Though a gifted hip-hop spinmaster, Delgado all along sought only to subtly enhance Deftones' distinctly ferocious rock style, not to change it. Says Frank, “There was no preconceived way on how to add me into the mix. It¹s not like we were going to have a metal-hip-hop thing with scratch breakdowns. I just interweave myself into the songs.”

A native of east L.A., Delgado first started working turntables as a young teen, graduating from house parties to clubs to DJ/musician over a period of years. In 1993, he relocated to Sacramento where he began working with local hip-hop ensemble The Socialistics. That group-and a then-fledgling metal band called Deftones-began sharing downtown rehearsal space. “We hooked up and started jamming,” recalls Frank. Eventually I'd be playing with them at shows, doing little segues between songs as a way to fill up space. Then I started writing with them. I worked on two songs for the first album ["Adrenaline"], four on the second ["Around The Fur"]. Then they asked me to join the band.”

The buzz on “White Pony” has focused on the more contemplative elements blended with customary Deftones fury. “When we first started writing for the album,” notes Frank, “I'd look for some sort of sound that matched the pitch and tone of the song. Often, [Deftones' lead singer] Chino would hear something I did, and use it for a melody. The reason this album sounds different is because of the way we wrote it. It has a certain kind of aura you can't put your finger on.”