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Its my belief that you should write about things that you love or things you like to do. My favorite hobby, listening to music. I like the beat more than lyrics because it brings out the creativity for the lyricist. I’ve rarely saw someone write a rhyme without a beat. I’m not saying its impossible, just rare. There have been many great producers who’ve been able to help propel artists to the top of the Billboard charts, hence reasoning for producers making albums. Beat junkies like Timbaland, The Neptunes, and Kanye West have dominated the charts, but only one producer has earned the respect of so many, even after his death.  James Dewitt Yancey aka J Dilla.


J Dilla’s music was amazing. He’d take some of the simplest sounds and samples and make them sound as if he was orchestrating a 20 piece band. It was the type of music that made most people make an ugly face when they heard it. No, not an ugly face expressing dislike, more like an ugly face because you weren’t able to express the joy your soul felt while hearing the music come out of the speakers. There no true way of describing a Dilla beat. Listening to Dilla beats is an experience… It’s not an ordinary thing! Many of you have had the chance to experience such pleasure and may not have realized it because Dilla was behind the boards.

Dilla has worked with the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, De La Soul, Common and tons of other backpacking emcees. Sure, Dilla dabbled in some commercial music with the likes of Janet Jackson but, he was the king of the underground. If you listen to Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Pete Rock and JD’s own group Slum Village, then you know what I’m talking about. I don’t know Dilla’s whole discography because he still has more beats to serve up to thousands emcees but I do know the beats I’ve heard have been implanted in my head. My favorite beats are “E=MC2” and “Players” in which he samples Clair by The Singers Unlimited, slows the sample down and makes the word “clair” sound like “player”. Its ingenious!!


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