Consider Yourself Schooled Part Two - Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

Del tha Funkee Homosapien a.k.a Del the Funky Homosapien a.k.a. Deltron Zero a.k.a Russel Hobbs was born Teren Delvon Jones and hails from Oakland, California.

In 1991 Del released his first album "I Wish My Brother George Was Here" with the help of his cousin, Ice Cube and his crew "Da Lench Mob". Del went on to release an album in 1998 with his own crew "Hieroglyphics" titled "3rd Eye Vision" and two albums in 2000 titled "Both Sides of the Brain" and "Deltron 3030". The latter was produced by two big names, Dan the Automator and Kid Koala. In 2003 he featured on two tracks from the huge debut album from the "Gorillaz" including the top ten hit "Clint Eastwood".

Del's tracks are often noted for his use of his strange sense of humour and rapping about his interests including video games, rap battles, comic books and Sci-fi. Slating his first album because he felt it was over produced and fake he has gone on to use more old school sounding methods for the production of his tracks. Del has a huge love for Hip-Hop and has spoken out several times about the gang mentality that has grown within the industry along with subjects such as gun crime, drug dealing and so on. As you'll see from the video below he has a genuine hatred for manufactured music which is more popular than ever at the moment.

Must Have Album - Both Sides Of The Brain

If You Must - A song about personal hygiene a very under discussed subject in the world of Hip-Hop...

Consider Yourself Schooled Part One - Wu-Tang Clan

Well I thought that I would start with something fairly obvious. The Wu-Tang Clan formed in New York in 1992 mainly thanks to the RZA and GZA, two cousins who had previously worked in the record industry with very little success. These two along with Ol' Dirty Bastard then proceeded to build the group with friends from in and around the New York area. The final line up of the group was made up of RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, Method Man, Raekwon and U-God (Silly names I know but hear me out...). They took the name of the group from the 1981 martial arts film, "Shaolin and Wu Tang".

A year later in 1993 was the first time the Clan made themselves known to the general public with their single "Protect Ya Neck". Thanks to the underground reaction to this single they were signed to RCA and released their first album "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" in late 1993.

With a low use of samples (apart from the kung-fu film skits) and what sounds like low cost production methods that RZA uses is what gives the album its gritty and underground feel that most Hip-Hop at the time was avoiding. Calling Jazz pianists, such as Thelonious Monk his biggest influences certainly gives the album a very different sound to the "Gangster" Hip-Hop that was so popular both then and now.

The first to do many things in the world of Hip-Hop, such as start their own clothing label, create slang terms in their songs that become used the world over, cite comic book references in their tracks and change samples to do things that people couldn't imagine at the time. Yet these things do not change the fact that out of four albums the only one you really need to hear is the debut. Perhaps the world of business and making money took too much of their attention away from actually making good music, perhaps innovators in this as well as we see this even more nowadays.

Must Have Album - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Protect Ya Neck (Remember it is 1993 and they made this video on their own with no money and only the equipment they had!)

Consider Yourself Schooled...

I have always had a massive love for music. This has increased though while working at Nostalgia & Comics in Birmingham thanks to being introduced to loads of new stuff which is mainly down to Rich and Dave. Stu as well probably if he had spent a bit more time there in the last six or so months.

The one genre that I love the most has to be Hip-Hop and its only in the last seven or so years that I've gotten into it properly. I'm sick of defending the good Hip-Hop that is out there because like most genres its outnumbered in a big way by the shit that is seen as "Mainstream". Its because of this that I have decided to take it upon myself to "School" people, so to speak in the art of real Hip-Hop. Over the next couple of weeks I will post an artist that I feel people should give a chance, why they should give them a chance and the one album they should have if they don't have any others by that specific artist.

I hope you people find this useful.

Word..

When Does Buying Become Collecting?

I was thinking about this after we had a conversation at work the other day. When exactly do you become a collector? Now I buy and own A LOT of shit including DVDs, Comics, Cd's and Toys amongst other things. Even though I buy and thoroughly enjoy all of this stuff I wouldn't refer to myself as a collector of the bulk of it.

For a start I own well over 4 short boxes worth of comics but I really wouldn't call myself a comic collector more of a comic reader.

I say this because I'm not trying to have complete runs of stories, characters, appearances etc. This to me is the behaviour of a collector. I'm a massive fan of Ironman but it is not one of my missions in life to have every comic with an appearance from Ironman in it. I just happen to have the comics that I have because once I have read them there is nothing for me to do with them. I suppose I could a) sell them, b) throw them away/give them away or c) just wait for the trade paperbacks. Now both options a and b would just be me wasting my money and I like the fact I have the opportunity to re-read things. Option c is better but some things take ages to be realeased as a trade or never get released. I also like reading my books weekly as I know there is always something coming.

I am exactly the same when it comes to my DVDs. I do not buy new releases just down to the fact that it is too damn expensive.

I only buy films that I like (or get given ones I don't) and I only get them when they are cheap enough. Now for instance I have wanted both "The Departed" and "Children of Men" for ages and when they were new they were £22.99 and £17.99 but the other day I got them both along with "Garden State" for £20. If I were a collector surely I'd be double dipping all the time for the best version of the film?

The only thing I would really class myself as a collector of would be toys. This is really strange as well considering the fact that I don't actually own that many.

I rarely buy toys nowadays and I have to be really, really impressed with them but when I do I am reminded of why I do buy them. I suppose it is kind of like buying a piece of art that you can have to look at, enjoy and keep. Again though there is this conflict of whether I am a collector or not because most of my toys come straight out of the packaging and go on display. Don't collectors keep them in the boxes?

So when do you become a collector of something? Let me know because I really have no clue whatsoever.

Roll On Monday...

Because the new "Beastie Boys" album is released and personally I cannot wait. Titled "Mix Up" this is the groups seventh studio album and first completely instrumental album. Joined by Money Mark and no sign of Mix Master Mike this could be amazing and will hopefully be a return to form of "Check Your Head/Paul's Boutique" proportions. No words, no samples and no scratching just twelve tracks of pure quality. Already with two brilliant singles released here for your pleasure is the video to the brilliant "Rat Cage".