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J Dilla

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J Dilla

James Dewitt Yancey (February 7 1974–February 10 2006), better known as J Dilla or Jay Dee, was an acclaimed hip-Hop producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground Hip-Hop scene in Detroit, Michigan. He began his career as a member of the group Slum Village, and was also a driving force in the production trio The Ummah. Yancey started his career under the name Jay Dee (based on his initials) but used the name J Dilla from 2001 onward. Many critics believe J Dilla's work to have had a major influence on his peers[1] and that he embodied the neo soul sound, playing a defining yet understated role during the sub-genre's rise (roughly from the mid-90s to the early 2000s). J Dilla was often dubbed "your favorite producer's favorite producer," and was highly regarded by mainstream artists and producers such as Common, Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest, Just Blaze, Busta Rhymes, Pharrell Williams, and ?uestlove.[2]

Biography

Early life

J Dilla was the second oldest of four children including an older brother (Earl), a younger brother (Johnny, otherwise known as Illa J), and a younger sister. The family lived in a house situated near McDougall and East Nevada, off E. 7 Mile in Detroit.[3] He developed a vast musical knowledge from his parents (his mother, Maureen, is a former opera singer, his father was a jazz bassist). At a young age, he began acquiring a large collection of records which inspired him to learn multiple instruments. He had developed a passion for emceeing, and formed a rap group called Slum Village with schoolmates T3 (R.L. Altman), and Baatin (Titus Glover) at Pershing High School. He had also taken up beatmaking, using a simple tapedeck as the center of his studio. [4]Dilla would soon perfect this rugged, unmastered sound and earn a loyal following with Hip-Hop connoisseurs.

Early career

In 1992, he met experienced Detroit musician Amp Fiddler, who was impressed by what Jay Dee was able to accomplish with such limited tools. Amp Fiddler let Jay Dee use his MPC, which he learned quite quickly. In 1995, Jay Dee and MC Phat Kat formed 1st Down, and would be the first Detroit hip hop group to sign with a major label (Payday Records) - a deal that was ended after one single when the label folded. That same year he recorded The Album That Time Forgot with 5 Elementz (a group consisting of the late Proof, Thyme and Mudd).

By the mid 1990s Jay Dee was known as a major hip-hop prospect, with a string of singles and remix projects, for Janet Jackson, Pharcyde, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip's solo album and others. The majority of these productions were released without his name recognition, being credited to The Ummah, a production collective composed of Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and later Raphael Saadiq of Tony! Toni! Toné!. Under this umbrella, Jay did some of his most big name R&B & Hip Hop work, churning out original songs and remixes for Janet Jackson, Busta Rhymes, Brand New Heavies, Something For the People, trip-hop artists Crustation and many others. This all came off the heels of Jay handling the majority of production on The Pharcyde's album Labcabincalifornia, released in the holiday season of 1995. Jay Dee's largest-scale feat came in 1997 when he contributed production work on Janet Jackson's hit single "Got Til It's Gone" from The Velvet Rope album. However any buzz that could have been built for Jay Dee and/or further buzz for The Ummah collective was deadened when the song was mysteriously credited to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in the liner notes for the album.

Performing career

2000 marked the major label debut of Slum Village with Fantastic, Vol. 2, creating a new following for Jay Dee as a producer and an emcee. He was also a founding member of the production collective known as The Soulquarians (along with Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, D'Angelo and James Poyser amongst others) which earned him more recognition and buzz. He subsequently worked with Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, and Common - contributing heavily to the latter's critically acclaimed breakthrough album, Like Water for Chocolate.

His debut as a solo artist came in 2001 with the single "Fuck the Police", followed by the album Welcome 2 Detroit, which kicked off U.K. Independent record label BBE's "Beat Generation" series. In 2001, Jay Dee, began using the name "J Dilla" (an attempt to differentiate himself from Jermaine Dupri who also goes by "J.D."), and left Slum Village to pursue a major label solo career with MCA.

2002 saw Dilla producing the entirety of Frank-N-Dank's 48 Hours, as well as a solo album, but neither record was ever released, although the former did eventually surface through bootlegging.[5]When Dilla finished working with Frank-N-Dank on the 48 Hours album, MCA Records requested a record with a larger commercial appeal, and the artists re-recorded the majority of the tracks, this time using little to no samples. Despite this, neither versions of the album saw the light of day, and Dilla expressed he was disappointed that the music never got out to the fans.

Dilla was signed to a solo deal with MCA Records in 2002 and completed an album in 2003.[6][7] Although Dilla was known as a producer rather than an MC, he chose to rap on the album and have the music produced by some of his favorite producers[8] such as Madlib, Pete Rock, Hi-Tek, Supa Dave West, Kanye West, Nottz, Waajeed and others. The album was shelved due to internal changes at the label and MCA folding into Geffen Records.[9] In a 2007 video interview, Dilla's friend DJ House Shoes alluded to the possibility of the MCA album finally seeing an official release through Stones Throw Records in the future.

While the record with MCA stalled, Dilla recorded the uncompromising Ruff Draft, released exclusively to vinyl by German label Groove Attack.[10] Although the album was little known, it signaled a change in sound and attitude, and his work from this point on was increasingly released through independent record labels. In a 2003 interview with Groove Attack, Dilla talked about this change of direction:

You know, if I had a choice, skip the major labels and just put it out yourself man... Trust me. I tell everybody it's better to do it yourself and let the Indies come after you instead of going in their [direction] and getting a deal and you have to wait, it ain't fun, take it from me. Right now, I'm on MCA but it feels like I'm an unsigned artist still. It's cool, it's a blessing, but damn I'm like, 'When's my shit gonna come out? I'm ready now, what's up?'

