"Dilla Day" @ XM Studios
Having spent a significant amount of time around the Southeast Michigan hip-hop scene, whenever I hear the name J Dilla uttered, my ears perk up. He was responsible for shaping my listening choice more so than any other artist. The Detroit native produced a number of works during his career which ran from the mid-1990s until his death in February of 2006. A few artists who are a part of his discography include Janet Jackson, Poe, and his own group, Slum Village.
After his passing, Dilla's industry friends went all out to make sure his name and music were not forgotten. Thursday night's two hour on-air tribute show at the XM Studios featured two of those friends, Pete Rock and Talib Kweli, as well as his mother, Maureen Yancey, to discuss the impact Dilla had on their lives. The show's second half featured D.C.-based artists takes on some of the most revered J Dilla tracks.
In case you're wondering why you didn't hear about this performance, it's OK. Only about 60 people got the Willy Wonka-esque Golden Ticket to stand in the sound room. In addition to being hosted by XM Radio, the Red Bull Music Academy used it as a workshop of sorts for present and aspiring artists, thus most of those granted the RSVP were the musical types.
After a good Q&A session on topics ranging from Dilla studio stories to healthcare for musicians (Dilla's treatment for Lupus was largely not covered by his artist healthcare plan) with Rock, Kweli (who inexplicably left 30 minutes into it), and Yancey, it was time for the locals to shine with the blessing Dilla's beloved Ma Dukes.
Grap Luva, Rock's younger brother, served as the night's host and began with a moment of silence followed by an interpretation of the Dilla production "4 Moms," taken from A Tribe Called Quest's The Love Movement album, by the seven piece band, The Players. While all the performances were stellar, two really stood out. D.C. hip-hop producer extrodinaire Kev Brown performed "The Official" from the highly regarded Madlib/J Dilla collaboration, Champion Sound, with his Low Budget crew colleague Kaimbr. Brown, who like Dilla is known to kick a verse on occasion, performed flawlessly much to the delight of Ms. Yancey. However, the real show stopper was Three Stars alum Flex Mathews. After making a few qualifying statements about the circumstances that could've let Dilla to write his most controversial song, Grap let Flex go off on "Fuck The Police." Ever the consumate performer and always animated, Flex urged the crowd to sing the song's title on cue but ended the song with a disclaimer discouraging violence against those sworn to uphold the law.
Despite logging numerous hours behind the boards for a wide range of performers, Dilla never gained household name status like producers of a more popular ilk. However, it didn't stop some of those popular producers like The Neptunes or Timbaland from taking notice and acknowledging his unique skills. Thursday night proved that hip-hop fans in D.C. and beyond appreciate the contributions made by a man who touched a number people through his innovative production style.