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 in the late Jay Dee will probably want to listen. Stories include Plug 2 breaking down his first meeting with Dilla. Dilla ditching school. Dilla stopping time and swatting King Kong from the Empire State Building. He discovered Kong’s presence through telepathy. True story.
There is a case to be made for lesser known late producers like Paul C receiving a fraction of the lime light that Dilla has achieved in death. And later this week, we’ll get into the Paul C’s and Ant Banks’ of the rap world. In the interim, listen to this special on James Yancey, who earned the attention, however hyperbolic it can get.
Download:
MP3: BBC 1Xtra — Benji B: Gone too Soon (J Dilla)