Later years

LA-based Producer and MC, Madlib, began collaborating with J Dilla, and the pair formed the group Jaylib in 2002, releasing an album called Champion Sound in 2003. J Dilla relocated from Detroit to LA in 2004 and appeared on tour with Jaylib in Spring 2004.

J Dilla's illness and medication caused dramatic weight loss in 2003 onwards, forcing him to publicly confirm speculation about his health in 2004. Despite a slower output of major releases and production credits in 2004 and 2005, his cult status remained strong within his core audience, as evident by unauthorized circulation of his underground "beat tapes" (instrumental, and raw working materials), mostly through internet file sharing. Articles in publications Urb (March 2004) and XXL (June 2005) confirmed rumors of ill health and hospitalization during this period, but these were downplayed by Jay himself. The seriousness of his condition became public in November 2005 when J Dilla toured Europe performing from a wheelchair. It was later revealed that he suffered from TTP, a rare blood disease, and possibly Lupus.[11]

J Dilla died on February 10, 2006, three days after his 32nd birthday at his home in Los Angeles, California. According to his mother, Maureen Yancey, the cause was cardiac arrest.[12] His last album, Donuts was released 3 days earlier, on February 7, 2006.

Posthumous releases

Upon his death, Dilla had several albums planned for future completion and release.

The Shining, "75% completed when Dilla died"[13] was completely posthumously by Karriem Riggins and released on August 8, 2006 on BBE Records.

Ruff Draft was reissued as a double CD/LP set in March 2007, and is sometimes considered his third solo album. The reissue contains previously unreleased material from the Ruff Draft sessions and instrumentals. Most notably, it was also released in a cassette tape format, paying homage to Dilla's dirty, grimy sound (he was known for recording over unmastered, untracked instrumentals)

Jay Love Japan, was announced during Dilla's lifetime as an instrumental EP. Previously released only in Japan, it was announced with an official release date at different times in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, with a track list containing two songs with vocals added after his death. The official release date remains unresolved and unofficial at this time, despite the fact that there are websites claiming to sale the album.

Champion Sound, J Dilla's and Madlib's collaboration album, was reissued in June 2007 by Stones Throw Records as a 2CD Deluxe Edition with instrumentals and b-sides. He also has three tracks on the 2K Sports NBA 2K8 Soundtrack.

Dillagence, a mixtape of previously unreleased tracks featuring Busta Rhymes and Dilla's production was released in November 2007. Busta was one of Dilla's most passionate supporters; on the mixtape, Busta says that, though Dilla's name is not listed in every Busta album, he did in fact contribute to every solo Busta album. The compilation was made free for download from MickBoogie.com.

"Modern Day Gangstaz", a song featuring The Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes and Labba, which originally turned up on a mixtape in the late 90s, eventually surfaced in full form in 2007. The song was produced for B.I.G.'s 1997 Life After Death.[14]

Legacy

In May 2006, J Dilla's mother announced the creation of The J Dilla Foundation.

In February 2007, a year after his death, J Dilla posthumously received the Plug Award's Artist of the Year as well as the award for Record Producer of the Year.[15]

On the newest album by Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), she co-wrote a song with Questlove as a tribute to Dilla titled "Telephone." It is based on a story Dilla's mother told to Badu about Dilla's visions before his passing. [16]

Like many artists who die young, Dilla's greatest public exposure came because of his death. His untimely death left a deep hole in the hip-hop community, who united as a result. Besides countless tribute tracks and concerts, Dilla's death created a wealth of interest in his remaining catalog, and consequently, Dilla's influence on hip-hop production became more apparant.

Some argue that the Nas album Hip Hop Is Dead is an indirect reference to Dilla's passing.

Discography

Main article: J Dilla discography
Wikiquote has quotations related to J Dilla.

Official sites

Articles

Interviews

References

  1. ^ NPR: Hip-Hop Producer, Rapper Jay Dee AKA J Dilla
  2. ^ allmusic ((( Jay Dee > Biography )))
  3. ^ Let it roll (Metro Times Detroit)
  4. ^ allmusic ((( Jay Dee > Biography )))
  5. ^ http://www.grooveattack.de/distribution/artist_add.php3?artistid=85&interpret=Jay+Dee&title=Jay+Dee+Interview&label=
  6. ^ http://www.grooveattack.de/distribution/artist_add.php3?artistid=85&interpret=Jay+Dee&title=Jay+Dee+Interview&label=
  7. ^ Liner notes by Ronnie Reese, "Ruff Draft" (2007)
  8. ^ J Dilla "Ruff Draft" (2007), liner notes
  9. ^ Liner notes by Ronnie Reese, "Ruff Draft" (2007)
  10. ^ Liner notes by Ronnie Reese, "Ruff Draft" (2007)
  11. ^ Detroit Free Press February 23, 2006
  12. ^ James Yancey, Producer Known for Soulful Hip-Hop, Dies at 32 - New York Times
  13. ^ Detroit Free Press, June 29, 2006
  14. ^ ICEDOTCOM: Search results for dilla
  15. ^ Band Of Horses, J Dilla Reap PLUG Awards
  16. ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/alternativesreviews/archive/2008/02/26/19346437.aspx

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