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.