I could go on but I’ll let him do the talking. Del and company will be in the Bay Area (Spy Night Club, Nov. 21; Catalyst, Nov. 22; Fillmore, Nov. 24) but we were able to catch up with him on his way here.

The Wave: Where are you?
Del: I don’t know. And at this point it doesn’t really matter. I’ve been touring for the last 12 years straight, damn near.

TW: So where does that put your current state of mind?
Del: I’m still in a constant state of wonder. I’m somewhat of a scientist. But a state of wonder like a kid, you know?

TW: What are your current obsessions?
Del: Music theory. Like the connections between hip-hop and other types of music – blues, jazz, stuff like that. It’s based on the general underlying factors that are happening with music and how they all operate. There’s a great book called Lies My Music Teacher Told Me by Gerald Eskelin. Great book. This dude is a genius.

TW: Why is it that with so many hip-hop guys, when they come out with a new album, they’re always saying, “Yo, I’m back!” Like Eminem, Dre and Snoop. Where do they go?
Del: I think a lot of people try to count you out in this music game, so it’s a statement. A lot of people talk sh*t about you in this business.

TW: What’s the worst thing someone’s said about you?
Del: That I smoke crack. I don’t want anyone to ever think I could possibly smoke crack.

TW: But I heard you were crazy because of all the mushrooms you’ve taken.
Del: [laughs] Um, I don’t know if I’d label myself as crazy. Crazy people need to be hospitalized and not walking around. But I will say that I probably don’t have it all upstairs. I think that has more to do with my upbringing than drugs though. Drugs don’t really have an effect on me. People are like, “Oooo, you see that wall moving?!” I’m like, “No. All I see is the wall.” In my mind, walls don’t move.

TW: What’s something you never want to do?
Del: [long pause] I don’t want to rule nothing out. Well, I hope I never have to kill anybody and I won’t have any homosexual activities. But other than that, I don’t want to rule anything out.

TW: Got any good childhood Ice Cube stories?
Del: [laughs] Okay. Cube used to lock me in a closet with a Star Wars Tie Fighter, the kind that had the lasers that would light up. I used to be afraid of the dark so to get me over the fear, he’d lock me in the closet and the lasers were my only light source.

TW: Did it work?
Del: Pretty much.

TW: Has your life changed since “Clint Eastwood” got such massive radio play?
Del: It’s funny. That’s what I wrote after really learning about music theory. My mom got me a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble so I bought this book called How to Write a Hit Song. I bought it as a joke but half serious in the ‘see what it can show me’ sort of way. The first page said you had to be original to keep people’s attention. And from there I started studying music theory. And that was the first song that I used what I had learned from studying all this music theory and it went platinum. So when I got the platinum plaque, I gave it to my mom.

TW: What was her response?
Del: “Huh? What are you talking about?” But then she got it and thought it was pretty funny.

TW: So is this the beginning of Del Tha Funky Radio Hit Song Writer Guy?
Del: I don’t know about that. I didn’t know “Clint Eastwood” was going to blow up like that. I believe a hit song is just a good song. I’m just trying to learn more about the tools I’m using to make my sh*t. I have a very clear vision of what I want to manifest. I’m working on my album now and it’ll hopefully come out next year. [loud chomping sounds]

TW: What are you eating?
Del: Sourpuss bites.

TW: Who’s the most famous person you’ve met?
Del: Uh, De La, Jungle Brothers, Q-Tip, L.L. I met L.L. but he didn’t know who I was. I was just recording my first album and bumped into him.

TW: Where would you rather be now?
Del: Home. I don’t really hang out. I’m always doing something. I’m studying music or studying comedy. I like to study motherf*ckers before me seeing how they did the sh*t, you know?

TW: If you were to fill out one of those online personal ads, how would yours go?
Del: Black male scientist. Caramel skin. Five foot seven. Musically obsessive. Never sleeps.

TW: Done any fighting lately?
Del: No man, I try to be mellow nowadays. I work very logically so it’s not very logical to be fighting. Although… [long thoughtful pause] I can get mad. Know what I’m saying? Like, real mad. It doesn’t take much to set me off.

TW: You seem pretty mellow to me.
Del: Well you know what they say, the mellowest ones are the ones to look out for. Or something like that.