The Very Best of Dilla
So here it is; the very last Best Of, which for me is the best by far and means the most by quite a long way. James Yancey, aka J Dilla, is a Hip-Hop Producer/MC from Detroit who passed away in 2006 after suffering from a rare blood disease called TTP. After emerging from the underground Hip-Hop scene in the mid-1990’s he went on to work with some of the greatest artists within the genre and was behind some of the best material to be released in the past 15 years. His forward thinking production style, unique sampling technique and enchanting drums made for the most exceptional sound and allowed him stand out from every other producer out there. He was the producer/exec. producer on Like Water For Chocolate, Beats Rhymes & Life and Fantastic Vol 2, which are my 3 favourite Hip-Hop albums of all time - this says a lot about his influence. Some people will think that 100 tracks is over the top or too much, but it’s the only way to appreciate his genius and is just a sample of the 642 Dilla songs that I have in my iTunes. Throughout the past 6 years I have purchased about 80% of his work and am proud of the collection I have acquired for the musician who means more to me than any other ever has or ever will. In this Best Of there is solo work, production, features and tributes, which should all make for one of the most enjoyable listens in your entire life. I love this man so much and cannot explain how much I miss him. His music changed my life. I would like to thank everyone that has supported this series and I hope you have all enjoyed listening to them as much as I’ve enjoyed putting them together. Much love to each and every one of you. Tracklist and download link after the jump.
R.I.P. Jay Dee x