Dilla’s Delights

The impact of classical training and the individual pursuit of greatness on a musical scale is constantly debated among listeners. For every frame of reference and character forged through studying different genres and the scales of musical theory, there is always a more significant lesson to learn. Sometimes learning these variables allows musicians to break the rules and break them a lot. In 1973 Detroit conceived one of the most off-kilter and anti-generic producers, composers, and underrated rappers. J Dilla, Jay Dee or also known by his birth name, James Yancey, became a fulcrum for a new generation of producers and hip-hop synthesizers looking to invigorate production styles in a new way. Through his career trajectory, we can learn an insurmountable amount of information about the intrinsic factors of continued musical heritage and much more from the legacy he left after his untimely death.

Dilla grew up in Conant Gardens, a highly educated black neighborhood in the northeastern region of Detroit, Michigan. This land carries significant weight on US culture and racial integration history. Detroit Historical Society states, “The land on which the district is located once belonged to Shubael Conant, an abolitionist and the founder and first president of the Detroit Anti-Slavery Society in 1837” (“Conant Gardens Historic District”). This land was settled by middle-class African American families in 1928. These individuals fled the inner city to this area due to its lack of segregated land deed restrictions (“Conant Gardens Historic District”). Both of Dilla’s parents were musicians. His father, Beverly, was an instrumentalist who had piano and bass skills. Dilla’s mother, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancy, was a vocalist (Fitzpatrick). The influence of his parents would rub off immensely in his production samples and listening trends. His experience with a more classical sense of structure for composition gave him a firm understanding of utility and knowledge of what music structure could be.

Throughout his career, J Dilla was able to work with many respected and iconic hip-hop artists. Coming from a not very well-known area of Detroit, Dilla worked with and for many musicians in the 90s, including, The Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, De La Soul, Common, Slum Village, and D’Angelo, to name a few. His relationship with Q-Tip, one of the founders of the New York hip-hop group, A Tribe Called Quest, acted as a catalyst for many career connections. Q-Tip would introduce Dilla to many of the musicians cited prior, and, barring slight production credit issues, served as a long-standing friend. In the 00s, Dilla linked up with Madlib via Detroit record store manager, House Shoes, and Peanut Butter Wolf, one of Stones Throw Records’ founders. Although the initial timing for Dilla and Madlib to link up was not correct, as their set flight date was on September 11, 2001(Zo), they were still able to release a studio album together in 2003, Champion Sound. This solidified not only Dilla’s influence on the mainstream but also his reigns on the independent marksmen of the underground.

Although his career was cut short due to complications with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and lupus at age 32, he made the most of his years. His output and ability to give caused many licensing issues postmortem as there was a plethora of content he had distributed amongst friends through CDs for free. As is the case with the US healthcare system, he sadly also “racked up massive bills, sometimes up to a quarter of a million dollars” (Weiss). These bills were assisted in payment via his peers and collaborators throughout his extensive career. A mainstage actor in a country founded on racism and capitalism, J Dilla serves as a reminder that no matter how far you make it or how much you accomplish, there are certain harsh inevitable systematic realities. Fortunately, his contributions on a musical scale will always be remembered. His legacy is solidified by his MPC3000 being on display in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

While the heart of hip-hop music lies in its unique breakbeat and soul samples, the expression of the genre can be defined by the creativity of its artists. Few have maximized this expression as much as J Dilla did on his parting love letter to the world, Donuts. I argue that his final and 2nd studio album provides a unique perspective and revitalization into the genre he poured his heart and soul into. This soul poured out into those he influenced, whether they existed before him or followed long after. His ability to integrate classic hip hop themes and soul through a tape recorder on his death bed in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center stands as one of the most impressive feats of all time. Through this, he was able to integrate existing hip-hop songs and old classic songs to summarize the best parts of the genre, creating an almost perfect musical generation sandwich. The sample credits stretch far and wide and include A Tribe Called Quest, the Beastie Boys, and Run DMC. They also include disco, R&B, and soul musicians like The Trammps, Luther Ingram, The Jackson 5, and Dionne Warwick.

Although his musical training included vast amounts of instruments, his weapons of choice for recording Donuts was a Boss SP-303 sampler and a portable 45 rpm record player brought to him by Stones Throw Records (Pinkard). Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this endeavor comes from the limitations these technologies had and the amount of skill required to utilize this equipment. Anyone that produces music today can see the cadences and frequencies of the audio they record or sample through their digital audio workstation. Platforms like Ableton and Logic include ways to see the bumps, grains, and different frequencies in every sample of sound when you load your layers of tracks. Recording on a Boss SP-303 sampler, Dilla had none of these visualizations. His visual was whatever concept he could conceive in his head and vast imagination. Amazingly, he also did not utilize the practice of quantization either. This is a practice that automatically places drumbeats into the correct tempo. He instead opted to express them in his own way, often offbeat, giving them a much more authentically human sound (“How J Dilla humanized his MPC3000”). This practice is also cited by Questlove of The Roots as being an inspiration to his drumming techniques, further freeing his own personal expression on the kits.

45s are notoriously unforgiving, and the whole concept of recording an album while quite literally on your deathbed is insanely inspiring. Each sample expresses love for the genre he dedicated his life to and gives listeners a feel for his life journey. The different ways of integration and compression for his samples form a holistic project that, while only clocking in at around 43 minutes, provides listeners with a tremendous understanding of what hip-hop is and can be.

