Deltron 3030 Travels Back To The Future With 'Event II'

NPR | By NPR Staff

Published October 4, 2013 at 5:06 AM EDT

Deltron 3030 has reconvened, more than a decade after its self-titled debut, for the new album Event II. Left to right: Kid Koala, Del the Funky Homosapien, Dan "The Automator" Nakamura. — Deltron 3030 has reconvened, more than a decade after its self-titled debut, for the new album *Event II*. Left to right: Kid Koala, Del the Funky Homosapien, Dan "The Automator" Nakamura.

It's a hazy world in Deltron 3030's Event II. The hip-hop trio's highly anticipated second album continues to depict the journey of Deltron Zero, the privateer featured in the group's self-titled debut, released more than a decade ago.

Revisited in the year 3040, the character — voiced by veteran MC Del the Funky Homosapien — raps his way through a dystopian future after some economic calamity.

"When you look at Deltron Zero, he's not like the guy who blows up the Death Star. He's the guy who sees everything that goes on, and kind of talks about it," says Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, the group's producer. "He's not the voice of the people, but kind of an observant voice that's looking at society and looking at what's happening, and really reporting back on it."

NPR's Steve Inskeep spoke with Del and Nakamura about the long-awaited sequel and its cast of unlikely collaborators. Hear more of their conversation at the audio link.