J Dilla For Life (xxl magazine+ Questlove list of dilla's best productions )

[Elano]

J Dilla For Life

Getting ready for this blog I was in deep thought to come up with something wordy and introspective, but the music took over and I’m gonna hit it like this: J Dilla is the greatest.

I’m the biggest stan for Q-Tip. Most in my circle know he can do no wrong. Aside from making classics with Tribe, Tip’s biggest contribution to the game may very well be introducing J Dilla to the masses. When I was associate music editor for XXL, word spread about this group out of the D named Slum Village. I loved how they had a tribe reference in their name. Just for that, I knew they would be dope.

Even with the underground society already abreast of the trio (Fantastic Voyage Vol. 1 is classic status), when they were trying to get in the main game, it took a by myself drive in South Carolina (was a few hours long) to really understand the illness that is the Slum Village Fantastic Voyage Vol. 2 album with the soul sounds provided by Dilla. With all the amazing work to come from him in the years that followed, I am still connected to that project. How many albums you own (not songs, I’m talking albums) that instantly transport you to a trying time? Since the majority of that album was about baggin’ chicks, sexin’ chicks, dissin’ chicks, lovin’ chicks, breakin up with chicks, I could relate. I was going through all of that and Dilla’s grooves were the sonic backdrop to my mental untangling of various events with women at the time, as I drove for what seemed forever.

From then on, my ears would perk up whenever a dope beat would knock. I’d go down the list. “Did Premo, Pete, Large Pro, or Dilla, do it?” He snuck in my top tier of hip-hop produces with ease. Fast forward to Donuts coming out in ‘06, I once again found myself on a road trip with his music. This time rolling from L.A. to Vegas in the middle of the night with my boys Adell (West Coast Editor of KING Magazine) and Murph (senior associate editor of VIBE Magazine) for A’s b-day night out. We kept that album on repeat for the four hours going and much of the four hours going back. I rocked it so much that it became the album I would write a few stories to when I needed inspiration.

Questlove did an amazing myspace post awhile back on the greatness of Dilla’s production. This list has stuck with me since I first read it in ’06. Aside from the acute detail and memory that Quest is known for, the exact mention of these musical gems makes me go to the said tracks just to experience what Quest is praising so much. If you have an afternoon to fill up you should see how many of these you can hear, quite astounding.

To sum up his influence on the game is to see the abundance of mixtapes, parties, songs, t-shirts and such that comes out on the regular in honor of his name, fame and musical acclaim (I shoulda been a rapper). Too many direct things to list, as well as take to task the ones that mean well but don’t kick back some bread (if they make any) to his Moms or estate that helps his kids. There is one in particular that is Ma Dukes Yancy approved and assists in providing funds to his fam and it’s an album on Mochilla Records titled Suite For Ma Dukes.

You can cop the EP right now at iTunes to help Ma Dukes Yancy, who is suffering from the same health issues that claimed Dilla’s life, and get that warm and fuzzy feeling of doing something good in the world. The EP (with album to come in April) by Carlos Nińo & Miguel Atwood Ferguso is for us music heads that can appreciate the sound of hip-hop beats being converted to orchestrated melody.

As I was writing this I was finding mad Dilla joints I never heard. My today fave being “Fly Girl“, the dope shit is how simple the tumbling piano loop is against that pap-pap drum pattern. I also went to Twitter to see what some of the people’s favorite Dilla beats are…here’s a few from the following fam:

Dipan Vadgama says “Doonit” off Like Water for Chocolate
Young H Radio says The Pharcyde singles, “Show Me What You Got”
Chuck Anderson says Slum Village’s “Climax”, Tribe’s “Find My Way”
Dre’ of onustees.com says “Oblighetto”, “Players” “Gobstopper”, “Forth and Back” and “Go Ladies”
Sean Beauford says “The Look of Love pt. 1”
Jbizjerzup says “Love Jones”
Roknowledge says “The Red” Jaylib album
DertyDen says “The New” and “Anti-American Graffitti”
RobtheMusicEd says “Climax” or De La’s “Stakes is High”
Jackpot says “Climax,” “Get Dis Money” from SV, “Don’t Nobody Care About Us from Phat Kat, “Runnin” from Pharcyde and “Little Brother” from Black Star
Marcusrespekt says “Get Dis Money”
Fuseboxradio says Slum Village’s “Players”

And I say
“Untitled/Fantastic”
“Let’s Ride”
“Believe in God”
“Won’t Do”
“One Eleven”

And we won’t even go into him as a rapper…but check his little brother Illa J out.

For y’all that’s familiar with his work, what’s your fave Dilla joints?

