Jay Stay Paid is the best posthumous release ever, and I say that without fear of hyperbole. J Dilla is a national treasure to hip hop heads now, but he will go down in history as one of the greats, mainstream, underground, whatever. His leftovers are often better than his albums (besides Donuts) and in this case, fellow great Pete Rock puts together a full fledged album out of his scraps. The result is the best hip hop album so far this year. The best beats of the bunch have that quality that only Dilla can conjure: they're so good it almost makes you tear up, you miss him so much, even if you weren't a fan during his life. "Mythsysizer" is case in point, it's just beautiful and fleeting. "On Stilts," also known as "Smurfs on Shrooms" on other compilations, is more bumping yet has an ethereal quality that transcends hip hop. The whole thing is worth BUYING because the proceeds go to his mom, Ma Dukes, who's suffereing from the same type of lupus that took Dilla from us. It's worth it.
J Dilla (or Jay Dee), posthumously, has become known one of the most respected producers in the history of hip hop. Before his heartbreaking death due to a combination of Lupus and a rare blood disease called TTP, he was produced Busta Rhymes, Ghostface, A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, Common, De La Soul, Mos Def, and rapped on and produced his own hip hop collective Slum Village, and collaborated with Pete Rock (who he idolized) and Madlib, and also released solo records. Anyone who likes hip hop should know this cat because he's one of the heavies. His production style borrows from all over but typically relies on soul and jazz loops but his signatures are woozy basslines and drums that always have that satisfying thwack that is essential for good hip hop.
With anyone as diverse as Dilla, a primer is necessary and for this I recommend:
1.) The 2006 album Donuts- I can say, without fear of hyperbole, that this is easily one of the most creative things hip hop has ever been responsible for. The principal of the album is fragmented beats that are primarily based off loops but have more changes than you're typical hip hop instrumental. The songs flow into each other but you don't have much warning of what's gonna come next, it just hits you, you start grooving to it and- WHAM- next song. It's a headspinner at first but once you start digging it, you start to gain more and more respect for this guy. This album was a labor of love and will be his enduring masterpiece.
2.) The Pharcyde songs "Runnin" and "Drop" off 1995's Labcabincalifornia- Perhaps after the psychedelic experience of Donuts, you need some more proof that Dilla was the man. Look no further than these mid-90's classics. "Runnin" features the production techniques that he held until he passed away- a thumping bassline, odd African drum loops, and also adds in simple, down home guitar lines, a sax solo and the Pharcyde's rhymes. "Drop" is very bit it's equal in quality and features a trippy backwards synth (?) loop and another good bassline and drums that are higher and harder than those of "Runnin."
3.) The Busta Rhymes song "Woo Haa!! (Got You All In Check)- A cold classic of mid-90's hip hop and a hit on the radio too. You've probably heard this but in the context of the Dilla canon, it deserves another spin.
4.) The collaboration with Madlib, Jaylib, and their album Champion Sound- A perfect mathc, Madlib and Dilla both seemed to be coming from the same place sonically and their collaboration is mostly golden. At it's best it's some of the best work the two have ever done and at its "worst" its still better everything on major hip hop radio. They have loads of stoner-y battle raps and their production makes the best with the combines jazz influence and even touches on Madlib's Indian music fetish (especially "Survival Test").
5.) The Jaylib remix of Quasimoto's "Hydrant Game"- One of Dilla's all time best beats, put to Madlib's high-voiced alter ego. This is one of the most addicting songs I've ever come across and the rhyme fully does the beat justice.
Further studies: J Dilla- Ruff Draft, Slum Village- Fantastic Vol. 2 (actually any Slum Village is good but that's the best that Dilla produced), and the Ghostface Killah song "Whip You With a Strap" off 2006's Fishscale.
Here's a few samples but listen here- Normally I want you to get the albums I'm talking about by any means necessary but here's the deal- you need to buy at least Donuts. Since Dilla's death, his estate has not been getting hardly any money, even as his notoriety spread. Also complicating matters is that Dilla's mom, Ma Dukes as she's nicknamed, has also been battling lupus. So BUY some of this shit. You won't regret it- scouts honor!
Flying Lotus is a DJ from Los Angeles that creates warm, percussive loops of sound, meant for a sunny afternoon drive in the cuts or a bong sesh in a dank dungeon. His style recalls that of J Dilla or Madlib, yet takes on a very foreign/world music quality pretty often over the course of his debut LP "Los Angeles". If you like very dirty drum beats and have been needing a (mostly) instrumental album to trip out to, look no further as it is QUALITY. Much like Dilla and Madlib, Flying Lotus' style is very jazz oriented with a penchant for looping ethereal stuff and creating a lush atmosphere, then ripping out the rug from under you and switching it up to something to get you grinding. Here's his trippy-in-a-cough-syrup-bender-kinda-way remix of the already wacko Lil Wayne jam "A Milli." (Right Click to Save)
Eric Wareheim of Adult Swim's "Tim and Eric Awesome Show: Great Job!" fame, made the best music video of 2008, in my opinion with his take on Lotus' "Parisian Goldfish". This video is so wild and dirty it got banned from YouTube. Fuck that! This is gold!
Posts
