by Links Edwards
Deltron 3030 is the self-titled album from the supergroup composed of Del The Funky Homosapien and Dan the Automator. It’s an Afrofuturist rap opera that follows the adventures of the titular Deltron Zero, who starts the story as an alienated mech soldier in an apartheid hypercapitalist Earth. From here, Deltron tries to make his way up in life by winning a series of rap battles to become the champion of the Galactic Rhyme Federation. So far this is fairly standard Afrofuturism, which synthesizes elements of Black culture with sci-fi, but what makes the album unique is how well it interweaves Afrofuturism with social commentary.
Deltron 3030 opens with a brief introduction before moving into the first long track, “3030.” This sets the stage for the rest of the opera, discussing how in 3030, capitalism has ravaged Earth and people are forced into increasingly precarious lives as the grip of the state is tightened. This track is not only about the far future, it’s also about the present. With discussion of a “ … modern metropolis that tries to lock us up, under preposterous laws, it’s not for us, ” Deltron is protesting the racist treatment that people of color, and especially Black men, receive from the justice system.
From here the album moves more into sci-fi territory, with tracks “Positive Contact” and “Upgrade (A Baymar College College)” providing vivid descriptions of the future as well as excellent lyricism and execution on the part of Del. This turn continues through the track “Mastermind,” which marries a rock-solid beat with a strange sample from Greek prog-rock, and Del’s riffing. Following the best interlude on the album, “National Movie Review,” the opera starts to take a turn into more serious territory again, with tracks like “Madness” and “Turbulence” discussing the realities of racism and how technology has been fashioned by the ruling class for increased social control. The album then discusses Deltron Zero becoming the champion of the Galactic Rhyme Federation, before pivoting to the last track, “Memory Loss.” This track is a discussion of the past, focusing on the collective amnesia that’s been experienced in recent history, while also talking about the amnesia that most folks have surrounding histories before the “modern era,” a history prior to the capitalism and colonialism that has wrought our world.
The album’s sci-fi bent has helped in keeping it relevant. For instance, the line “In the year 3030 everybody wants to be an MC,” seems to be realized now. Rappers are what rock stars were in an older era, and the explosion of the internet in the last two decades has significantly lowered the barrier to entry. The corporate consolidation of society is also here, with the song “The News (A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Microsoft Inc.)” almost foreshadowing Jeff Bezos owning the Washington Post. With that all said, none of this is what makes Deltron 3030 still relevant today. What makes the album relevant is that the structures of colonialism, racism, and capitalism that it talks about are still dictating our society.
