Dubcnn.com had the chance to talk with Oakland legend, Del back in November 2004. It went so well, we conducted a part two! unfortunately we never dropped it! Our bad...so here it is, Part 2! In this part he delves into religion, humour, fellow artists, production and MUCH much more.

Feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to - rud@dubcnn.com / sgv@dubcnn.com - or head over to the world famous WCC Forums

Huge thanks to Del for taking time out to answer the questions fans wanted to know! (Interview was done by email in November of 2004)

Questions Asked By : SGV

Part One can be found : Here

Dubcnn: Aight So we back for Part 2, with Del.

Del: what up mainard?
 
Dubcnn: So last time we chopped it, we left off about the possibilities of a Hiero album.

Del: Yep, it's totally possible, probable, actually.

Dubcnn: How's your lung?

Del: Oh it's cool now, more like my gut, I found out. Like I said, I just had 2 sit down somewhere.

Dubcnn: Damn! What the Doctor say?

Del: Me? I said cool it, Jack!
 
Dubcnn: Ha-ha

Del: I know me well.

Dubcnn: As long as you feel alright, that's what matters.

Del: Yeah, hella better! But it's more emotional shit for me that fuck me up. For anybody, really but especially for me cause I'm hypersensitive.

Dubcnn: That's how you always been?

Del: Yeah, I just look outside the frame, so to speak.

Dubcnn: Ok ok. Does that give you more material for the album?

Del: Oh I never run out of shit to talk about. Everything bug the shit outta me. Naw, I'm a comedian, really this my stand up screaming on niggas. I try to keep it funny anyway. But George Carlin said it helps to have a screw loose.
 
Dubcnn: I remember that guy.

Del: Yeah he funny, one of my favourites, I got his books, too. He rude, like Pryor. You got his show on DVD? They only 4 Episodes. That's the one there, since 3rd grade for me. Got almost all his material AND Paul Mooney.

Dubcnn: I never got into him. Now Paul Mooney, he’s hilarious.

Del: Richard Pryor??? Paul wrote a lot of shit for Pryor.

Dubcnn: Yea I know

Del: But that has a lot to do with how I kick my shit though. I'm deadpan.

Dubcnn: You got a complex humour?

Del: Sarcastic, I'm mean. But yeah, I try to keep it basically entertaining for everyone well.

Dubcnn: That's good though. At least you bring the fun factor that’s lost in Hip Hop.

Del: People laugh at me though, even when I'm not jokin’, go figure.

Del: it's cool, dish it out, take it too.

Dubcnn: True. No hard feelings.

Del: live by the joke, die by the joke! I guess I look funny. I take making music serious though,  cause the whole Hip Hop boat is sinkin’, nobody really steppin’ up to change nothin’. I say really, cause there are the few.

Dubcnn: Who do you think can elevate Hip Hop?
 
Del: De La, Neptunes, Def Squad. E got a good ear for talent, man! Kanye. Oh DITC of course. Andre the Giant is the nig. Finesse, all them cats, OC. Cam'Ron.
 
Dubcnn: Who do you see leading the West back to the top?

Del: Hhmmmm, The Fellowship got it. The Liks. Loot Pack. Us! Man, J Ro be rippin’ sooo hard.

Dubcnn: Yea Mackin' Ro is ill.

And ESwift on the low. What up, Tash?

Dubcnn: He's serious on the boards.

Del: Oh yeah, they the homies too. Fools fronted on ‘em a lil’, cause they had to funk it up one time. That's how they supposed to do, dammit!!!

Dubcnn: You know their base wasn’t happy when they seen the Neptunes on the album.

Del: Yeah, but what can you say? Throw it on now. E Serm laced them too. A good evil one.

Dubcnn: Do you think Sermon is one of the illest producers ever?

Del: He's up there for me. Him and Bombsquad are my two tops, for different ends of the spectrum. That's my duality though as far as my artistry go.

Dubcnn: You gotta hit everyone right

Del: I try to. But I'm bipolar with the beats. Sometimes I like ‘em basic just a groove... sometimes I like a chaotic feel. Wall of sound aka Phil Spector!

Dubcnn: Its all about moods
 
Del: Yeah, so you was askin’ me about my hypersensitivity. It definitely help there, I'm moody, difficult to figure out. But it's all in the music, now that I understand the basics.

Dubcnn: So it gives you a variety?

Del: Yeah, from the few variants there are to use within my chosen field. It ain't many, it's how you get from A to B though.

Dubcnn: As long as you ain't making the same sounding shit.

Del: Exactly. It's a flow really. Same flow, it can be detected. And it get borin’, cause you know what's comin’. But you gotta have that too, though, or else it's like, what the fuck are you doin’??? So for familiarly, I use funk. You can lose people sometimes, so, you know, funk could be considered stagnant. Cause it ain't never goin’ away in a negative light. It could be anything though, like Hip Hop, it's the essence too. It is a style of music, but it's also the core of everything.

Dubcnn: Is the essence there?

Del: In Hip Hop? Yeah to a degree, but it's like disco, man. How they do us with the "gangsta" shit. It's real! Niggas ain't call the shit gangsta till the companies started doin’ it. Then of course, like disco, you DO get fools who try to do that for the skrilla. Disco is a place to dance at.

Dubcnn: These labels love to create genres.

Del: Yeah, so I feel we gotta define ourselves before they do.

Dubcnn: Remember when it was just Hip Hop?

Del: It still is! hahaha kiddin’. Yeah, I do though.

Dubcnn: You’re Islamic right?

Del: Primarily. I believe in truth, so I peep other religions too. It's the same, told from a different perspective, but Islam speak to me directly. Yeah, not a big deal though. Shout out to Planet Asia for the 120%.
 
Dubcnn: I’ve never got into religion myself.

Del: It's just the flow of it all, you know? Knowing: Ok, you do this, this will occur or, these things happen. So you should watch it or you end up in hell you know, just fucked off, streets is full of that.

Dubcnn: Has Islam influenced your music much?

Del: I'm very spiritual, so it affects everything I do, but not to the point that it's a point for me. That's a given, but in broader terms, I just relay my feelings as survival. How not to get got or tagged or twisted, cause in the street, they'll twist ya, twizzled up twislers!

Dubcnn: That’s what's up Del! Thanks!

Del: Peace!


 

  Part One can be found : Here