By now, Del has had a long but virtually unrecognized career by today’s commercial rap standards. After gaining initial attention by affiliation with his cousin Ice Cube, he struck out on his own after his debut LP, “I Wish My Brother George Was Here.” Since then, Del has emerged as the most recognizable emcee in the Hieroglyphics crew, and kept his career alive by gathering a large base of loyal underground supporters. After receiving acclaim for “No Need for Alarm” and the cassette-only release “Future Development,” Del returns to the scene with the long-awaited release of “Both Sides of the Brain.”
This album may leave heads with mixed feelings. Hardcore Hiero fans will love this LP, while other "hip poppers" won't feel it at all. Since the fact is that the "bling bling" thuggery fad is well established today among the average listener, getting this album to be cogent among the reviewers (especially with the major hip hop magazines) and blow up on the charts will be a problem. Unfortunately, Del does not keep his style seen on past LP's; it certainly is different this time around, which could have a negative impact on his overall listener base. But the diehard fan base of Hiero will still want to cop this.
An LP would not be complete without some guest production and appearances, and "Both Sides” is certainly no exception. Prince Paul drops a dope production in "Signature Slogans" and El-P trades mics with Del in "Offspring." Both offer their share of nice lines, with El-P spitting: “Swimming in a sea of shit and malt liquor, feeding on Excedrin/ Radiate through tenements, emcees bleed estrogen.” The track is what you would expect from a collaboration between two of the underground’s most experimental and eclectic emcees.
Del satisfies his Hiero fans with joints like "Fake as F***" and "If You Must," which are both currently available on wax. However, others may not feel the choice of samples, particularly on “Fake As F***,” where his sample tends to be off-key. On the positive side, his lyrics are entertaining with some humorous punchlines such as this gem from “If You Must:” “N**** check yourself, respect yourself/ And wash your mother-f***ing body before your sweatshirt melt/ Like radioactive, no lady find you attractive/ The funk got you captive, you don’t need a map, bitch.”
So when all is said and done you may be asking yourself if Both Sides… is worth it. Truthfully it depends on whether you have been a long time fan of Hieroglyphics joints, or if you are ready to listen carefully to understand what Del is all about. It may indeed take several listens to grasp the material on this album. Perhaps the main flaw with Both Sides… is that Del fails to reach out to broaden his listener base. Although his sound is different this time around, it will probably end up appealing to the fan base he has gathered over the years. Still, the style is unique, but then again, it’s not a sound that’s for everyone. Both Sides… may lack the classic material Del has put out in the past – the final reaction will vary depending on the individual listener’s tastes. If you have never heard of Hieroglyphics, chances are you will sleep on them again.
-JP Almeda
