From left, Kid Koala, Del the Funky Homosapien and Dan “The Automator” Nakamura are Deltron 3030.
Credit: Michael Donovan
Hip-hop meets classical music? You know it’s Brooklyn.
Alternative rap collective Deltron 3030 — made up of MC Del the Funky Homosapien, producer Dan “The Automator” Nakamura and DJ Kid Koala — are bringing their “Event 2” tour to Celebrate Brooklyn! in Prospect Park.
Jumping ahead by a decade after their first album, “Event 2” takes place in the year 3040. In their imagined dystopian future, Del’s alter ego, Deltron Zero, battles big business, which has taken over the world.
For frontman Del, New York is going to be a special performance. Despite the gentrification of Brooklyn, which now boasts more hipsters than rappers, he expects that people will embrace the return of Deltron 3030. “Hip-hop was born here and the people in New York love what I do,” he said. “They will embrace our music.”
Del, whose real name is Teren Delvon Jones, believes their music will appeal even to an audience who may not understand its political themes. “I would assume that those who come to the concert, they’re already on our page. If not, they can just zone out on the sci-fi of it,” he said.
Their afrofuturistic music is the brainchild of Nakamura and Kid Koala, who add the genre-bending effects to their distinct sound. For this tour, Nakamura, a classically trained violinist, assembled the 3030 Orchestra to accompany Del’s rapping. “It’s a dream that he wanted to realize,” said Del. “And I believe he picked the right combination of people.”
The melding of musical styles complements Del’s lyrics. His focus, although on larger issues, was also personal. “I wanted to make it more accessible. Some people said the first album was just technobabble,” he said. “I want to meet the average person halfway so it’s not a huge leap for them to appreciate the music.”
Deltron 3030 at Celebrate Brooklyn!
Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Prospect Park Bandshell
Free, www.bricartsmedia.org
