"Uh, check it out, music is – my total existence, dawg, straight up. Everything with my life revolves around music. It’s like...I’m still with...my first love...music”
That First Bite usually takes you back...
According to trusted sources and the occasional Wikipedia, James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), also known by J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who came up in the mid 90’s Detroit underground Hip Hop scene. Yancey died in 2006 of the blood disease Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura and "Lupus". His most famous album works include Champion Sound, a full length album of about 20 songs by the duo of Jaylib (J dilla and Madlib), and solo works Welcome 2 Detroit, Ruff Draft and Donuts.
Jay became a musical connoisseur before he could even help it; he wouldn't go to sleep without Jazz being put on the record player by his bed. When he finally reached High School in the mid 80's, Hip Hop was in full swing, an although his mother Maureen Yancey would have rather that he study physics, Dilla was out breaking down his spinning to a science. While still in high School, Dilla linked up with a Detroit artist by the name of Amp Fidler, and Amp was so impressed by Jay's work with his limited tools, he opened up his record collection to Dilla in order for him to work with some live instrumentation. Amp gave Dilla his first MPC and allowed to work with simple drum machines, a skill he faithfully mastered. Dilla, though relatively unknown to the average listener while he was alive, was behind some very popular works in Hip Hop. He produced for artist like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, The Pharcyde, Common, Erykah Badu, The Roots and many others, all who have sung praise for this late and great producer and MC, for his work ethic, his love of music and his artistry.
I feel the word “artist” more adequately suits J Dilla than any other phrase, moniker or term that you might possibly throw out. Its as simple as that one word, artist. Many love to categorize him, on some but-would-you-call-him-the-best tip, I would call him my personal favorite, but then again I might be biased, there’s no telling just how intricately his productions have woven themselves into my everyday life. All I know is that if I’m going to write something, the first producer that comes to mind every single time is Dilla; and I’ll look through hours of Dilla productions, often coming to dead ends when I find a song with no instrumental track (exhibit A: Proof’s "Searchin’"), before reverting to another equally merited producer, but lacking in Jay’s mix of head-bob inducing drum loops, dope bass lines, vocal samples and obscure synths.
Chocolate sprinkles, jelly filled or plain?
Versatility is Dilla's game; If you look through his discography, staring with the stuff he put out with Slum Village in '96 and ending with the album he put out his deathbed in '06, Donuts, J Dilla consistently re-defined his sound. Though he kept a relatively set of heavy drum loops throughout his career, he was always searching for a different, unexplored set of samples. This seems ridiculous to some artist, because to make it in the music industry most artist spend years crafting their specific sound, one so unmistakably unique to the artist that as soon as one of their songs are played, it is obvious who the song is by. Dilla chose not to feed into the manufacturing of a certain sound, in this he was alone. Much of his earlier work was on par with the boom-bap type beats seen on the streets of New York in the early 90's by groups like A Tribe Called Quest, The Beatnuts, and De La soul. Though it had Jay Dee's own soulful twist, the hard snare and kick can be heard very clearly in this joint, "The Look of Love" from Slum Village's first album Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1) .
The similarity and connection with Dilla's early style to these NY groups led to some heavy collaborations with them. In all reality, many claim some of Dilla's more poignant works came producing tracks for and with these Native Tongue groups like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.
The collaborations started around 1994, after Q-Tip of Tribe had been introduced to Dilla by none other than Amp Findler. Q-Tip took such a liking to Jay Dee's raw talent and incredible ear that he had him sign on a collective label: The Ummah.
Dilla, through The Ummah, was largely responsible for A Tribe Called Quest's 4th album Beats, Rhymes and Life and later Q-Tip's solo album, Amplified.
He was also linked to another Native Tongue group De La Soul, for whom he produced the track "Stakes is High" on their 1996 album Stakes is High .
On top of the works he produced with and for the Native Tongue groups, he collaborated heaviliy with Los Angeles based group The Pharcyde. J dilla was instrumental (ha ha) in the production of their second album Labcabincalifornia, of which one of their most well known songs, "Runnin'", is featured below.
From 96 to the new millennium, Dilla took a much more jazzy approach to his music. When Dilla and Slum Village came out with their second album Fantastic (Vol. 2) (a personal favorite), in 2000, Dilla had already redefined his sound. He takes a much more slowed up tempo to many of the songs on the album, with an increased jazz presence and a much more complicated yet beautifully profound bassline that firmly takes hold of the proverbial spinal cord of the track. No doubt the hard snare and kick hold true, but accompanying them is a much more versatile artillery of melodies, piano rifts and powerful bass-lines.
Half-Dozen Left
Even though throughout his production years under The Ummah, J Dilla came across a lot of unsung praise yet he continued to press on, working like a "mad scientist" as fellow producer and Dj, Dj Jazzy Jeff once called him. The label created almost a shroud over his accomplishments, the works were not accredited directly to Dilla, but instead on ink it was an Ummah prodcution.
Having your Donuts and eating them too.
