“Dilla. He wasn’t just a producer, he was the best producer.” Busta Rhymes (2007).
Volume 2 from much missed hip-hop producer, J Dilla, is comprised of little-known remixes by the artist who sadly passed away in 2006. With an innate ability to manipulate beats, this relaxed selection of 11 tracks sees Jay Dee messing with artists such as Busta Rhymes, The Pharcyde, De La Soul and DJ Cam rendering them practically unrecognisable from the originals.
Opener ‘Stakes is high’ featuring Mos Def is an absolute treasure: hearing the MC now famed for average film appearances back in his glory days as the dapper rapper he really was is a nostalgic delight. Similarly ‘Whoo Ha’ has been stripped of its intensity and dropped into a fizzing bath of jazz where it comes out smelling fresher than ever. Listening to this compilation, the listener gets the impression that Dilla never let anything out of his hands until his upper body swelled rhythmically in and out of time to the beat.
Though this anthology won’t offer much to the dusty-fingered, crate-digging obsessives and whether or not label !K7 is guilty of exploiting the legend surrounding the man himself or not; this is an enigmatic slice of of hip-hop to play after a night out, hunkered down in a room with your favourite people.
Dillanthology 2 is released on June 22nd (Rapster Records)