On my Selection Box 2006, my favourite music tracks of last year, I had three by J. Dilla.
At Greenbelt in the last three years I have been the front man on the wondrous iPod Show.
All three years I have said, and played some great grooves.
I have said that I am into 'grooves'.
J. Dilla had a high profile on the iPod Show - out of my iPod.
J. Dilla died a year ago today aged 32.
If you scan back through my piPod you will find a track called 'Mother' - his Mother speaking about his life and death. Also you will find several Dilla tracks too. I played him and talked about much when I was at the Folk High School in Norway last week when I led a music workshop/iPod Show.
James Dewitt Yancey or Jay Dee, was an American hip hop producer and MC, who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip-hop scene in Detroit, Michigan. He has had a major influence on so many artistes who have used his grooves to give their song some great sound and feel ....... and I loveitloveit.
Dilla was known as a "producer's producer", and was highly regarded by other better known producers such as Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams (who named him as his favourite producer). A large catalogue of his work, mostly unused beats, remains unreleased, and in some cases have been freely passed around through the internet, impressing enthusiasts and adding to his cult-status. I have some of his albums and there are more to be released - one soon.
You can catch two programmes on 'listen again' radio who featured Dilla this week.
They are there for seven days only::
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/gillespeterson/index.shtml
and
http://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/benjib/
I once asked Westwood, UKs biggest HIP-Hop DJ, if he had met him. I recall he said that he tended to stay in the backgound behind the more up front artistes. That was his musical style too.
Background.
But what a background.
What beautiful grooves.
What beautiful beats.
Rest in Peace J. Dilla.
Grooves in Heaven eh?
.
