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Illa J Calls Out Fake Love for Late Brother J Dilla: “All Y’all Gross as F–k”

October 11, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Iconic producer and beatmaker J Dilla has a legacy that’s honored and known by music lovers worldwide. The late musician died at the age of 32 from health issues. However, his younger brother, Illa J, has taken to social media to express his frustration with individuals in the music industry. These people, in his view, exploit his brother’s name for personal gain. In an Instagram post, Illa J didn’t mince his words. He condemned those he believes are using his brother’s memory for their own benefit. “It’s just gross how, not only do they use my brother … they use me to get to my brother. They do it in such a gross way,” Illa J emphasized.

He captioned the video: “To Whom it May Concern, y’all know who you are! weird a** fake a**, GEEK DOWN!!!” Illa J, himself an accomplished musician with nearly two decades in the industry, used his platform to call out this behavior. Although he did not specify the identities or instances he was addressing, he addressed the industry as a whole. “I’ve been in this industry for almost 20 years now. It just makes me disappointed in this industry, in all these people,” he continued. Illa J highlighted the hypocrisy that he believes is present throughout the music world.

Read More: Illa J “7 Mile” Video

Illa J Calls Out Music Industry

Hip hop artist J Dilla of the group Slum Village photographed at the Key Club in 2000 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gregory Bojorquez/Getty Images)

He emphasized the stark difference between genuine love for his brother and the pursuit of personal gain. Furthermore, expressed his disappointment with those who claim to be ardent admirers of J Dilla but are primarily motivated by financial interests. “And all these people that ya’ll think that they love my brother so much, they’re just out here to make their name look closer to my brother, but they really don’t care about him, y’know what I mean? It’s kind of annoying.”

In a final statement, Illa J didn’t hold back. “I’m sick of it, I’m sick of these fake-a** muthaf**kas tryin’ to act like they love my brother but they really don’t — they just care about their pockets. All you muthaf**kas are gross,” he concluded. Illa J’s words serve as a reminder that authentic respect for an artist’s legacy should always come from a place of genuine admiration and reverence, rather than exploiting a name for personal gain. J Dilla’s contributions to music continue to be celebrated, and it’s crucial to honor his memory with sincerity and authenticity.

[Via]

The post Illa J Calls Out Fake Love for Late Brother J Dilla: “All Y’all Gross as F–k” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Today In Hip Hop History: J Dilla’s First Posthumous LP ‘The Shining’ Was Released 17 Years Ago

August 22, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On this day in Hip Hop history, The Source Magazine celebrates the 16th anniversary of the late great J Dilla’s first posthumous album The Shining. This relic of the culture is one of Hip Hop’s more cherished albums. In its “unfinished” glory, The Shining serves as the first LP that Jay Dee spits on since his debut Welcome 2 Detroit in 2001.

As J. Dilla’s time on this Earth was coming to a close, he was persistently working on what would become his final masterpiece. Unable to finish on his own, Dilla called upon fellow Detroit artist Karriem Riggins to put the final touches on the project for him. With Riggins acting as if inside Dilla’s head, this style of completion brought about an interestingly unique sound for the album. Although some may call it “disjointed”, the warm and unpolished mastering of this album give it the nostalgic quality of a Golden Age LP.

With features from Common, D’Angelo, and Black Thought this album is a staple of Hip Hop soul. Dilla’s trademark smooth cut production beefed up with live instrumentation created a sound that showed a matured J. Dilla more refined than before. Short and to the point, like the majority of his work, this project is project was the perfect remedy to aid the loss of one of the most loved and respected figures in Hip Hop.

Commercially, the album was met with success as well as critical acclaim. Despite being put out by the independent Barely Breaking Even Records, The Shining peaked at #103 on the Billboard 200 chart and #35 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop chart. Although sales may have not been on par with the hit albums of the time, Dilla’s work still received a momentous amount of praise and admiration on his phantom album.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: J Dilla’s First Posthumous LP ‘The Shining’ Was Released 17 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: J Dilla’s First Posthumous LP ‘The Shining’ Was Released 17 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Erykah Badu Reflects On J. Dilla’s Greatness

June 28, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Erykah Badu is currently on her “Unfollow Me” tour with rapper Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def). During her stop in San Diego, CA, she opened up about her musical relationship with the late J Dilla. Via Detroit rapper Frank Nitt’s Insta feed, she talked about the rap producer at length. “He didn’t really talk a lot,” Erykah said when a fan asked about what it was like to work with him. “He was very quiet… [Communicated] through the music, mostly.”

