If you are wondering why you didn't hear anything of this release, first ask yourself. Do I even know who Del is? If the answer is no then you have your answer. If you are familiar with Del, then the answer is simple, he put out this album for shits and giggles. There was no hype, or promotion, just a simple SoundCloud download link. When you are a legend like Del is, you can do that, because your fans are the type of people who will find it. Of course there was no Beyonce reaction, but there is only one Queen I suppose. At this point in his career however, Del isn't making new fans, he's rewarding the loyal followers he has gathered over the years. When he put out the album on SoundCloud he noted that it was lyrical, but nothing too heavy. There are eleven tracks, all available for free download, so before I even get into the review, why the hell not, go download this shit.
Allow me to backtrack for a second and tell everyone a little story about a man named Del. He is a member of the super hip-hop group Hieroglyphics, and also teams up with Dan The Automator to from Deltron 3030. He also released an album that many consider a classic in No Need For Alarm, and he was the rapper on the Gorillaz song Clint Eastwood. Yeah, that last accolade may seem a tad irrelevant compared to the others on the list, but if you are familiar with the Gorillaz or have purchased the new NBA 2k game, you love that song. Del is another one of those rappers who seemingly had no interest in becoming popular. There seems to be a legion of classic rappers, who never cared to assimilate to the evolution of hip-hop whatsoever, and faded into the back round, all the while making music that the fans who bothered to stay tuned swear is amazing. Del is actually someone who is still working very hard in the rap game, and has at the very least earned a listen every time he outs out a project.
Moving on to this project (hell yeah it took 3 paragraphs, thanks for reading) it is what some would call delightfully weird. The production was fully handled by Del himself, which is not the usual, and it is really fucking good. It has a very industrial, electronically influenced experimental sound, that one may think clashes with Del's classic rhyme style, but it actually really works here. We are dealing with a project that is eleven songs long, and none of the tracks are particularly long, so this is a short listen, that provides a lot of highlights is my opinion. The length makes it hardly feel like an album, along with the lack of theme. I wouldn't say this is any cohesive project, but a collection of well produced dope tracks. The lack of togetherness obviously holds this album back, but I don't think Del was out to make a classic here. This is a short, enjoyable listen, that any fans of experimental production, or dope surface level lyrics will surely enjoy. This isn't a project that will go down in history, but it is top to bottom better than most the albums you will hear within the next year, barring the idea rappers like Tyga or Future will actually learn how to make enjoyable music.
If this album cost any money, I wouldn't be losing my shit recommending, but it's free, so stop being a dick. With the amount of shit you buy on Itunes, I don't see why you would pass up on a free Del release. Like I said, this guy is a legend, and while you might not get the pseudo value you will from a Hopsin track ( that shit Good Guys Finish Last is one of the least enjoyable tracks of all time, and while I don't endorse the artist in any way, I know what the kids are into these days) you will hear some dope lyricism, and may even be influenced to get into some old Del shit. That's just me being hopeful, but hey, this is a dope release, and with a bit of luck, you'll be listening to some dope ass Hieroglyphics music in no time. While I go off and live in my fantasy world where all of the opinions of the kids are rational, and support good music, have yourself a wonderful day.
Rating: 3/5