Even with the flop of ‘The Eleventh Hour,’ 2008 could be the year that Deltron Z reclaims his throne and hip-hop royalty.

It’s been close to eight years since the hip-hop community has seen a solo effort from Del tha Funkee Homosapien. Sure, he’s collaborated on some tracks in the meantime, most notably his work on the “One Big Trip” soundtrack and the 2003 sophomore release from his crew, the Hieroglyphics, entitled “Full Circle.” But what exactly has the Funkee one been up to all this time?

It turns out that Del has been listening to the wisdom of his elders, deciding to learn music theory in order to preserve the “funk.” He did so by learning the harmonies of scales and perfecting melodies. This funk preservation is apparent on his new album “The Eleventh Hour,” which he recorded alone at his Richmond, CA home and produced nearly all of the tracks, which feature minimal guest appearances.

The new formula of Del’s sound is evident on the album, released by Definitive Jux Records instead of his own Hieroglyphics Emporium Label. The beats are smoothed out and well polished, but unfortunately they come across as dull. The album does have a funky feel to it, but nothing makes one track stand out more than the next. Mediocrity reigns supreme, as there are no bangers on this record.

Sadly, “The Eleventh Hour” also introduces us to a less lyrical Del who suffers in the word play department. Previous outings have captured Del’s raw ability to verbally obliterate emcees. Here on “Bubblepop,” we see Del issuing a pre-school like warning of “Why do you think that you are all that? / Cuz you ain’t.” Hoping for more “Blow you up like the Death Star”-type threats, I will have to settle for this juvenile banter instead.

It has been stated in recent interviews that Del has decided to change his rhyme scheme in order to let people know what he really thinks. Here, he sacrifices the extravagant rhymes and metaphors he has built his career around to avoid confusion surrounding his message. Unfortunately, people listen to Del in the first place for his distinct flow and his ability to blow your mind with his masterful lyrics.

This is the formula that had Del at the helm of the independent hip-hop scene back in 2000. He amazed fans by releasing the underground sensation “Both Sides of the Brain,” as well as the critically acclaimed futuristic concept album “Deltron 3030,” just a few months apart from each other. Not to mention his guest spot as the ghost “Russel” on the Gorillaz smash hit “Clint Eastwood.”

Even with the flop of “The Eleventh Hour,” 2008 could be the year that Deltron Z reclaims his throne and hip-hop royalty. With several works in progress scheduled to be completed soon, including brand-new Prince Paul-produced Hieroglyphics and Souls of Mischief albums, as well as the second installment of the Deltron saga, “Deltron Event II,” he should be able to redeem himself for this recent blunder. Let’s just hope that the public’s reception of this album will sway the direction he takes on these upcoming projects.

It seems as though Del made “Eleventh Hour” to prove something to himself, not his fans. The production here sounds like an attempt at resurrecting the sound of 1991’s “I Wish My Brother George Was Here,” an attempt that failed on account of his oversimplified music theory approach. Del wanted to change up his flow so his audience could understand his perspective on things, and even if no one cares, he was successful. It may not be the Del record we had all been waiting eight years for, but there are some clever rhymes to listen to if you can distract yourself long enough to maintain interest.

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