She also called J Dilla “super organized.” She referenced a detail that all of J Dilla’s Coca-Cola cans in his fridge were aligned so the logo was facing out. Dilla was an engineer through and through, and it showed. Erykah continues by saying he was generous and merciful. He taught people in the music industry, but Erykah Badu also says he would let others get away with stuff. “Like, he let a lot of people get away with, like, biting his sh*t,” Badu says. J Dilla died in 2006 from lupus complications. But his resolve impressed Erykah: “This is the most important thing; he was sick, but nobody knew. That speaks volumes.”

The Erykah Badu & J Dilla Relationship

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J Dilla was a tremendous hip-hop producer. His career, which started in the ’90s, included collaborating with A Tribe Called Quest and Common. He became a part of the Soulquarians collective, with Erykah Badu also being a member. Mama’s Gun, Badu’s second album from 2000, features the track “Didn’t Cha Know.” Dilla produced that track for his collective teammate, creating a solid friendship built around music. Recently, Logic claimed he had an entire album full of J Dilla beats that he eventually scrapped.

Erykah Badu’s “Unfollow Me” Tour is speaking to the current rampant cancel culture. Breaking down the meaning with VIBE a few weeks back, the Neo Soul artist lets her fans know if they don’t agree with what she says, then they should simply unsubscribe. “Whenever someone says something in the comments, they don’t agree; I don’t care, unfollow me, doesn’t matter.” She says she’s on a journey and that her audience is on their own journey, and that that’s all okay. The tour will conclude in late July in San Antonio, TX.

[Via]

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Ma Dukes (J Dilla’s Mom) Announces New Dilla Music Released Via STEM Player

April 11, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Earlier this week, the mother of late production great J Dilla opened up her son’s catalovia STEM Player, dropping ten new songs in an exclusive partnership between the Yancey family and STEM.

The new catalog of songs – as well as an exclusive mini from the eyes of Ma Dukes on J DILLA’s legacy, will be available to all subscribers, which will be instantly accessible to all Stem Player customers.

Alex Klein, cofounder and CEO of Stem, said, “Stem is about new forms and formats. J Dilla invented how we produce music today. To distribute these never-before-heard songs from the Jay Dee era is an honor. To do so in clean vocals, drums, bass, and instrumental is something even more special.
The amazing Yancey family understands that creative thinking can change everything.”

Dilla’s exclusive, newly released music can be found HERE

The post Ma Dukes (J Dilla’s Mom) Announces New Dilla Music Released Via STEM Player appeared first on The Source.

J Dilla Documentary Finally Making Its Debut In April

March 29, 2023 by newhiphopnews

J Dilla left an imprint on rap that will never fade away. The crispy drums he used influenced people like Kanye West. Years later, he birthed the new generation of lo-fi producers. The Donuts producer’s influence continues to be heard in hip-hop nearly 15 years after his tragic passing. His collaborators and friends have shared his story and kept his legacy alive. However, for new fans who’ve yet to fully comprehend his genius, Hulu and FX are releasing a documentary titled, The Legacy Of J Dilla.

The upcoming documentary will make its debut on FX on April 7th at 10 p.m. Afterward, Hulu will upload it to their platform to stream on the same day. The New York Times will present the upcoming doc, which they describe as “an intimate portrait” of Dilla’s life and legacy. The documentary also includes exclusive access to his family. The Legacy Of J Dilla will certainly become a must-watch for hip-hop heads. It’s no doubt that it’ll explore his life and legacy in a way that hasn’t been done before.

The Legacy Of J Dilla Drops On April 7th

‘The Legacy of J Dilla’ original documentary is coming to FX / Hulu on April 7th, courtesy of the New York Times.

(via @checktherhyme1_) pic.twitter.com/LA508SBcTU

— Andrew Barber (@fakeshoredrive) March 28, 2023

The documentary, which has been directed and produced by Christopher Frierson and Esther Dere, will include contributions from Dilla’s family and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his estate and legacy following his 2006 death. “I’m a Detroiter, and I’m a fighter,” his mother, Maureen Yancey, says. “I will stay in there, and I will fight. I won’t let anybody put my son down, what I do for him down, because I’m here to lift up his music, his legacy.”

