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...

Earthquake in Haiti: Pondering the How and Why.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms;;Ephesians 6:12

Words escape me, for burdensome is the task that lie ahead. The responsibility to speak in a room full of deadly silence is unnerving and is best taken on by the outrageously bold or shockingly foolish...I consider myself neither. Only those I love and trust have heard me speak on my opinions of the earthquake in Haiti. The things I'm about to share, many will not like, for it seems to come from a dark space. Nonetheless, I tell you of the one thing I am sure, evil does exist and it abounds in our land. We ignore it until we are forced to acknowledge it's power compliments of a catastrophic event that leads us to once again "find" God. Evil is a regime, not to be viewed as one person, or one man, but a system, a network of disaster. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Haiti, with a total of 54, magnitude of 4.5 or greater aftershocks, has killed an estimated 200,000 people. The number of injured, homeless, and starving is far greater. Problems exist that go beyond status and rest at the meeting of basic needs such as water, food, and shelter. Whenever disaster strikes, two questions emerge...why and how?

Let's start with the "how." Everything that looks like a natural disaster does not have natural causes. There are recorded occurrences of earthquakes caused in India due to underwater construction on a tunnel that reaches to China. As we see, earthquakes can be caused by men. Venuzuelan President, Hugo Chavez has gone on record stating that this earthquake was not only caused by men, but more specifically by the United States, courtesy of the U.S. Navy. Chavez believes the U.S. Navy was testing tectonic weapons, known as HAARP weapons, which resulted in the destruction of Port-Au Prince. The day before the catastrophe, the U.S. Navy were occupying Haiti running what they have called "training drills" for disaster situations. It is a known fact that the United States has been engaged in research for years on how to effect the Earth's ionsphere and a few politicans have gone on record to express their concern that this research may result in a sort of "eco-type" terrorism. Now, Chavez has a reputation for being, for lack of better words a "loudmouth fool." However, there was also a Russian report released that stated the earthquake was caused by an experimental shockwave system ( http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/286296). There are ground witness accounts of people who heard an explosion prior to the earthquake...an explosion? Yes, an explosion. That's the how, anybody know why?

“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”--Martin Luther King Jr.







Many theories and explanations exist for why the United States would cause such an event in Haiti. Some say it was a mistake and was meant for Iran or Iraq while others see it as just another attempt to conquer and control land. Consider the founding of our great country, the robbery and slaughter executed upon the Native American people. Consider Africa, the raping of the land and it's people that still occurs today leaving what was once the greatest continent in the world cast into the mouth of hell to be devoured evermore. Consider Iraq, the bombs, missles, and ground attacks that have severed the limbs and captured the lives of many innocent children to attack an enemy with no face. Our legacy is a thirst for power so great that we spill blood on lands with no remorse. We strategically and schematically prey on the innocent, taking what we all should have a right to...freedom. Lastly, consider the well known but never popularized fact that disaster is big business...those in power profit much when land and people are overtaken by calamity. If anger is aroused, direct it not at me, I didn't write our history. I've stated the facts, do with them as you wish. There is definitely the other side of the fence that sees this as a tragically unfortunate event but natural occurrence. This could be true but in your judging, consider all things for "ignorance is the only real evil." Pray for the people of Haiti for the devastation caused to the nation will probably out live you and I if a miracle does not find its way to the Haitian people. Give to this cause because no matter what the "how and why" turns out to be, these are still human people in need and we are encouraged to be our brother's keeper. People of Haiti, may you find the strength you once showed to the world to conquer ALL. God Bless Haiti.