Del tha Funkee Homosapien - I Wish My Brother George Was Here
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Del tha Funkee HomosapienEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1991-10-22
Music Label: Elektra / Wea
Soundtracks:
- What Is A Booty
- Mistadobalina
- Wacky World Of Rapid Transit
- Pissin' On Your Steps
- Dark Skin Girls
- Money For Sex
- Ahonetwo, Ahonetwo
- Prelude
- Dr. Bombay
- Sunny Meadowz
- Sleepin' On My Couch
- Hoodz Come In Dozens
- Same Ol' Thing
- Ya Lil' Crumbsnatchers
Free Music Notes for I Wish My Brother George Was Here
Free Music Review: Trials and tribulations in the life of the everyman
Hit: 5 Stars
In 1991, Del tha Funkee Homosapien released his debut album "I Wish My Brother George Was Here" to an unsuspecting audience becoming engrained in the West Coast's booming gangsta rap scene. At this point in hip hop, the West Coast was synonymous with the menacing hardcore rap of N.W.A., Compton's Most Wanted, and related acts, and no real alternative or underground existed. Del's debut eternally changed the face of West Coast hip hop, and definitely for the better. Del is Ice Cube's first cousin, but as rappers one would never confuse the two. Here, Del established himself as one of hip hop's most enticing MCs for his character and subject matter. Del comes across as someone everyone can relate to, rapping about everyday occurrances. On "Brother George," he raps about such day-to-day topics as public transportation, freeloading neighbors, and fear of gang activity rather than participation in it. The listener is sure to find him endearing because, for most folks, he's just like someone in their corner. Del lives a normal middle class life and observes his surroundings, and his observations are reflected in his often hilarious rap verses. The songs and album are exactly the right length, he puts across his point and supports it, but his delivery and style keep your attention the entire time, and you can never lose track of his verses. He was only 18 when he recorded it, but from a lyrical perspective, this might be the most effective, funny, and certainly groundbreaking performance of his legendary career.
From a musical standpoint, I love this album as well. The executive producers are Ice Cube and DJ Pooh. The music is the same upbeat, pure funk with heavy Parliament sampling as found on Ice Cube's concurrent album Death Certificate. The producers and sound are fairly identical, and the thick grooves are inescapable nearly all the time. But it's funny how these grooves have such a different effect with Del rapping over them. Cube made them sound ironic, but Del makes them just a laidback backdrop. It's actually pretty amazing to listen to "Brother George" and Death Certificate next to each other. Although both albums are 1991 classics, very similar musically, and performed by first cousins, they complement each other in an amazing way. While Ice Cube angrily and menacingly speaks of the serious problems facing the urban community, Del sits back and observes the lighter side of life. Cube makes some vocal appearances on this album, almost poking fun at himself. He voices the stick-up kids and men on the city bus that Del encounters. While "Brother George" is the first album from the highly influential Hieroglyphics crew, this doesn't have too many similarities to the sound that they would later be defined by. The jazzy, artistic approach that Del and Souls of Mischief would later embrace began after "Brother George," in both music and lyrics. Del is alternative here not because he has the flower-power menality of the Native Tongues on the East Coast, but simply because he offers a different style to what reigned West Coast hip hop at the time. "Brother George" is a hilarious, entertaining, musically fulfilling and all-too-true album that is still essential listening sixteen years later.
The album opens with the heavy funk of "What Is a Booty?," which serves as little more than a musical intro, opening the disc in grand fashion. This gives way to the classic single "Mistadobalina," which is anchored by an unforgettable vocal sample and simple loop, with clever and conversational raps to a certain individual. "The Wacky World of Rapid Transit" is Del at his finest. He recounts an unpleasant experience commuting on the city bus, from being late and encountering unpleasant riders to missing his stop. This is so funny because it's so normal that most rappers would never stray so far as to talk about such ordinary annoyances, and his performance is hilarious, with his running conversations and griping that rings so true. The musically rich "Pissin' on Your Steps" is another winner, where he issues very funny and lighthearted disses towards Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, and some hip hop ideas he finds disagreeable, threatening "yellow showers." "Dark Skin Girls" is essential listening. Here, Del offers commentary on his preference in females, but he also presents a little Afrocentric attitude towards women who feel that only white is beautiful, all with a funny hook. On "Money for Sex" he voices his dislike towards the practice of prostitution, and some simple insight into his brain on "Ahonetwo, Ahonetwo." The second single, the catchy "Dr. Bombay," is excellent, and following the cool "Sunny Meadowz" comes one of my favorites "Sleepin' on My Couch." Del talks about his dilemmas with freeloading friends who try to live off him. He's "had it up to here with these lazy cats" but worries about offending them by kicking them out, a totally legitimate argument. The funk and his understandable emotion make this track a highlight. I also love "Hoodz Come in Dozens," where he expresses his frustration with gangsters and stick-up kids that rob him and keep him from living the life he deserves. "Same Ol' Thing" addresses the lack of variety and originality in hip hop with a little sucker-MC bashing, and the album closes with the brief "Ya Lil' Crumbsnatchers," a fitting conclusion.
Del would go on to an outstanding career as one of the leading figures in the West Coast underground, but his debut album remains one of his finest pieces. A masterpiece from start to finish, "Brother George" is as entertaining as any from this era and never gets old. This is the type of album you could use to sell hip hop to a nonbeliever. If you haven't already, treat yourself to "I Wish My Brother George Was Here," a unique hip hop classic.
I Wish My Brother George Was Here Poster
This gem from 1991 shows Del tha Funkee Homosapien--the charismatic MC from respected Bay Area crew the Hieroglyphics--in a sharply promising debut, produced by Del, his cousin Ice Cube, and DJ Pooh. Unlike his famous cousin, Del has made a lyrical name for himself by not rhyming about the more violent aspects of inner-city life, instead taking a more laidback and humorous tack, though each rapper produces a stinging effectiveness in his lyrics. But even Cube has to make fun of himself, posing as a guest thug on a parody, "The Wacky World of Rapid Transit." The pair's penchant for creative, hard-hitting beats are certainly in alignment, as P-Funk gets referenced throughout, both in the album's title ("Brother George" = George Clinton) and in the raw grooves that snake in and out of the album. But above all, this is a prime chance to catch Del's mighty tongue unleashed in his most brazenly un-PC (and extremely fun) ode to black pride--check out "Pissin' on the Steps" or "Dark Skin Girls" for further evidence. --Tamara PalmerRap & Hip-Hop Music CDs
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