WE STILL MISS YA DILLA
A year has passed since the world of Hip-Hop lost one of its most praised yet unknown producers, Jay Dilla. For a man who had as much dedication to his craft as Dilla, it still saddens me to know that most people don’t know how much influence he has had over much of Hip-Hop today, from 9th Wonder, Sa-Ra, The Roots, Common, Kanye, just to name a few. Even during his final days at Cedar Sinai, Dilla continued on with his craft. Only time will tell if he will achieve the wide respect and reverence that he truly deserves, beyond just the Hip-Hop purists.
This week has been unofficially become J Dilla week, with numerous events commemorating his legacy taking place in many cities. Lounges, night clubs, and radio shows have been devoted to playing nothing but the vast discography that James Yancey had left behind. Lets take a moment to reflect on the soundtrack he provided to my life and to the lives of many other Hip-Hop heads.
Some more tributes to the man:
Prefix Mag: Remembering Jay Dee
Soul Sides: J Dilla: Still Dunking Donuts
Older but still timeless:
Melatone Music: 5 Reasons Jay Dee is in the Pantheon + Beat Tracks
Words on J Dilla by Talib Kweli
Some audio:
Carlos Nino & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson - Nag Champa
I spotted this one on the the Okayplayer boards. A orchestral tribute that some guys named Carlo Nino and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson arranged that is in sync with the instrumental and vocal arrangements of one of my favorite J Dilla beats, Common’s “Nag Champa.” This is pretty damn amazing.
And a podcast of J Rocc’s “Thank You Jay Dee, Act 2″
RIP to the real Jay Dee
-Ninoy Brown