[Editor’s Note: I first heard of Delo from scouring my Twitter timeline (props to @jpublicizt). It was talk about the best mixtape she every heard and Hood politics was a dope mixtape. Once I heard “Ghetto Boy,” I added it immediately as the Heater of The Day. After getting to know more about Delo and see him perform, He’s has a mesh of mellow and street with a sound I wouldn’t place in Houston. Delo is nice and he’ll be makin major noise soon, read more about him. – Steve Raze]
People lose when they start assuming. In this case, never assume that all that Texas Hip-Hop has to offer is grain grippin’ and candy paint rhymes over beats that drip like syrup. There’s more. Delo, the quick-witted emcee emerging from Houston makes sure that he isn’t type-casted into that all-so-familiar role. Like in a day when one gets morning and night, Delo shines light on both sides of the game of “Hood Politics” with “One Shot”
AllHipHop.com: You’re sound is different from the stereotyped Houston style that people are used to hearing. How would you describe it?
Delo: I mean, that’s the sound of the pioneers of my region but I have my own thoughts, my own style. That’s not my sales pitch, that I’m from Houston. I don’t rap like none of these Houston rappers. I’m just trying to be original. I listen to east coast rap, west coast, worldwide, just hip-hop in general. So I don’t look at rap as like a region. See its crazy because a lot of R&B people, you don’t even know where they’re from but a rapper has to lock down his region, I don’t understand that but I’mma roll with it. I’m not trying to NOT sound like I’m from Houston. I grew up with Scarface, Screwed-Up Click, DJ Screw, Slim Thug, Lil Keke – all of them. They made me want to rap. But I had to be me.
AllHipHop.com: So why do you think Hip-Hop artists place so much emphasis on where they’re from? Its almost territorial. Why is that?
Delo: I mean you have to look at it like this from the standpoint of the original rappers. They stood out on their corners and freestyled, “We from 43rd and 9th/we hold it down all night…” you know? So it’s like you have to claim where you’re at cuz you gotta get your neighbors to ride with you, gotta get everybody from your city to roll with you. It’s kinda like you start from the bottom of Hip-Hop. With Hip-Hop, you have to be accepted in your town, you gotta be able to walk through the ghettos. You have to be recognized, you have to be acknowledged. It’s a respect issue with Hip-Hop. It’s never gonna change. For instance, Drake is from Canada but people out of Houston LOVE Drake, don’t even know how to get to Canada [laughs]. You just gotta rep where you’re from, that’s how it is.
AllHipHop.com: I heard you mention respect. What is it about you and your music that you feel deserves to be respected?
Delo: At the end of the day I want the listener to understand that what I’m saying is REAL. I want what i’m saying to hit home. I’m not trying to lose you in no way, but I want people to be like “Man, I feel what he just said, I know where he’s coming from…” I don’t have much money so I don’t want people to respect me cuz I got money. I want them to respect me because what I’m saying is real and I’m trying to bring some good into this music, it’s just good music. I’ll be proud with that just to hear people say “He makes good music.”
AllHipHop.com: What elements of your surroundings and your environment are you bringing to the table? How is it influencing your music?
Delo: Well I’m taking my stories that affected my life and putting it on beats. But me and my music, I kind of get lost into it. Its not me what I would say to you on the telephone but what I would say over a beat. I get into character. For instance, I take that girl that was raped in a hallway and take her thoughts and try to spit from that perspective, saying if that was me what would I say, if that was me, what would I do?
AllHipHop.com: You get into a storyteller mode….
Delo: Yeah, I get into a storyteller motion. I just have a passion for it. When that beat comes on, it takes me somewhere and I explain the location. It’s just what I do.
AllHipHop.com: You have a certain rhyme pattern that is fun but quick-witted. You almost rhyme in a riddle…like you have to be prepared
Delo: Is that a good thing or bad thing?
AllHipHop.com: It’s a supreme thing. Rap music is supposed to teach in some form, whether its through rhyme or style. So tell me about “Hood Politics.” What is a hood politician?
Delo: I explain Hood Politics like this: there’s two sides to everything. When the elections come around, where do you see most of the banners and the flyers and posters? You see them in the ‘hood. You don’t go into some of these other neighborhoods and see all that kind of promotion so I’m just trying to make music for both sides of the fence. Whether you a 14-year old African-American boy or a 32-year old Latina woman, you grew up in the hood, whether you a drug-dealer or a lawyer, if you like rap music or if you don’t like rap music, I just kinda like, try to build a bridge between the gaps, between different regions, different nationalities. I’m not trying to do just trap-boy music or pretty-boy music. Its the hood and the politics–everything is political and everything relates back to your hood, where you’re from. And that song really started the whole movement, just kept screaming it, “Hood politics, hood politics” people getting it tatted on their hand. It just placed itself here.
AllHipHop.com: So “Hood Politics” is a movement?
Delo: It’s a company now.We came up with it about 14 months ago when we did the song and then we seen Jeezy drop the track “Hood Politics” from Trap of Die 2. I was thinking “Man, Jeezy must have heard my cd.” [Laughs] Even if he didn’t hear it, it shows that I’m on the same track that he’s on, in terms of being creative and coming up with ideas. So its everything! Its a company, its a movement, it’s a way of thought, its whatever….T-shirts [laughter].
AllHipHop.com: What’s next for you?
Delo: Hood Politics II. We’re dropping at the end of this year, an LP with all original music, produced by Cy Fyre. He produced J Dawg’s “First 48” out of Houston. This ain’t a mixtape, this is a street album.
AllHipHop.com: Who can we look forward to hearing on the tape?
Delo: Man, this cat man he’s nice man, they call him De-lo. Delorean. Hey, it might not be another rapper on this CD, unless. I’m trying to get this legend. I’m not trying to force him but if he says let me put something on there, its a WRAP.
AllHipHop.com: Well we’re definitely looking forward to this being that you’re considered as one of the best up and coming out of Texas. How do you feel about competition?
Delo: I always, I ALWAYS whatever I’m doing, I step out like I’m the best. And everyone else should always feel the same. I don’t look at anyone as a threat and if you do then I look at that as a weakness. Its not that I feel like I’m better than you, but I feel like I love it more. When you love things more you make better love, so I just want to prove to people that I want it better than the next man. I’M NICE! I swear if I ever get that spot, I WILL NOT let them down!
AllHipHop.com: [Laughs] OK, OK, so where can we find you aside from your MySpace (http://myspace.com/delomdr)?
Delo: Either on the sh—- or on Twitter. Straight up. Its @IamDelorean and get at me. I leak music all the time. I make funny jokes, I do the best trending topics, I’m running this thang! (laughs) Twitter for life! They love it, they love it. I give’em what they want.
AllHipHop.com: As long as you’re not starting any Twitter beefs…
Delo: I’m ready for it. Hip-Hop is competitive. If somebody wanna go song for song, I’m ready. Why should I act cordial with you and I’m going for that number one spot? Ay, I’m no Twitter thug. These people’s careers are ending on the net, I’m trying to get mine going.Visit Delo at Twitter.com/IamDelorean