| Danny Brown – “Jay-Dee’s Revenge” | May 14, 2012 |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMAqry9TfLs This was Alex Koenig’s rough draft. “Jay-Dee’s Revenge” is the first track to surface from Rebirth of Detroit, an upcoming album that features Detroit artists rapping over unreleased J Dilla beats. But “Revenge” isn’t one of the late producer’s sweeter donuts—the song’s harsh, deep bass line and oscillating synthesizer pattern signify menace. Danny Brown […]
| BBC 1Xtra’s Stories: Gone Too Soon — J Dilla | November 1, 2011 |
Admittedly, the world doesn’t need any more Dilla hagiography, but credit owed to Benji B and the BBC for doing due diligence in wrangling interviews with Dilla’s family, Slum V, Mos, Busta, Common, Badu and basically everyone who has ever appeared on Okayplayer. It runs an hour and anyone with a passing or cultish interest […]
| Mathematical Proof | April 12, 2011 |
If it was left up to Evan Nabavian, he would be living proof. Proof and Dilla. It’s no secret that hip-hop reveres its fallen. Artists and fans created dozens of NateDogg tributes before the man was even buried. “Rest in peace” is probably a more common refrain at rap shows than “Make some noise.” So […]
| J Dilla – Still Shining | February 7, 2011 |
“J.Dilla: Still Shining” from B.Kyle on Vimeo. Every day is Dilla day on the rap Internet, but in the interest of commemorating the born day of one of the G.O.A.T.’s, Brian “B. Kyle” Atkins unleashes this must-see doc on the life of James Yancey– complete with cameos from Pete Rock, Q-Tip, Badu, Common (complete with […]
| Jaylib – “Louder (Blast Your Radio Theme)” | January 20, 2011 |
Aesthetic by-laws require this song seeing the light of day (or its low-budget blog equivalent). The reasons are obvious. A superior flip of The Meters “Handclapping Song” (take that will.i.am.), shouts courtesy of M.O.P., and long-buried audio footage of Dilla and Madlib talking shit for three minutes. The track comes from the sessions from their […]
| Motor City Coltranes and Midwest Malcolms | August 2, 2010 |
For all the derision that Pitchfork’s hip hop coverage inspires, Nate Patrin’s treatise on the ongoing influence of Dilla reads among the most compelling and comprehensive that I’ve read anywhere. It’s easy to play the connect the dots game with Dilla, but much harder to assess the specifics of his subtly shifting sound and analyze […]
| Hatless Men, J Dilla, and Safety Dancing | March 17, 2010 |
Clearly, Men Without Hats had the blueprint for Goodie Mobb’s “People Don’t Dance No Mo.” Granted, Cee-Lo has been known to sport a witch’s hat like he attended Necromancy school, but observe the clown/jesters, the big hair, the makeup. A coincidence? I think not. Pity the hat-less males — a one-hit wonder nonpareil, destined to be […]
| Due Dillagence Part 3 | February 25, 2010 |
Stussy – J Dilla Documentary Prt3 (of 3) from Stussy on Vimeo. The final part of Stussy’s three-part series on the life of J Dilla might be the best yet, providing a generous glimpse into Dilla’s recording habits, the genesis of Donuts, and his posthumous legacy. If you missed parts 1 and 2, they’re still […]
| Due Dillagence Part 2 | February 18, 2010 |
More posts coming shortly, but in the interim, Stussy continues to validate the massive contributions I made to its bottom line in the early 90s. Part two breaks down Dilla’s move to Cali, his creative symbiosis with Madlib, and whether he preferred Frank to Dank. Download: MP3: J Dilla ft. Frank-N-Dank-“Pause”
| Due Dillagence | February 11, 2010 |
Chalk it up to an American aversion to ancient history and LA’s love for J Dilla, but I surmise that these next few days will see more celebrations for James Yancey than George Washington. Of course, Jay Dee did not wear nut-hugging tights, a sartorial decision that clearly aided G-Dub’s jerkin’ ability but hindered his […]
