(Re-edited with links to purchase the album below)
I never thought I would see the day when I turned into my parents or grandparents when it came to music. They literally hated nearly everything I listened to,. constantly complaining that my music was trash and unlike the artistry they were accustomed. I grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, at the height of hip hop. Us Gen-Xers considered ourselves edgy and progressive. From male artists like KRS-One, Nas, Tupac, Biggie, Big L, Big Punisher and many more… Their music not only defined a generation but told our stories to the world. These lyricists were the poets of my time. They were the prophets of the ghetto.
Fast forward to me being in my 40s. I had turned into the grumpy middle-aged parent who grimaced at newly every song on the radio. I mean it all sounds the same to me… Just a bunch of mumbling rubbish over auto-tunes. If it wasn’t for my Twerk classes, I probably wouldn’t know any of these rappers today.
But then a friend of mine, DJ Benz asked me to do a review of an up and coming album from a local Philly rapper to post on on his site theDJbenz.com as well as here.
I was hesitant to say the least.
But I decided to give it a chance because I tend to have an open mind not to mention, a wide music taste. So I figured I’d give it a chance. I downloaded the email attachment, which consisted of 17 tracks from a guy who called himself Dell-P, a native if West Philly. And though I told myself I would be fair and unbiased, I awaited the download with a bit of cynicism, which I was ready to unleash in this review.
Fast forward a few hours later and I found myself not only listening to each track very carefully but surprisingly enjoying each one… I was blown away to say the least. This guy not only displayed a level of talent I hadn’t seen in a long time but he had the ability to transport me back to my teenage years listening to underground hip hop music. I mean the type of music that was so dope you had to know somebody that knew somebody to get a taste of. One example of what I mean is his track 1991. The track is a literal time machine of dopeness!
Up until today I had no clue who this Dell-P was. But I was glad to have the honor of previewing this dope and awesome work of art. Appropriately titled We Owe The World, Dell-P gives us an album the world was long overdue.
From his metaphors to his lyrical smoothness, each track and I mean EACH TRACK except for maybe one (and I still liked that one too) was an eargasm!! Dude has got some serious bars!!! He’s both conscious and hood. The way he rhymes is something I haven’t heard in a really long time. We Owe The World paints a picture of social issues going on today without coming off as preachy or self-righteous. And this guy is about as real as they come.
At first I was just skimming through to get a feel for the music so I could quickly rush write this review. But then I went back and listened to every single song. I couldn’t believe it! It got better with each time I listened to it. I hadn’t done a music review in a really long time and if I can be frank, it’s been rightfully so. However, I was more than pleased that I accepted this gig. My guy, Benz hit me with gem.
With the exception of maybe J Cole, Joyner Lucas or Kendrick Lamar and a small handful of others, there aren’t too many major, young artists that I can listen to from beginning to end. This guy is the type of artist I wish got more airplay on the radio. Because every song that Dell-P has on this album not only tells a story but paints a vivid picture in your mind. It was such a refreshing experience. He’s not some flamboyant caricature of what hip hop artists used to be nor does he have a gimmick. Unlike the so-called rappers who slur literally every other word or who glorify drug use and abuse towards women or violence as a whole, this dude is major! But honestly what’s really great about him is that you can actually understand each word that comes out of his mouth. It’s this type of articulate rap that the industry has been lacking for the last decade. And it’s this type of hip Hop that I believe can bring the rap game back to its former glory.
Dell-P can be found on Instagram and Facebook. We Owe The World debuts 6/19 and can be found on several streaming platforms or here so I urge you, no I implore you to stream each track repeatedly. Trust me your ears will not be disappointed!!
My vote:
It’s Awesome!
Until Next time kiddies,
Be Awesome, Be You, But Above All Else… Love Yourself
Shalom
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