The B-Boy Handbook - The Best of the Elektra Years

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2004-02-20 rating:
Elektra's best, not Del's
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien is a west coast rapper - who happens to be a relative of NWA man - Ice Cube. So when you look at the credits; it's no shock to find Del asked him to do a few tracks for him. Anyway, this is a compilation of Del's best from his old record label Elektra (he's now on Hieroglyphics, with the rest of his posse). This mainly covers his early years from 1991-1994, as it says "hard to find 12" records", in the hard-to-read sleeve notes.

In my opinion, this is Del's first stage of two stages - his early raps with the likes of Ice Cube, before he went to retire. The second wave for me was when Del did Future Development and Both Sides of the Brain, but this CD doesn't cover those records, so I don't think this is a best of Del at all, more of a collection of his best work with Elektra, which is great if you know Del from Gorillaz and Deltron 3030. Otherwise, if you have I Wish My Brother George Was Here and No Need For Alarm it seems a bit of a waste? No, as it has some great remixes and tracks Del did for the soundtracks "Made In America" and "Judgement Night", which are a bit hard to get hold of.

Obvious hits here include "Sleepin' On My Couch", where Del gets annoyed with his friends for lazing around at his place; "Dr Bombay", with it's cheeky trademark Del lyrics; "Whack MC's", with it's rough edge, something that Del tries not to show often in his music (a contrast to his gangsta relative Ice Cube). Other highlights include "Ahonetwo, Ahonetwo (Remix)" and "Hoodz Come In Dozens (SD50 Remix)".

This is quite a good collection: has something for those who follow Del, and have all his albums right through to those who catch him at the off chace, and really not big hip hop listeners, or know him through Gorillaz. This is a nice balance. The lyrics are good too, and Del tries not to be all gangsta, and rhymes about things that mean something to him in everyday life, like social, political and economical issues. This doesn't make him a bad act, actually his music is gritty, and not as polished as some of the hip-hop you hear on the radio these days. If you like Del, you're going to enjoy this, if you don't like gritty rap, with not-so-polished production values, then steer clear, although you're missing some fine lyrics. His work with the Hieroglyphics is just as good, so catch that if you enjoyed this. Would have got a 5 if it was Del's best from both eras, but still his Elektra years are just as funky.

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