J Dilla's best productions according to Questlove

1. the kicks on pharcyde's "Bullshit" 2. the piano loop on pharcyde's "Runnin" 3. the chopping of herbie hancock's chords on "fantastic pt 1" 4. the whole idea of "i don't know" 5. those chords on "fat cat song" mixed with "turn off the lights" "oohs ahhs and say!" 6. the synchopated stutter kicks he programmed t3's "when you grip the mic biy you wack as hell..." 7. the background pattern on "the look of love" 8. the bill evans rhodes on "hoc and pocky" 9. the drum pattern sloppppppily displayed mastery on "beej n dem" 10.the clever use of "....(glasses clank) ....friday the 13th....." on beej en dem 11.the chopping of "fly like an eagle" on "Fantastic 2" 12. synchopated use of words as percussion on "fantastic 2 and 3" 13. the odd count pattern on "fantastic 3" 14. manipulating the unlimited singers "claire" to say "players" 15. the chord structure of "Pregnant" 16. the rhyme pattern of "things u do" (remix) and 17 the mangling of "jonez in my bonz" for "things you do" remix 18.the use of the floor tom in "hold tight" 19.HIM LETTING ME DRUM ON "TELL ME" LOL 20.marrying al b's "night and day"/"fly like an eagle" 21. the "is it all over my face" drums on "forth and back" 22.FALL IN LOVE is in my top 10 songs of all time. 23 Get Dis Money is in top 100 of all time 24.Raise it Up's marriage of Clinton (Drums) and Synth (daft punk) 25.the Kalimba in "Once Upon a Time" 26.His mangling of "Jonez In My Bones" and grabbing the "she's always in my hair" drums which is IMPOSSIBLE 27.Cb4's congos and choked cymbal work 28.Go Ladies flip of "holding you and loving you" 29. the kickwork on "Get Together" 30. the drunk programing on tribe's "wordplay" 31. the nerve of him freaking the carpenters on "straight boss hog" 32. the "just drunk enough to work" cat and mouse chase of the snare and kick on "fly girl" (send one of your love) mix 33. turning that song from anthrax (some live song) and turning it into the "long red" break on the "beej en em" remix. 34. his fake ass modesty when i told him his use of roy ayers "love from the sun" in slum's "the worlds full of sadness" was the ultimate. he shrugged and took it off Fantastic Vol 2 and replaced it with "Fall in Love" 35. Turning Sly's "in TIme" into an intense funk workout on "stupid ass lies" 36. the "winter challenge" when he made me pick a "useless" record and his gurantee that he would make a miracle out of it. the record: "give it to me baby" rick james, the freak: slowed the intro down and manipulated it into what later became: common's "doin it". 37. finding that loop (tony allen "aisko") for common's "heat"--and rash never ever finding the one. 38.Me telling you and com how much i thought "the light" was not "exciting enough!" and dilla could do something "a little better" (lol)....and yall STILL finished that song behind my back. (lol!!!!!!!!!!) 39.taking "Funky For You" and showing me how any 4/4 song can now be freaked in 12/8 meter. 40.the extended version of "Time Traveling". how i thought pino was playing bass and to my surprise when i left the drum booth james was on organ, d was on triton, melena was on percussion (she was in town with macy gray), roy was on trumpet, and pino was eating his food!!!! YOU played bass!!!!!! 41.of course "a film called pimp" was funky....but the magic was in the bill summers interlude that followed that i saw you freak. 42. you not getting mad at me when i took "afrodisiac" reels and reversed em so that jef lee johnson could do all that backwards stuff. 43. you, d and james adding the last burst of climax on that same song in the last :06 seconds with the most visual arpeggio bloom i've heard in my then 29 years. that right there was the most touching finish of any song i ever worked on. 44.you taking gil scott heron's udetetectable piano loop and turning it into "thelonius"---to this day i dont know how you heard that loop in your head. cause to hear it on Gil's album i woulda NEVER thought to freak it like that. 45. your homemade "time compression" trick for ensuring that "the payback" would be in the same key and rhythm as the key to "payback is a grandmother". being the pathetic peon of an executive producer i was i told com and you on the phone that "idea cant work cause the notes wont match"....you never once told me "NIGGA SHUT THE FUCK UP!!! DONT YOU KNOW THAT I AM YOUR GOD?!?!?!?" 46. the swirl of a circus sound in the chorus of "certified" on guru's joint. 47. the bass drag on bilal's "reminisce" 48. you cloning primo to the bone on phat kats "dedication to the suckers" 49.the first 10 seconds (with "flub flub flub Love luh luh ") part on "microphone master"--not to mention that guitar loop is killer. 50. my FAVorite loop of yours: "Don't Nobody Care About Us" phat kat 51. the use of marvin's HISSSHHSHISSSH out of the word "sister" in common's "love is" 51. the interlude from that animated cartoon that gave us Jaylib's "the stars" 52. the snaps on that "Your Shitting On My Name Girl" are your best snaps ever. 53. the moog action on Busta's "Turn Me Up Some" 54. You manglin the shiiiiit outta Andy Lore's "Mixed Drums" bassline on that "UUH!" demo. 55. My favorite "Look Of Love" flip was the Dizzy Gillespie one ("duh dooo....doo-doo") 56. The Bill Summers flip you gave us for Com's "Pimp" song was sooooo what the doctor ordered...and when i told you "this is too good to waste for just a 23 second interlude"....you laughed and shrugged like..."oh i got others" touche nigga....you did. 57. remember the french horn loop you originally made for Com's "funky for you"?---but you still added that sample to the updated version that wound up on the album? i still love the shit outta that original demo. 58. i sooooo wanted to come outta my rapping retirement and spit over that "suppose shit never takes me by the hand....suppose i never find that promise land" joint. and your friggin ass only put it on our beat tape for 15 seconds. ass! lol. 59. you made Toshi's "nothing but your love" in an hour...ran to the detroit music festival---and let me hear what you did to my original. made my version sound like utter shit.--you and frank all day kept mocking his japanese soul-lib ("rwell...rwell..rwwwweeeell"---that was the funniest shit ever) 60. i've had that gentle giant album for eons and never heard that "Look at my Friends" loop. 61. ...and speaking of which...how did you get the patience to catch roger's "do you really want to hear my max-xass baby?" 62. the 3 layered kicked programming on "Raw Addict" just might be better than "Wordplay". 63. curtis mayfield grunting and exhaling on "we must be in love" is so fucking clever. that is the only way you can hear how you chopped the shit outta it. 64. your love is good almost made pino shed a tear. how you flipped that bass is a fucking miracle. NO ONE can channel the ghost of jamerson programming like you did. 65.....speaking of curtis...that "can't you see....." shit. man. (shakes head) 66. tariq thought you were giving him his own personal anthem for "history" ("it's tariq")....again just like "we must be in love" and "love is" this new method of catching singers inhale and exhaling is some amazing shit (from "history" to "hi--ss--to--ry" to "sssstreee" to "ss-sss-ss "ree" 67. the night i played dangelo "a bad situation for dangleo he coulda sworn that was an omen for you. i mean he had dreams about it and everything. said he couldn't listen to it cause it haunted him just like "heard it through the grapevine"---i wasn't all that scared cause AGAIN....you chopping up words and shit with this pause tape grunt exhale style. 68. what the hell wuz you thinking on "dollar circulate" (yeyeyeyeyeyeyeeeyeyeyeyeeeeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeeeyeyeyeyeeeyeeeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeeyeyeyeyeeeeyeeee-ahyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeye) 69. the gunshot "a marvelous bunch of niggers" scene from spook/door that leads into that deranged house beat. wins EVERYTIME i play it in the club. and that hi hat stutter shit is perfecto!. 70. how in the hell were you able to make a clear breakbeat out of james brown's "my thing" when james was talking ALL OVER THAT SHIT?!?!?? who has the patience to count milla seconds and program that shit? who!?!? everybody i play that break for knows its IMPOSSIBLE to find open space on that joint ("FELLAAS?! YEAAAAH! "A BRAND NEW FUNK!"....TELL US ABOUT IT "A BRAND NEW FUNK" ALLLRAIGHT "THIS THE WAY YOU DO IT...WALK UP AND RAP DO IT....PUT YOUR HAND ON HER LOWER LEFT ARM....") okay for those that don't get it? see that dialouge above? see the space of blue in between each letter? well he gathered up about what sounds like 60 trilla seconds (the space in between the letters of the "FELLAS?!? YEAAAAH" dialogue and made a break out of it. why? because he wanted to let us know that even in a hospital bed he can STILL out think us. 71. the playcount for the dancin machine "Move" (aka make michael throw up) beat on my itunes is still number one at 759 plays. that should say it right there. these are songs that built my career. more to come.

