J. Dilla, We Remisnce Over You

photo courtesy of @franklanzkie


Oxygen is to Breathing as J Dilla is to Hip Hop...he gives her life. Fingers are to hands as J Dilla is to the MPC...his touch brought forth magic. Pain is to sadness as J Dilla's passing is to tears...his absence tugs at hearts. During this three day period between the last birthday James Yancey celebrated and his untimely death, hip hop reminisces on the love it had, as J Dilla was one of her most passionately skilled suitors. He committed his life unto her and served her with an unrelenting desire to make her organic, perserving her life giving, life sharing, life bearing, purity. J Dilla was an aficionado of soul and he procured a sound as sheer and silky as pantyhose against bare legs. He was known for his production work but he never secured commercialized popularity, as he cared very little about "branding" his music. The only way you would recognize a J Dilla production is via a trained ear...he cared most about impressing those who pay attention and don't require a name announcement to know who produced the track.



He began collecting vinyl at the age of 2 and was able to hear perfect pitch harmony at 2 months old, old soul ingenuity. Most of his music can be found on the underground and bootleg circuits as a great deal of his work was shelved by his former label, MCA. The repression of his sound by the majors caused Dilla to push his work to the Indies, in which he was able to acquire major distribution deals for quite a few of his albums. He is a former member of the group Slum Village and his sounds can be heard on Common, Tribe Called Quest, Pharcyde, and Busta Rhymes albums among many others. He experienced mainstream success for his production work on Janet Jacksons Grammy winning single "Got Til it's Gone." Dilla inspired many but his aim was to be like his idol, Pete Rock.


His love affair with music began to show signs of an end in 2003 when he suffered a significant amount of weight loss, forcing him to address his health issues. In 2005, during his tour in Europe, Dilla was wheelchair bound, yet his warriors heart couldn't keep him away from her. He later announced to the public that he had a rare blood disease known as Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. On February 10 2006, at the young age of 32, Dilla suffered cardic arrest which led to his heartbreaking death. His last album, Donuts, was released three days prior on February 7, 2006. While he and hip hop may be seperated, death will never do them part as the seeds he has planted in her live on. Dilla leaves behind a legacy comparable to 8 wonders of the world...if you didn't know, now you know. Check out some of my fave Dilla picks below. We miss you Dilla...