’s raise it bit by bit.

Man, you gotta get up though, on giggidy! Virtua Fighter 3?! Arcade perfect?! Giggidy…
– Del, from the song “Proto Culture”

Full Performance: Del the Funky Homosapien, Khaos Unique & Pep Love perform at the Sega Dreamcast launch party (9/10/99)

Saucee RosenJake Begins…

(Written by Jacob Rosenberg)

I got a call from Domino. Del was set to perform at the Sega Dreamcast release party in two days. I packed my bags and drove up from Los Angeles midweek. I put in a call to Tré C and Miss Tea, who are the graphic designers for the new Del album, Both Sides of the Brain, and told them to show. Since Alex [Tse] was off the porn shoot for the week, I stole his camera and invited him along.

Three inflated Sonic characters appear propped up on a metal fence. They look to be perhaps 9 or 10 feet tall, with spotlights pointed at them. Sonic is holding up his index finger with an assured look in his face. — Photograph by Jacob Rosenberg

I met up with Domino before the show began and took some shots of the setup. We played NFL 2K, and I observed Dom do the soundcheck. It was a pretty elaborate layout, theme and all. I used to work for Sega back in the DAYYYYYY, so I was very stoked to see that they turned it around and were really cashing in (Landstalker is my favorite Genesis game).

Game-Changer

Anyhoo, people started to pack in. The food was good, the beer was free, I was in heaven. Del showed up with PERFECT timing (in the sense that if he was any later, it would’ve been ALL BAD), and he and K.U. checked out the scene.

I did some pre-performance interviews of the two very juiced Sega loyalists, and they proceeded to rock the mic for an ever-growing crowd.

Alex was introduced to Stinke (I pointed to the tall dude and waved my hand ferociously in front of my face as if to shield a bad smell…thus “Stinke.” Get it?)

Sega Dreamcast North American Print Ad: It’s Thinking

Anyway, the liquor flowed MAJOR, and I don’t quite remember the whole night, although I do remember bumping into an old skate pal, Tom Stratton, who is now the sports critic for Gamers’ Republic. Big ups to GR!!!

Stinke and KennyK were in the house rocking the Hoopla love, but were no match for Alex’s and my pursuit of White Castle burgers and Power Exchange. Domino and Del barely made their flight to San Diego for the tradeshow concert. Alex and I barely made our flight to Vegas.

Del came out strong with this first stop on the tour. By the time he played The Whiskey in LA, the show was much better but still D-E-L!

Pep Love & Del the Funky Homosapien, perform “Undisputed Champs” at the Sega Dreamcast launch party (9/10/99)

Stinke Continues…

(Written by Yameen)

I was online, going through my daily work routine, when I decided to call the Hiero Hideout to see what was happening.

While chatting with Karen Dere—Hiero’s manager, PR person, administrator, business executive, and general Jill-of-all-trades—she casually mentioned that Del was going to perform at the Sega Dreamcast launch party in 24 hours. “WHAT?!” I couldn’t believe it.

At the same time, I happened to be chatting online with fellow Hiero Hooplaite KennyK, who mentioned he was already planning to attend the Dreamcast party—even though neither of us had known Del would be performing.

A closeup of a pupil with cybernetic grid outlines layering over top. Vector lines hone into the center of the eye forming a pyramid, focusing on the pupil. The date 9.9.99 is listed in the bottom-right corner. Text reads, "Outsmarting it will only make it smarter. It's thinking." — Sega Dreamcast North American Print Ad

Kenny, who was still debating whether to make the trek, instantly cemented his decision when I shared the Del news. For me, it was too much to fathom: Del performing at the Dreamcast launch after-party? Being both a diehard Del fan and a devoted Sega loyalist, I couldn’t pass this up.

I checked with Kenny to see if his floor was available for me to crash on. He confirmed, and I was off to the airport to book a flight to San Francisco from Philadelphia.

Timing was ridiculously tight, and everything came together at the last minute. I managed to score cheap plane tickets, and my flight was less than six hours away. After getting a pardon from my family to miss my birthday party, I headed to the airport, where I slept until it was time to board.

Welcome to the Next level

When I arrived at the party, I had a minor altercation with security. Having just turned 21—the legal drinking age in the United States—that same day, there was some initial confusion about whether I was legally allowed in the club, but I eventually made it inside.

The scene was incredible—a true spectacle of Sega’s rebirth. Kiosks were set up everywhere to showcase the new games, and a massive Dreamcast brain, like the one from the TV commercials, hung imposingly above the open bar.

A pixelated background appears in a blue color, with the release date 9.9.99 featured in the bottom-right corner. The text reads, "Artificial Intelligence Hint > You know it's alive. Worse, it know it's alive." — Sega Dreamcast North American Print Ad

I spotted Domino and Del briefly before they hit the stage. Pep Love was also in great form, performing tracks like “Undisputed Champs” to a growing crowd. Khaos Unique—Del’s collaborator on the track “Proto Culture”—was also there, joining him for the show’s finale with the iconic video game-inspired anthem.

“Proto Culture,” a standout track from Both Sides of the Brain, celebrates video gaming, and you could feel the crowd’s excitement as Del and K.U. paid lyrical homage to the medium. Cheers and spontaneous “whoooooooos!” echoed throughout the room.

The night was wild, and it was only the beginning. We got real sloppy thanks to the open bar and some post-show antics. Ever seen a Sloppy RosenJake? I have! It was a fantastic time, and Sega went all out.

Partway through the event, Peter Moore, the president of Sega of America, took to the stage to announce the exact dollar amount earned during the Dreamcast’s first 24 hours on the market: $97,904,618.09. The crowd went nuts.

Sega is the shit.

Peter Moore, the president and chief operating officer of Sega of America, announces the Day 1 sales of the Dreamcast in North America (9/10/99)

Let Me Tell You About the Proto Culture

Del the Funky Homosapien & Khaos Unique perform “Proto Culture” at the Sega Dramcast launch party (9/10/99)

“Proto Culture” Lyrics – Del the Funky Homosapien & Khaos Unique
The History of Del the Funky Homosapien & Video Games
Del the Funky Homosapien’s Video Game Reviews (1997)
“How Dreamcast Killed Sega’s Hardware Reign” – IGN (features videos and information from this article)

Update, March 7, 2025: Added a link to IGN’s article “How Dreamcast Killed Sega’s Hardware Reign,” which features videos and cites information from this article.