Through Donuts, Dilla bottled and unleashed the potential of a genre on the world. Released in 2006, the United States was throttling its energy into more forever wars in the Middle East. Unfortunately for everyone, cultural dynamics changed that day Madlib and Dilla could not meet in 2001. The zeitgeist of the time was becoming increasingly depressing, and the lives of immigrants and national opinions of them were increasingly dreary. Although the music created did not necessarily change these aspects of society, it influenced the next generation of great hip hop producers, eager to tell their stories through a platform that Dilla had solidified his legacy on. Through these experiences, we can understand more about our inspiring stories not just domestically, but also internationally. Dilla’s legacy stretches and surpasses the standard genre definitions and has grown to influence unexpected faces in unexpected places.

The absence of Dilla in the music world leaves a gaping hole. Without him, perhaps the artists he worked with in the 90s would have completely different career trajectories. Perhaps, Detroit loses a critical analysis of its history and the dynamics of hip-hop it has helped paint anew. Undoubtedly, some of the most prolific acts of this generation would not have been touched by the textures and possibilities promoted by Dilla’s music. Artists like Kanye West would lose one of their greatest citations of inspiration. Pop culture would have different fulcrums of foresight. A whole generation of hip-hop fans would lose knowledge of crucial samples.

Without the presence of J Dilla, the expression of sound for The Roots would be different. Artists like JPEGMAFIA, Jay-Z, Joey Bada$$, Q-Tip, Thundercat, and Phife Dawg would lose a massive bridge connecting the dynamics of a genre through generations. Iconic songs like Izzo (H.O.V.A.) could potentially not exist. The Blueprint may not even exist in the way that it does today. A world where Dilla never influenced music is a depressing one. The hierarchy of the underground and mainstream could look completely different. Artists that released prolific projects like Madvillainy, and The College Dropout could have looked and sounded like something else entirely. Without Dilla’s styles of influence, these projects could be like the soulless quantized songs with mechanical production styles we see in some of the mainstream music today. Detroit natives like Danny Brown have even stated that if “it wasn't for him, I don't think I'd take as many chances in my music that I do” (Woods).  

Dilla influenced musicians outside of the hip-hop world and inspired them as well. Artists like Daft Punk, who have become very well known for producing songs like Stronger by Kanye West, and Starboy with The Weeknd, may have never thought to touch the genre if Dilla never existed (Threadcraft). English indie rock musician, King Krule would lose songwriting citations and inspirations. He discusses learning about some of his personal influences through music that was “sampled by J Dilla and Madlib years and years and years ago” (Burke). Dilla provided a source of inspiration and a creative outlet for many who understood the core of his music, no matter where they came from, or what genre they expressed themselves through.

The fundamental lesson to take from his music that has transcended his unfortunate and untimely death seems to be that if there is a will, there is a way. The colors he brought through his unique sampling techniques to the music world are forever remembered and integrated into every generation that understands the music he crafted. Dilla’s Donuts acts as a bridge for this musical vessel to communicate, achieve, and succeed. 

Works Cited:

Burke, Cait Emma. “King Krule's Alive, Man.” Acclaim Magazine, Acclaim, 16 Mar. 2020, https://acclaimmag.com/music/king-krules-alive-man/.

Caswell, Estelle. “How J Dilla Humanized His MPC3000.” YouTube, Vox, 6 Dec. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SENzTt3ftiU.

Charnas, Dan. “How J Dilla Reinvented Rhythm.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/charnas-dilla-time-1286599/.

Egon, et al. “The Story behind Some of J Dilla's Greatest Productions: Stones Throw Records.” The Story Behind Some Of J Dilla's Greatest Productions | Stones Throw Records, Stones Throw/Fader, https://www.stonesthrow.com/news/the-story-behind-some-of-j-dilla-s-greatest-productions/.

“Encyclopedia of Detroit.” Detroit Historical Society - Where the Past Is Present, Detroit Historical Society, https://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/conant-gardens-historic-district.

Fitzpatrick, Rob. “J Dilla: The Mozart of Hip-Hop.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 27 Jan. 2011, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jan/27/j-dilla-suite-ma-dukes.

Pinkard, Ryan. “Rewind: Donuts by J Dilla | Tidal Magazine.” Tidal.com, Tidal, https://tidal.com/magazine/article/rewind-donuts-by-j-dilla/1-22212.

Schwartz, Danny. “The Timeless Appeal of j Dilla: Hip-Hop's Biggest Innovator.” Highsnobiety, Highsnobiety, 7 Feb. 2019, https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/j-dilla-legacy-tribute/.

Threadcraft, Torry. “Remembering the Time Daft Punk Enlisted J Dilla to Remix ‘Aerodynamic.’” Okayplayer, Okayplayer, 23 Feb. 2021, https://www.okayplayer.com/culture/daft-punk-j-dilla-remix.html.

Weiss, Jeff. “An Interview with J Dilla's Mother, Ms. Maureen Yancey.” LA Weekly, LA Weekly, 23 May 2019, https://www.laweekly.com/an-interview-with-j-dillas-mother-ms-maureen-yancey/.

Woods, Ashley C. “Remembering J Dilla: Danny Brown, Dale Earnhardt Jr.. JR, Big Sean and More Sound Off.” Mlive, Michigan Live, 10 Feb. 2012, https://www.mlive.com/entertainment/detroit/2012/02/remembering_j_dilla_danny_brow.html.

Zo. “Peanut Butter Wolf Recounts How J Dilla Met Madlib in New Interview.” Okayplayer, 24 Aug. 2020, https://www.okayplayer.com/music/listen-peanut-butter-wolf-stones-throw-j-dilla-madlib-interview-podcast.html.