A Divided Home
You could call Del The Funky Homosapien many things: he’s a student of the game, an innovator and a strong collaborator. Though most importantly, one thing that he is not, is boring. Known for his work in Gorillaz and Deltron 3030, Del The Funky Homosapien’s diverse palette of sounds has been known to enthrall many listeners of old school and new school hip-hop alike. His wit-infused wordplay, blended with his bizarre influences, perfectly toes the line of lyricism and musicality. The exemplary work of Del does not go unnoticed. Video game soundtracks and collaborators alike line up at his door constantly, proving that there is a niche in hip-hop for both the conscious and the artsy emcee.
Having accomplished so much in his career, at this point Del The Funky Homosapien is just running his victory laps. He is having fun making music and teaming up with whomever he deems worthy. On this release, it is producer Amp Live who has proven himself as an intriguing collaborator. This choice makes complete sense, as Amp Live’s oddball career choices seem to mesh pretty well with the unsafe choices of Del The Funky Homosapien. Now removed from Zion I, Amp Live was presented with a great opportunity to shine on this project. And with Del on the mic, it would appear that Amp is in a great position to do just that.
The album kicks off with some overblown distorted funk with the “Attention (Intro).” The warm and inviting bass and drums, when paired against the claustrophobic distorted vocals, creates an interesting juxtaposition. This juxtaposition seems minor, but in many ways, it builds the framework for the rest of the album. Even though Amp Live’s production generally embodies the atmosphere of a psychedelic dance club, Del’s frigid rhymes will make you think twice about dancing to these beats. Within each song, this yin and yang effect is felt.
On “Wheel of Fortune,” Del is at possibly his most polished: his intricate internal rhymes combined with his unyielding braggadocio create a very menacing effect. This persona is shielded by the crisp drums and reggaeton grooves provided by Amp Live. On “Run Free,” a heavy snare cuts the listener to the bone as Del furiously flows onwards. But just when you think the two worlds won’t collide, a very loungey and soft piano part comes in to add some lightness to the mix. While this mixture turns out great for most of the record, the second half begins to suffer due to Del’s decreased effort.
“Chili Sauce” features possibly one of the grooviest instrumentals on the entire project, but it is almost entirely diminished by Del’s tired subject matter and flow. The same could be said for “On the Ball.” While the instrumental is jarringly intriguing, Del just doesn’t sound very interested in it. Perhaps this is because the sonic direction began straying a bit too far for Del’s liking, or perhaps he just ran out of bars. Either way, it is definitely a disappointing way to conclude an otherwise great project.
Despite its occasional missteps, Gate 13 is a creative, fun and well executed collaborative project. Its eclectic mix of styles and its prominent energy make it a truly unique experience. No matter what brand of hip-hop you generally enjoy, you should be able to find something you like about this album.
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