For all the slack today's hip-hop catches for being lost in a wilderness of commercialism, bad taste, and dried-up ideas, one crucial component is lost: This is supposed to be fun. Really, we're talking about spinning the best parts of our favorite records and rhyming emphatically over a microphone. Smiling is allowed. Thankfully, Del tha Funky Homosapien is still around to remind us of that. In the early 90's, Del proved too silly, smart, and irreverent for the gangsta rap of his cousin and debut album producer, Ice Cube. Solo, Del made his name with brainy raps featuring hilarious, futuristic lingo, day-to-day ephemera, and tips on bodily hygiene. He founded the Oakland group Hieroglyphics, collaborated on the now-classic Deltron 3030 album with Dan the Automator, and guested on this Gorillaz track you've probably heard. His latest album, Funk Man, on which he embraces his soft spot for '70s funk like Parliament/Funkadelic, is available as a free download on his website. This weekend, the Bay Area great brings fun back to hip-hop with stops in Denver and Boulder. Helping him out will be San Francisco-based DJ Mike Relm, who scratches to videos playing on a big screen. He's played the Coachella Festival, appeared on Larry King Live, and made the infamous "O face" scene from Office Space sort of danceable. Click here to get the idea. Thursday, May 14, 9 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder, 303-443-3399 $22.50/adv, $25/dos, all ages Friday, May 15, 9 p.m. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, 303-830-TIXS $22.50/adv, $25/dos, 16+