[NotoriousTDA]

much respect. Dilla beats go hard. Its too difficult to pick my top 5

[thisoneguy360]

much respect. Dilla beats go hard. Its too difficult to pick my top 5

No doubt, picking a top 5 Dilla is like drowning a fish in water

[Lord Funk]

I was never a huge fan of Dilla. Simply because I didn't hear much of his work. And then dude passed away and it felt cheap to suddenly start listening just because of his untimely death, so I didn't. But reading Questlove's blog at the bottom there just makes we want to hear all these beats. Maybe I need to show my respect and start checking some old Dilla tunes.

[Hey Ma]

he makes good beats but i'm sick of people on his dick constantly (mostly crackers, no big deal, just saying), but he didn't "change my life" or any of that shit. un-quantized drums aren't enough to make me a believer in him being the next jesus.

[MediumL]

i aint got lie ive never been a big fan of j dillas productions but rip anyway

[Elano]

he makes good beats but i'm sick of people on his dick constantly (mostly crackers, no big deal, just saying), but he didn't "change my life" or any of that shit. un-quantized drums aren't enough to make me a believer in him being the next jesus.

you are messed up in the head,for real 

[Hey Ma]

he makes good beats but i'm sick of people on his dick constantly (mostly crackers, no big deal, just saying), but he didn't "change my life" or any of that shit. un-quantized drums aren't enough to make me a believer in him being the next jesus.

you are messed up in the head,for real 

and i eat babies, what?