Del The Funky Homosapien

The long-awaited pairing of Del the Funky Homosapien with the Definitive Jux label is a little disappointing. All thoughts of hearing Del over the controlled chaos that is an El-P production are completely dashed with this mostly self-produced return. Sure, Del’s funky, slightly left-of-centre beats — simple drum loops, groovy bass bounce and quirky sample choices — are a good match for his slow, confident swagger but it would have been nice to hear him over something kind of crazy. As well, he’s attempted to dumb things downs a lot, which is strange considering he’s finally on a label that would appreciate his complicated lyrical style. All combined, it’s easy to get the point he’s trying to make with each song, and it is certainly catchy, but it’s hard not to miss the intricate lyrics of Del’s past. Instead, it’s straightforward raps about hip-hop, himself, his Hieroglyphics crew and plenty of girls, girls, girls. While it may not be what was expected, 11th Hour demonstrates a fun, light-hearted side of Del that can work in a party and will most likely appeal to a larger audience. But hopefully, it’s out of his system now.