Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame One
Gold Dust
(2009)

Welcome to the oldskool where Oakland’s Del The Funky Homosapien (Hieroglyphics) and Newark’s Tame One (Artifacts, Weatherman) come together to bring fans a hip-hop throwback, Parallel Uni-verses. But in this sphere, the east meets the west with less haste, and more punch. Don’t expect a bi-coastal feud between this duo. Conscious lyricism and an ode to hip-hop’s originators dominate throughout the album, reminding listeners how true rappers were jumped into the game. The emcees spit with a verbal dexterity and lyrical wit that is represented in their homage to the underground. Whilst Del dominates with a rapid flow, Tame deviates with a slow-paced slant. The eleven-track album boasts with confidence and funky raps, omitting the often consumed mainstream glorification of the ghetto, the bling and the over loaded self-loving rapper. Production maestros Drum and Knowledge of Parallel Thought join in, lacing tracks with a splatter of fresh beats that glide easily through Del and Tame’s clever wordplay. Although, a clear point-of-view is pronounced, many of the joints complement each other in sound and subjectivity.

Their cadence shifts in measure, offering a bit of variety, but their overall raps turn into a collision of thoughts that come off as repetitious. However, to some that might not be a shortcoming-the album reminds me of a backyard cipher, where righteous disses and flows vibe off each other in an organic sequence. Resembling the like of the Def Jux crew, Del and Tame maintain commendable breath control and acrobatic rap delivery that most contemporary, want-a-be rappers lack. From the mentoring words in “Keep It Up” to the hip-hop commemoration in “Flashback,” “The Franchise” and “Before This,” Del and Tame reference the past as a reminder that hip-hop’s core is about de-constructing the Black male image, reveling in socio-political commentaries, and most of all, enlightening the next generation of youth in how to stay humble (even if it means a trip down a drug-induced lane). A stand-out track, “Gaining Ground” is a ride-in -your -whip with a Swisher Sweet by your side kind of joint. The laid back, hazy synthesized sirens buzz in and out of Del and Tame’s ’90s G-funk lexicon. Instrumentally, Parallel Thoughts round-out the album by producing an authentic hip-hop musical collage- with rock-jerking breaks, flare scratching, and ambient jazz and boom-bap rhythms. Even though Del and Tame sprinkle on humorous anecdotes, they are serious about their craft and it is shines through. Expect, clean and classic hooks- no auto tuning on this album, just pure hip-hop that you can count on.

via Sarah Wolfson, 4 November 2009 8:25pm | |