Del tha Funky Homosapien; Devin the Dude

If everything you know about Del is from his involvement in the innovative but cutesy side projects Deltron 3030 and Gorillaz, you're missing the point. Tha Funky one has been laying down his idiosyncrasies on wax since his cousin Ice Cube put him on in 1991. Ironically, dude only found his true artistic footing after abandoning Cube's trademark reliance on funk backdrops. Focusing on jazzy and airy soundscapes, he eventually became a founding member of the fan-friendly Hieroglyphics crew, dropping songs about metro transit, distant galaxies, and all points in between. And just as Hiero were the perfect anecdote for Cali's thugged-out gangsta-isms, opener Devin the Dude and his Coughee Brothers brought a much-needed joviality to Scarface's mid-'90s Rap-A-Lot family. Over the last decade he has solidified his place as one of the most refreshing and honest solo artists in rap, keeping it simple (women, weed, wine) but never boring. This is a veritable hall of fame for left-field rap. 18+.
Tue., Oct. 30, 8 p.m., 2007