It’s 12:12 A.M. and I’ve been pondering writing this note for past week or so because I didn’t know how to approach writing this so here we go. I remember in February of 2006, I heard J-Dilla had passed away. I was devastated about his passing. I’m not going to front I didn’t know about dude like I should until his death. I went through his discography and saw all the people he worked with and seeing that he contribute to my love for Hip-Hop and what it stood for. Just looking from the Pharcyde to De La Soul and seeing the songs he produced, I could remember where I was at hearing those records and I cherish those memories because it was apart of my childhood. I remember just listening to those songs and just noticing how the drums just stood out from any other hip hop producer like he was making his sound stand out and giving Hip-Hop that smooth but that snear kicking sound that makes the MC say some of illest shit you would ever hear. Dilla came along during a time where Hip-Hop didn’t have a sound nor direction because people including myself was so caught up in the whirlwind of West Coast Sound we forgot about the essence of where everything had began. Dilla would take some of the most off the wall samples and just put his twist on them and make a record that just took it there Note: (Pharcyde “Runnin”). Dilla was the one that held it down for awhile before that second run came along for the Realness of Hip-Hop.
So back to his death, I remember when Common came out with the album “BE”, I think that was his present to the world before he left because some of those records he made it was as if he knew he was leaving soon and just wanted to be apart of a masterpiece. With songs like “Love Is”, and my favorite “It’s Your World” it’s like besides Common telling a story over the beat, it was if you didn’t need Common because Dilla gave him the blueprint to his words with just painting a picture with the beat. I remember just letting all the windows down in my car and just letting that song play constantly because it was as if he was living right on Dupont St. and seeing what I seen everyday. Another memory I have is being in the car with my Ex-girlfriend and she would get mad at me because I would just play that song so much ,but it’s songs like that that makes you zone out and just reflect on things and thinking what’s next for you in this game we called LIFE. So with this being the month he passed and was born, I just been listening to his music and just appreciating that I had to chance to hear one of the greatest if not the GREATEST and the impact he left on the listeners, producers, rappers etc. So in conclusion he will be missed greatly and I will let the Drums Take Me There….
The passing of a music legend is tough. You ask yourself, what if? What if he were still alive today, what new songs, what gems would we be listening to now? Sad.
ReplyDeleteRobert I ask myself that every time I listen to his music. His influence was so powerful matter of fact still powerful on the listeners. I think if he was still alive today he was going to change the game like he once he did in 1995 with the samples and how it chopped them and made them in beats. It was one thing about Dilla, her never involved himself into something that he didn't think it was going to be incredible and not have a long lasting effect on people. As far as how the game is going I think Slum Village the group he came from would still be doing music and just getting back with A Tribe Called Quest as well.
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