The Greatest Hiphop Producers Ever - Number 18

[On The Edge of Insanity]

18 – Jay Dee (Dilla)



Defining Track: Slum Village – Fall N Love

Whether you know it or not, you’ve bound to have heard a track produced by Jay Dee. Whether it be the off rhythm brilliance of Pharcyde’s “Drop”, Q Tip’s club banger “Breathe and Stop” or even his laid back remix to Janet Jackson’s “Got Til Its Gone” from track to track not many producers can show the quality and diversity of Jay Dee. Even Pharrell, when asked which producer he would most like to guest produce an NERD track didn’t think for a second before saying Jay Dee.

Coming up out of the Detroit area with high schools friends T3 and Baatin, the collective known as Slum Village recorded their debut album Fantastic Vol 1 in 1995. The record didn’t make much noise, but Jay Dee’s production obviously caught someone’s ear as in 1996 he went on to produce tracks for Keith Murray, Busta Rhymes, De La Soul, Tha Pharcyde, and along with Q Tip & Ali Shaheed (a collective known as the Ummah) all of Tribe Called Quest’s Beats Rhymes and Life album.

With Jay Dee’s now more widely recognized, Slum Village attracted the interest of the major labels, and their official debut Fantastic Vol 2 was released in 2000. Although not a major commercial success, the album received much critical acclaim, and Jay Dee’s production on the album was almost flawless. Almost concurrently with the Slum Village album, he also produced all but one of the tracks on Common’s Like Water for Chocolate as part of the Soulquarians (a collective including ?uestlove from the Roots and James Poyser), who also produced D’Angelo’s sophomore album Voodoo that same year. After Slum Village’s album release Jay Dee left the group, and went on to record his debut album Welcome 2 Detroit in 2001. The album saw the first appearance of fellow Detroit natives Frank N Dank who he went on to produce numerous tracks for on the first two albums. After the release of that album he changed his name to J Dilla, perhaps fed up with the confusion with Jermaine Dupri’s nickname, and wanting his own name more widely recognized. He has gone on to produce half the Jaylib collaboration album with Madlib, and has contributed tracks to releases by Talib Kweli, Common and MED since the name change, as well as producing one track on Slum Village’s most recent album.

Although belittled by health troubles over the last couple of years, it would appear that he is now back to full health again, and hopefully over the next couple of years we will see many new Dilla produced tracks, as there are few producers in hiphop who make beats or albums as interesting as J Dilla does.

20. Mark The 45 King
19. DJ Pooh

[Kill]

He´s dope, yeah. Another producer I´mnot sure I´d put in the top 20 myself, but I def like him

[Minkaveli]

makes my list.  Great producer.  Did almost all commons-like water for chocolate

[ecrazy]

U forgot to mention that he was on one of the dopest most slept on groups and albums ever - Jaylib with another great producer - Madlib! on the album  Champion sound

[On The Edge of Insanity]

U forgot to mention that he was on one of the dopest most slept on groups and albums ever - Jaylib with another great producer - Madlib! on the album  Champion sound

Hmm,

He has gone on to produce half the Jaylib collaboration album with Madlib, and has contributed tracks to releases by Talib Kweli, Common and MED since the name change, as well as producing one track on Slum Village’s most recent album.

[eazye]

Man, please, if you have the time, finish this list up.I'm sure there will be many people that would be interested in reading about each one of your choices 

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Totally forgot about this, I did have the rest planned out I think, I'll see if I can find the file and get it going again.

[ABN]

if you got these producers on the list so far Mike Dean better be on it lol.

[eazye]

...finish this list up. I'm sure there will be many people that would be interested in reading about each one of your choices

...and add links to your previous "top producer threads".
I'm not into J-Dilla,never felt him. Your number 19.Mark the 45 King was one my favorites years ago,the shit he did with Lakim Shabazz and Latifah was classic.

Raiders, Number 19 is DJ Pooh man.Here's the link

http://www.dubcnn.com/connect/index.php?topic=84789.0
 

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Links are on the original post for the other two

[ABN]

^you Knuckles?

[On The Edge of Insanity]

This is as far as I got before, need to continue it from 18 down now.

And no I'm not Knuckles, he's still around, think he posted in the Classic thread.

[Wessia4LiaNia Chieee Chieee]

Man, please, if you have the time, finish this list up.I'm sure there will be many people that would be interested in reading about each one of your choices 

word

[Big B]

Although belittled by health troubles over the last couple of years, it would appear that he is now back to full health again, and hopefully over the next couple of years we will see many new Dilla produced tracks,

lol

[mrceo]

I think Dilla should be higher than 18 but still good he got a spot