In addition to his forthcoming documentary, Questlove also has a documentary in the works based on the Welcome To Detroit artist. Dilla Time is described as “part biography, part musicology, and part musical meditation,” based on the 2022 biography, Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, The Hip Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm by Dan Charnas. “J Dilla was our teacher. And what he taught us was how to feel rhythm in a way we had never felt before,” Quest said. “I’m so honored to be a part of bringing his story to the world through this documentary.”

[Via]

Today in Hip-Hop History: J Dilla Dropped His ‘Welcome 2 Detroit’ Album 22 Years Ago

February 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On this date in 2001, Slum Village producer Jay Dee changed his name to J Dilla and released his debut solo album entitled Welcome 2 Detroit. The 16 track BBE distributed LP featured otherwise unknown artists from Dilla’s hometown such as Elzhi and Phat Kat among others.

Although it is a solo album, on several cuts, such as the first single “Pause”, Dilla takes a backseat and lets others command the mic. Dilla also sings the lead vocals on his cover of Donald Byrd’s “Think Twice”, which also has Motown crooner Dwele playing the keyboard and singing background vocals.

Salute to the late beat making icon J Dilla and the rest of his BBE family for bringing Hip Hop such an unforgettable classic!

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: J Dilla Dropped His ‘Welcome 2 Detroit’ Album 22 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Remembering J Dilla 17 Years After His Passing

February 10, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On this date in 2006, James Dewitt Yancey better known as J Dilla lost his battle with Lupus and died from cardiac arrest in his home in Los Angeles. The Detroit beatmaker extraordinaire was only 32 years old.

He passed away just three days after his 32nd born day, but managed to release his final album, Donuts, to the public, which received its name because of Dilla’s love for the sugar-saturated pastries.

Dilla has produced classic tracks for several Hip Hop legends including A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Common, MF Doom and a host of others.

J Dilla will forever be etched in the history of Hip Hop, with the unofficial “Dilla Day” holiday that is celebrated on his birthday every year in his honor for his contributions to Hip Hop.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Remembering J Dilla 17 Years After His Passing appeared first on The Source.

Common Goes Behind The Scenes Of “The Light” Video For VEVO Footnotes

February 9, 2023 by newhiphopnews

“’The Light’ was one of the greatest videos I have ever been a part of.”

Happy Heavenly Birthday J Dilla!

February 7, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On this day in Hip Hop history we recognize and remember the birth of one of the most prolific producers in the game. James Yancey, better know as J Dilla, was born today [February 7] in 1974.

J Dilla was the first born of four children to a Detroit family rooted in creativity. His mother was an opera singer and his father a jazz bassist. According to his mother, Dilla could “match pitch perfect harmony” at two months old. Dilla started collecting vinyls at the young age of two and would spend a lot of his free time spinning records at the park. It can be said that J Dilla’s “career” began after he transferred high schools from Davis Aerospace Technical High School to Detroit Pershing High School. At Detroit Pershing, he met fellow members of Slum Village, T3 and Baatin. During the rest of his teenage years, Dilla spent the majority of his time alone in his basement perfecting his craft.

In 1992, J Dilla met experienced Detroit musician Amp Fiddler who let Dilla use his MPC for the first time. In 1995, J Dilla and MC Phat Kat formed the first rap group from Detroit to get signed to a major label, 1st Down. The record deal with Payday Records ended after one single when the label folded.

In 1996, Dilla officially formed Slum Village with his longtime friends T3 and Baatin and recorded their debut, Fan-Tas-Tic Volume 1. The album, released in 1997, gained a lot of support from Hip Hop fans everywhere and the attention of Q-Tip, who was quick to call the group a successor of A Tribe Called Quest.

Throughout the 90s, J Dilla was known as a huge prospect in Hip Hop. He gained the public’s attention with his singles and remixes of records by Janet Jackson, Pharcyde, De La Soul and Busta Rhymes. Although Dilla rose to stardom with these remixes, he was rarely given singular credit. Instead the production team of The Ummah, a collective including Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, and Raphael Saadiq, often received the credit.

The post Happy Heavenly Birthday J Dilla! appeared first on The Source.