After his second, and what would be his last major album with Slum Village for reasons unknown, Dilla gravitated to more individual works. Jay Dee had been an emcee as well as a producer for all of his time being involved with Hip Hop, yet the arrival of his first solo album Welcome 2 Detroit on the Label BBE pushed the envelope that Dilla could also really spit. His search for different samples took him in the direction of more electronic as well as some old funk. There is an unfiltered rawness about this whole album that just takes you by surprise. The lyrics take a mostly braggadocios, Im-better-than-you-in-every-way route, and features by promising artist like Elzhi and Ta'Raach make it bearable. For example,
Timeout for these niggas who ain't bringin' the real
I'ma flip a few guns let 'em see the steal
Ready to cock plus yo they ready to rip
The whole crew gets down they ain't ready for this
The production is, of course, incredibly dope and it overshadows the albums mediocre lyricsm, though Dilla does earn some stripes, the way that he rides his own beats with his unique flow really parallel his unique production style and eccentricity as beatmaker in general.
Following Welcome 2 detroit came Dilla's second solo album, Ruff Draft in 2003. Ruff Draft symbolized J dilla's temporary break with the corporate aspect of his music. After trouble with his label follwoing Welcome 2 Detroit, Dilla spent two or so years brewing some rather intense feelings against the industry and Ruff Draft became the canvas on which he chose to funnel his musical artistry. He distributed the album through a european vinyl distributor, so on top of the raw feel of the album, it came in very short supply; it seemingly came as the antithesis to popular, commercially backed music. The whole album points to deeper symbolisms that Jay Dee was trying to bring light to.
Not yet full
The very same year that Ruff Draft dropped, came one of Dilla's defining works, Champion Sound. Champion Sound was a collaboration with underground-favorite, producer and emcee, Madlib of Lootpack.
Around 2000,when Madlib came across one of dillas tapes, he recorded some unofcial tracks on them. One of the songs was leaked and when Dilla caught wind, he approached Madlib, leading to their collaboration.
The two incredibly original production types came together almost harmoniously. Dilla's heavy drum loops and slightly abstract basslines doubled with Madlib's perfectly off-beat and amorphous layered samples play well off each other. With Dilla rhyming on Madlib's beats and vice versa, each emcees' respective flow does just fine. The lyricsm isnt incredibly profound, but what it lacked in content it made up in the fact that they were just doin' their own thing. It doesnt cater to the populous, but instead is just abstract enough that it appeals to the backpacker crowds and eventually spreads. The production really does carry most the weight in this relationship, and that would probably be my only slight disapointment with the album.
Most would agree that Champion Sound was not a breakthrough album. The idea in theory of the two powerhouse producers coming together is like a Hip hop heads ongoing fantasy since they first hear a beat break. And if you were just looking at the production aspect you probably would be as content as can be; but if you were looking at it all, disapointment would have ensued after evaluation of the lyriscm. This album could have been great, but instead it was just really, really good.
Last Donut of The Night
Dilla's last and arguably greatest work came three years after Champion Sound. Donuts was an album J Dilla practically recorded on his deathbed, while recieving treatment for two diseases: TTP and Lupus. Part of it was the three past years of which Dilla spent recording singles under Stones Throw and working with artist like Common and De La Soul, the oher part of it was Dilla's on going struggle to physically stay alive. The mood of the album is also largely influenced by Dilla's continual against-the-grain mentality; perpetuating a style that is fueled by a desire to reach a crowd that is not necessarily buying in to the mainstream.
The album has an eerie feel, mostly due to the fact that it was released six days before his passing. Many feel that Donuts, the name inspired by the boxes of them James Yancey used to bring back late at night after working in the studio in Detroit, were Dilla's last words. Before he died, Jay Dee was often just too weak to muster the ability to talk, so the album, one filled with choppy voice samples, is seen by many as Jay's dying words. The voice samples act as the lyrics of this album; an otherwise strictly instrumental album.
"Bye" and "Dont Cry" are two perfect examples of the sharp voice samples that narrate the album when Dilla was too frail to speak for himself. "Bye" samples the Isley Brothers "Dont Say Goodnight", and the "Bye babyyy" spread amongst the album symbolize a near end to the album, as well as a near end to Jay's life. "Don't cry" samples The Escort's "I Can't Stand (To See You Cry)", and was most likely made for his mother, with whom Dilla had a very strong relationship. The slowed down melody right around when Jay throws in that "I caaan't staaand...to see you cryyy" puts an increased focus that those aren't just any words; Dilla didn't chose that sample just because it sounded good, he did it because there was an alternate mmessage he was trying to convey. He knew he was soon to go, but he wanted to be celebrated not mourned.
My favorite track on the album is Two Can Win. Much like the rest of the album, it heavily samples soul and is under two minutes long. The feeling I get when I listen to this song is euphoric and its the one track that just scream to be recorded on. For that reason, its my top choice on my top artist's top album. So i guess you could say I kind of like it.
Jay Stay Paid...
Like it is for most overlooked artist, when Dilla died, his popularity increased. Though he'd always been known, loved and respected within the Hip Hop community, the end of his life spelled a quest for his music as many sought to find who Dilla was.
Many fell in love with his music and he amassed quite a following. Claims of "Dilla changed my life" on Jay's videos, and constant quests for unheard or unexplored Dilla productions seem to characterize most Dilla-heads. For this reason, posthumous albums like The Shining and a re-release of Ruff Draft have come about, to satisfy the fans that have accrued after his passing.
Praise
Common
Busta Rhymes
?uestlove
Pete Rock
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