Back in 1995 a 17-year-old MC took to the hip-hop scene in the UK. Armed only with a few demos and oblivious of how to prosper in the music industry, little did he know he would end up being one of the few pioneers of hip-hop in the UK.
Funky DL started earning props when his music received regular air play on stations such as Kiss FM, Choice FM and Radio one by the likes of veteran Jockeys such as DJ 279, Max LX and Dave VJ and Tim Westwood.
In 1996 Funky DL went on to win the well known Fosters Ice Breakers competition and released his first record The Individual, this consequently led to DL being firstly offered a two single deal with Almost records which developed further into an album deal with Almo Sounds and a publishing deal with Rondor Music.
Equipped with unlimited studio access, DL set about crafting his debut album Classic Was the Day. The album was released in the late summer of 1997 and was widely received by the UK’s hip hop fraternity and veered DL on to win a MOBO award for the best hip hop act of 1997.
In the same year Funky DL went on to remix records for artists such as Missy Elliott, Keith Sweat, Adina Howard, and Connor Reeves, as well as going on to spearhead The London All-stars project (a collaboration of London's finest rappers) including MCD, Blak Twang, TY, Skinnyman, ESP, Kwestmann, Q-Tee, Phoebe One, Fallacy and Rodney P. This was a unique one of a kind release and stunned the scene as no record had ever before been released with such a high profiled caliber of rappers from the UK.
In 1998 DL signed to an independent label “Utmost Records” and released his sophomore album Heartfelt Integrity. Another MOBO nomination was presented which reflected DL’s consistency and helped him to further cement his name and efforts in the scene.
Funky DL went on to tour Australia, France and Israel, the latter being an unusual destination for rappers but was overwhelmingly received, returning to London to support the likes of The Roots, K-Ci & JoJo, Ras Kas, Killah Priest, and stole the show in front of 3,000 people at the Hippodrome Leicester Square from an early Destiny's Child at the Choice FM 8th Birthday Party.
Albums
1997 - Classic Was The Day [320 kbps]
1998 - Heartfelt Integrity [320 kbps]
1999 - One Another [320 kbps]
2000 - When Love Is Breaking Down [320 kbps]
2001 - Blackcurrent Jazz [320 kbps]
2002 - The Rhyme Travel Vol 1 [192 kbps]
2002 - The Rhyme Travel Vol.2 [192 kbps]
2003 - The Classic Fantasy [320 kbps]
2003 - The Red Pill & the Blue Pill (Volumes 1 & 2) [320 kbps]
2005 - Street Love (Vinyl) [V0]
2005 - The Classic Fantasy (JP REISSUE) [V2]
2005 - Since 77 [320 kbps]
2006 - Street Swagger [192 kbps]
2006 - The Latin Love Story [V2]
2007 - Music From Naphta [320 kbps]
2007 - The 4th Quarter [320 kbps]
2008 - The Jazz That Was Forgotten [320 kbps]
2009 - The Interview [320 kbps]
2010 - Back To Frank (Samples Amy Winehouse Vol 1) [320 kbps]
2010 - Back To Rap (Samples Amy Winehouse Vol. 2) [320 kbps]
2010 - A Classic Example Of A... [320 kbps]
2010 - The Ultimate Collection [320 kbps]
2011 - Blackcurrent Jazz 2: The Gold Reflection [320 kbps]
2012 - NANE [320 kbps]
2015 - Le Emporium De Jazz [320 kbps]
2016 - Autonomy_ The 4th Quarter 2 [320 kbps]
2018 - Blackcurrent Jazz 3 [320 kbps]
EPs
1996 - Classic Moves EP [192 kbps]
1997 - The Record Shop E.P. Vinyl (with Dj Stixx Presents) [192 kbps]
2001 - The Jazzy Ways EP [192 kbps]
2012 - Sometimes I Have to Wonder... (Funky DL samples Stevie Wonder) [V0]
2014 - Cut From The Illest Cloth EP [320 kbps]
Instrumental Albums
2011 - Blackcurrent Jazz 2 (Instrumentals) [320 kbps]
2011 - Cool Classic Jazzstrumentals Volume 1 [320 kbps]
2011 - Cool Classic Jazzstrumentals Volume 2 [320 kbps]
2011 - Cool Classic Jazzstrumentals Volume 3 [320 kbps]
2011 - Cool Classic Jazzstrumentals Volume 4 [320 kbps]
2012 - Nights in Nippon Jazzstrumentals [320 kbps]
2012 - The Lawshank Redemption (2CD) [320 kbps]
2012 - Too Hard To Beat [Instrumentals] [320 kbps]
2012 - The 4th Quarter Instrumentals [320 kbps]
2013 - From Street to Sweet [320 kbps]
2013 - Instrumentals Straight From The MPC [Volume 1 Funky DL] [320 kbps]
2013 - Instrumentals Straight From The MPC [Volume 2 Mr Brown] [320 kbps]
2013 - Jazzmatic Jazzstrumentals [320 kbps]
2013 - NANE Instrumentals [320 kbps]
2014 - A Classic Example of a... (Instrumentals) [320 kbps]
2014 - Classic Was The Day. The Black Instrumentals [320 kbps]
2014 - Another Instrumental Moment [320 kbps]
2014 - A Treat To Repeat [Instrumentals] [320 kbps]
2014 - Jazzmatic Jazzstrumentals Vol. 2 [320 kbps]
2015 - Blue Silk Instrumentals [320 kbps]
2015 - Blackcurrent Jazz Instrumentals [320 kbps]
2015 - Forever Instrumental [320 kbps]
2015 - Le Emporium de Jazz Jazzstrumentals [320 kbps]
2016 - For the Love of Jazz and Thursdays (Instrumentals) [320 kbps]
2017 - Incognito in Soho [320 kbps]
2017 - Autonomy: The 4th Quarter 2 (Instrumentals) [320 kbps]
2018 - Blackcurrent Jazz 3 (Instrumentals) [320 kbps]
Remix Albums
2006 - Remix Extraordinaire [V2]
2012 - Funky DL's Remix Deluxe [V0]
2013 - Jazzmatic (Nas Remixes) [320 kbps]
2014 - Jazzmatic 2 (Nas Remixes) [320 kbps]
2016 - The Jazz Lounge [320 kbps]
Singles
1997 - Circles (Going Round) VLS [V1]
1997 - Worldwide Remix VLS [V1]
1999 - Everybody Rock on BW Green Lights (VLS) [192 kbps]
2001 - Hit Me (VLS) [192 kbps]
2001 - Prediction (VLS) [V1]
2001 - The Music VLS [192 kbps]
2003 - One Of Those Nights (VLS) [V1]
2004 - Training Day BW Serious Vinyl [V1]
2005 - Little Mike (VLS) [V2]
Mixes
2004 - Classic Kid Mix CD (JP Retail) [192 kbps]
2005 - Mixed By DJ Smooth Current [V4]
Tribute Albums
2012 - Dedication To The Fairer Sex (Tribute to J Dilla) [320 kbps]
2013 - Ode To Nujabes - Lounge Remixes [320 kbps]
2014 - February A Rest in Beats Tribute to the Sounds of J Dilla [320 kbps]
2014 - February A Rest in Beats Tribute to the Sounds of Nujabes [320 kbps]
2017 - Marauding at Midnight (A Tribute to the Sounds of a Tribe Called Quest) [320 kbps]
