Del To Drop the 11th Hour on Def Jux, Not Hiero --- Whaa?!

Def Jux misses the West Coast. After losing the emerging L.A. emcee Murs to major label Warner Bros., El-P recently signed cagey vet Del the Funky Homosapien and is putting out his new album, The 11th Hour. Apparently the sports adage of never trading young for old doesn't apply in the rap game. Upgrade your gray matter:

We are proud to announce that the new album from seminal rapper, hip hop icon, and founding member of the mighty Hieroglyphics crew, Del The Funky Homosapien. The 11th Hour, will be released on Definitive Jux on February 26th, 2008. Del is an artist who helped set standard for a new mold of MC/Hip Hop artist in 1991 with the release of I Wish My brother George Was Here, and shortly after with No Need For Alarm in 1993. His last solo album, Both Sides Of The Brain was released in 2000 on Hiero Imperium, the label he founded with other members of his Hieroglyphics crew.

...When asked about working with Def Jux, Del commented: I look at this as an opportunity to spread the gospel a little thicker. El-P and I have known each other for a long time and I respect what he does. I see Def Jux out there doing their thing, I think we can help each other build new audiences. Im looking forward to working with El-P and Def Jux on future projects as well.

--Oscar Pascual

We are proud to announce that the new album from seminal rapper, hip hop icon, and founding member of the mighty Hieroglyphics crew, Del The Funky Homosapien. The 11th Hour, will be released on Definitive Jux on February 26th, 2008. Del is an artist who helped set standard for a new mold of MC/Hip Hop artist in 1991 with the release of I Wish My brother George Was Here, and shortly after with No Need For Alarm in 1993. His last solo album, Both Sides Of The Brain was released in 2000 on Hiero Imperium, the label he founded with other members of his Hieroglyphics crew.

Dels impact on the music world did not end with his solo work of even the albums his label released. At the beginning of the new millenium Del branched out and through his work with Dan the Automator on the Deltron 3030 record and later with the Gorillaz multi platinum first album (and on which he voiced the hit single, Clint Eastwood, Del continued to push the boundaries of the art of MCing and proving that talent and versatility could make rap relevant outside the traditional boundaries of genre.

When asked about working with Def Jux, Del commented: I look at this as an opportunity to spread the gospel a little thicker. El-P and I have known each other for a long time and I respect what he does. I see Def Jux out there doing their thing, I think we can help each other build new audiences. Im looking forward to working with El-P and Def Jux on future projects as well.

El-P added, Del is and always has been one of my favorite artists and people. Its amazing to get a chance to release Dels vision on Jux. The 11th Hour 100% Del. Conceived and produced completely by the man himself. My hope is just to get the record out to as many people as possible and to support the legacy Del and the whole Hiero Imperium have created. Hes one of hip hops true originals and a legitimate leader of the new and true school that we all love.