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.”
Read more: Erykah Badu Calls Out Fans Leaving Show Early: “I’m Singing!”
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.
Read more: J Dilla Documentary Finally Making Its Debut In April
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