The late, great J Dilla is rightly celebrated as one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time, in part because his ear for music was so diverse and expansive. From the smooth, soulful sound beds he laid down for A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village, The Pharcyde, Common, The Roots, and D'Angelo to the hard-edged, synth-heavy tracks he crafted for Busta Rhymes, Jaylib, Oh No, and Phat Kat, Jay Dee's music continued to grow and evolve throughout his brief time on this planet. As Dilla's mother Ma Dukes explains, "He didn't come with a limited capacity, and real producers produce, produce, and produce. "There are no formats for genius workers... just non-stop creations." Now, a fresh batch of those creations will be made available to the world for the first time, in the form of the latest official J Dilla release, Dillatronic. Presented by Ma Dukes and compiled by DJs Alien Villainz (fellow Detroit natives who worked closely with Dilla), Dillatronic contains over 40 rare instrumentals that showcase Dilla's undeniable electronic influences. J Dilla's music was impacted by the diverse musical history of Detroit - the birthplace of Techno and one of the most important cities in the history of electronic music. "You can hear it in songs like 'Raise It Up' for Slum Village or 'Make It Hurt' for Busta Rhymes," says Young RJ (Dilla's protégé and member of Slum Village). "The Detroit influence is part of what gave him an edge in production." With today's music sounding more electronic than ever, Dillatronic has a shockingly contemporary feel. "These tracks are still ahead of their time sonically," explains RJ. "The things producers are doing now, Dilla did that 15 years ago." As the years go by, Ma Dukes plans to continue presenting music fans with the untold chapters in Dilla's ever-expanding legacy. "I can smile in my heart, knowing my son's work is being shared with the people as we planned before he passed," she says. "I only share the best, and I only hope to continue introducing the world to the genius of J Dilla.
O**R
Great double platter of vibes
Phenomenal.
S**H
Five Stars
Thanx cd.
P**L
I love Dilla's work
I love Dilla's work. Not all of these beats are head knocking gems, but there is always a moment of Dilla magic in each beat. If you're a fan, or an aspiring beatmaker, it's a nice addition to your collection.
M**M
Let's Set the Record Straight
J Dilla is one of the best hip hop producers there is/was/and will be, if not, the best. His death has only crystallized his spirit since his was taken at the top of his game. Do not expect finished beats that were meant for release. These were taken from a storage unit that Dilla himself shelved as mixtapes. Treat these as unfinished, unreleased beats. Heard all of these beats about 50 times over and if you love the rest of his work, you'll love this compilation too. It still has that Detroit magic that Dilla embodies completely. His own mother is the one that released these latest mixtapes, so buy it to support his family. After he passed away, he had no will, so legal turmoil ensued. His family didn't get the estate until recently I believe and so they had fallen on rough times. Support the memory and family of this man because that is made him who he was and still is to this day. You can apologize for buying his stuff that he didn't want released up in the sky when you meet him. I'll sure he will understand why. Five stars. End of story. Buy all his stuff when you get the chance. He got that soundtrack to life man.
P**N
Four Stars
Good beats.
N**Z
Stop releasing things that were not meant to be released.
How long will they milk this guy's death? Stop. These beats are horrendous and no one is being honest. Stop putting out throwaways and tarnishing this man's legendary career.
Trustpilot
1 day ago
2 months ago
