by Andrew

Holy fucking shit! Who would have thunk it?! My nuts are all a quiver anticipating listening to this after more than 10 years of waiting. Is it worth it? Hell fucking yeah!

This is some head-nod shit right here. I feel the need to break out into my gangsta voice while reviewing; for rizzle. But not to detract from this truly awesome release, this is some of the best American hip-hop I’ve heard in years. I reviewed the Hiero album just recently, but its as if Del was really holding back for this one. He spits such complex sci-fi lyrics across this release its hard to even comprehend. The man has grown up and indulge in so much sci-fi culture and so much classic hip-hop that’s its not funny. If you love sci-fi and hip-hop, this is your album. Deltron 3030 made a classic album firstly, but spent the time to follow up with something more than special; Its fucking legendary.

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien has been a mainstay in the underground hip-hop scene in the US for almost as many years as I’ve been listening. From the mid nineties until now, talk to a hip-hop fan and not many people will diss Del. Its just like that. The melting pot which was created in the first Deltron 3030 album was pure symmetry. Del, Dan the Automator and Kid Koala. Three legends in the underground in one place at one time. It was the epitome of style. Enter ‘The Event II’.

Across this release are such other complementary legends such as Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack De La Rocha, Blur’s Damon Alban and he-who-needs-no-introduction Mike Patton. Along for the ride we also have David Chang, The Lonely Island, Black Rob and Amber Tamblyn. Some of these are household names and some of them are relatively unknown, even now. But do yourself a favour, if you like this album or have any respect for the underground; go find some of these artists other work. Its still an absolute pleasure to bring you this review and at the risk of losing my job, I think I’m going to commit the ultimate sin of a full score for the second time this year.

Dan The Automator has produced a wonderful spectacle of an album, filled with old score hooks, Koala’s man-sized scratching and an exquisite attention to detail on construction. This has to be his best work. He’s been around for a while so there is no doubt he was capable, but ‘The Event II’ should be his opus. Automator is more than an accomplished producer, spanning beats you know with beats you’ve never heard. Every inch of this album melds so perfectly from track to track. It may have taken 10 years, but every ounce shows thoughtfulness, timing and love.

Even Joseph Gordon Levitt gets a look in, which shows the reach these three guys have. Yeah, yeah, its nothing knew having a movie star in your album release; but when its this fucking cool? It’s a given that the album projects a theme of futuristic apocalyptic existence, but it furthers Deltron 3030’s theme like it was only last year we heard it. I for one, feel good knowing that some artists aren’t afraid to wait a long time for a sequel, despite what the detractors say.

I wrestle with the idea of giving an album a perfect 10 every time I think I’m going to give one. Is it really that good? Does it finish everything its starts? Will people come to the same conclusion? With Deltron 3030; there is rarely a question that can’t be answered with a hell fucken yeah. The asides, interludes, killer tracks and straight up hip-hop goodness; this is the album of the year right here. I might gush, but I just expected this to be wack. Not wack because it was rushed or formulaic, but wack because it took so long that I expected it to be passé. Boy was I more than pleasantly surprised. ‘The Event II’ is everything I wanted, everything I expected; and of course, more.

***Lyrical Bliss***

10/10 Fired Music Reviewers {Abrasive Andy}