J Dilla

Andy_rse

Okay, this is something that has been bugging me for a while. For whatever reason I was never into this guy even though I felt like I should be. Everybody speaks so highly of him.

I guess I'm looking for somewhere to start, so fire away and post some youtube links of your favourites to fill me in on what I've been missing.

conor.hogan.2

Not overly impressed with him. Interest rocketed in him around 2006 onwards, when he died….

Andy_rse

Yeah I've heard bit and pieces but nothing really stood out and like I said everyone speaks highly of him so I want to give him a chance and don't want to be looking in the wrong places.

Bobby Baccala

One of my favourite producers, really soulful beats. I really got into his music when i started listening to tribe called quest, i'd been listening to his beats for about 3 months before i realised he was dead, Real shame, he's pretty fúcking good. So no, I'm not the type to like an artist purely because they're dead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLlZ7mjHPRs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQLngWdvxZs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Vh9TrF9tw

That's just a few of his beats off the top of my head, i hope you like them, he had a very unique sound

Raekwon

I'm not really a fan of instrumental albums so the only album I really liked from J Dilla was "The Shining".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hizl_SEn9dM

He was a fantastic producer though and is held in very high regards within the Hip Hop community and rightly so IMO.

Here a a few J Dilla produced tracks that I like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwPORIBUm30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URFE6erKbww

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eATZrHwNW7w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoCLF0Pvhe8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIQQhVBYxQ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR7kVnh3PlI

Not Hip Hop but I've always like this beat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6B66OC45BM

Andy_rse

Cheers. Definitely like his laid back/soulful stuff. And I did not know he produced Runnin'. You learn something new everyday!

Mickolution

Donuts is a fantastic album.

Raekwon

Andy_rse wrote: »

Cheers. Definitely like his laid back/soulful stuff. And I did not know he produced Runnin'. You learn something new everyday!

In that case Common's album 'Like Water for Chocolate' or Tribe's 'The Love Movement' would be a good start.

Bobby Baccala

Or try out "beats rhymes and life" by tribe, there's a lot of Dilla production on it.

conor.hogan.2

He has some nice beats he produced for others which I had no idea about (but had heard the songs 100's of times) I thought he had mostly instrumental stuff.

Boom_Bap

Andy_rse wrote: »

Cheers. Definitely like his laid back/soulful stuff. And I did not know he produced Runnin'. You learn something new everyday!

He produced a good bit of Labcabincalifornia.

Funnily enough, Mad Skillz turned down most all of the beats The Pharcyde took while he was recording 'From Where ?!??'

I'm really looking forward to the new Dilla record...Dillatroit or something like that. Mainly to hear some different artists over his beats. The song with Danny Brown is dope.
But, I wouldnt be a massive fan of his, I mean I like his stuff, but I dont hold it in such high regards as other producers.

I also like Donuts, mainly because they are short and snappy songs, Dilla's production doesnt really evolve over the course of a song, so intrumental-wise, it's nice not to hear songs drag out like what is done on Donuts.

Camac Hibs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdZK0HeYkwM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKJFOlLjjV0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STcgza9tnrc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHHMZSadCMs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVYza0NiWuU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s732BigTxZk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d52bPy7cnwQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f-pzi8n8Gc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWHBXJQ8fyQ

I rate him up just about up there with Pete Rock and Premier. I reckon his best work was on Common's Like Water for Chocolate, he produced just about all of it

Oleg Luzhny

Love this track from Jazzmatazz Vol.3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wNMchUqYUw

Seaneh

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

Not overly impressed with him. Interest rocketed in him around 2006 onwards, when he died….

He had been producing some of the greatest tracks in hiphop history for a decade before that and was considered one of the greatest producers in the world by people like Common, The Roots, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, The Pharacyde and countless others while also being a member of Slum Village.

Dilla is one of the greats, his death, like a lot of other rappers, got a lot of headlines and more listeners, but that doesn't mean that if he hadn't died, nobody would care about him, the man changed hiphop, simple as.

He was a ****ing genius and 6 years after his death his beats still haven't aged.

horsebox09

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRzRSCRZweY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTLz5fkHsOs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Nzq6AawpE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QVoEK1l4OI

Dilla's drum work was untouchable, his basslines were impeccable, he had so many styles, he was just an elite figure in hip hop

conor.hogan.2

Seaneh wrote: »

He was a ****ing genius and 6 years after his death his beats still haven't aged.

I did not know that he produced all those songs (several of my favourites too)

I thought the instrumental stuff he had was his biggest body of work (which while good was very meh imo) and this could not be farther from the truth as this thread has shown.

Bobby Baccala

I'm glad you've changed you're opinion on him conor, he really does deserve all praise he gets, the man could do things not many other producers could do.
And if im not mistaken i think i remember Kanye saying he was influenced by Dilla too.

mufcboy1999

unreal producer, so talented. Got into him around 2 years ago from a simple song posted here by someone, never looked back.

possibly one of my favorite ever beats full stop, just love it.

another personal one for me is raekwons tribute to ODB, never taught anyone could do that beat justice till i heard raekwon rap on it, straight from the heart, i think he done ODB and dilla proud on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snEYtHC9UmA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFaZ1NFPOS8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJtGqCyiMOA

horsebox09

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT2cHCI0szM

Another one of my favourite Dilla beats, love the drum loop

"I aspire to be as great as him" - Pharrell Williams, not bad praise

I hope Stones Throw master all Dilla's beat tapes someday and release them, although looks like they're content milking his legacy for years to come

Boom_Bap

This is the Danny Brown/J. Dilla song I mentioned earlier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjbSRDtlOdo

Danny Browns nasally squeaky voice sounds dope over this beat.

And listen to the beat in this preview for the new album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbAHzAAtdd8

Sick.

Andy_rse

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

I did not know that he produced all those songs (several of my favourites too)

I thought the instrumental stuff he had was his biggest body of work (which while good was very meh imo) and this could not be farther from the truth as this thread has shown.

That was my thoughts too, A lot of stuff I had heard and didnt even know it was him.

Cheers for the replies y'all!

conor.hogan.2

I wish more rappers shouted out the producers, as I am often too lazy to look it up.

VisualStats

One of my favourite producer!RIP!

iamstop

He was even making beat in hospital on his death bead. Dude never quit. Life quit him.

Plumpynutt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR6w37J5A5o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSn--s4Bj_M

Boom_Bap

This morning i threw on Donuts while having breakfast with the kids. They loved it.

narwhalthe

I love this tune. The first one I heard by him.

It's Dilla rapping.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVYza0NiWuU


edit: said it was dillas bro rapping in previous post. Actually Dilla rapping. Thanks to an other member for correcting me.

mufcboy1999

Just the resurrection of this thread has me wanting to bump dillas music tonight, havnt listened to him in ages. His music is so good , literally head and shoulders above most producers.

Bobby Baccala

This thread has me inspired to bump The Pharcyde for the morning, nice one!

narwhalthe

Brilliant! Stumbling upon this thread had me listen to that song again, so I linked it!

Seaneh

narwhalthe wrote: »

I love this tune. The first one I heard by him.

It's his bro rapping.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVYza0NiWuU

It's Dilla rapping, it's just his little borther Illa J in the video, he was like 17 or something at the time.