Mad Skillz has quietly built up a reputation as one of the game’s respected lyricists and has since transitioned into the world of Academia by teaching a hip-hop course at the University of Richmond. Now, he’s making headlines following an impressive project, one that highlights the work of one of the game’s brilliant musical minds — the late Detroit legend, J. Dilla.
Taking to Instagram to share his discovery, Mad Skillz confirmed that he had restored a beat tape gifted to him by Dilla, showcasing the results on his IG story highlights. “Yes!!!” he captions, looking appropriately thrilled. “I found the original beat tape that Dilla gave me and fixed the tape so I could digitize it, to hear what I just heard? Go to my story.”
The process that he appears to have undergone is impressive to behold. Showcasing a picture of the tape in its original state — which is to say, having seen better days — Skillz confirmed that a “surgery” of sorts would be necessary. “I just found this,” he states, flashing the tape to his followers. “This is J. Dilla’s handwriting. I know it is cause he always used to spell my name wrong.”
“I fixed the tape, and started listening to it,” he continues, proceeding to queue up some of the songs and musical fragments included. One such snippet features an eerie vocal sample, prompting Skillz to declare that he always wanted Dilla to make a proper instrumental out of it. Next up is an instrumental version of “The Jam,” which leads into a beat he compares to The Pharcyde’s “Drop.” Also showcased were instrumental versions of “It’s Goin Down” and “Runnin.”
Fans of the late producer and his work with Mad Skillz would be wise to check out the rapper’s listening session, which doubles as a much-needed reminder of Dilla’s talent. Head over to his IG page and show some love to Skillz and Dilla in the comments below.
WATCH: Mad Skillz Surgically Saves & Previews Dilla Tape