Category: J Dilla

Dilla Day 2015

Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 22.50.30February 10, 2006. For many hip-hop heads, it was the day the music died, for it was the date that the great J Dilla passed away. His legacy lives on in all of us though, and for several years since his death, his mother, the much-loved Ma Dukes, has organized the annual Dilla Day event.

The 2015 edition is leaving Dilla’s hometown of Detroit for Miami instead, and the confirmed line-up of artists is already incredible. His old group Slum Village will be there, as will frequent Dilla collaborators Talib Kweli and Madlib, plus the legend Pete Rock. Other guests include Black Milk, whose music has been inspired by Jay Dee, alongside Joey Badas$$, Camp Lo and more. That adds up to a fine selection of talent paying their respect to one of the greatest of all time.

This year the event is also being extended to an entire weekend, from February 5-8. Tickets are available from here right now. Peep the flyer below for more.

207020150106-2-1lbgrky

Drool over this new J.Period Limited Edition Box set

J.PeriodWe are suckers for a nicely-packaged, Limited Edition box set. When they are done right, they can be beautiful. Expensive, but beautiful.

There have been some great ones on the market this year, including the J Dilla King of the Beats set, which includes music on everything from cassette tapes to floppy discs, all wrapped up in a box that has been made to look just like Dilla’s beloved SP-1200.

Producer and mixtape master J.Period is the latest artist to have his work given the special box set treatment, in celebration of a decade’s worth of mixes that have featured some of the most creative emcees in the game. This one comes with tons of music, plus a portable speaker, glossy booklet and much more, all crafted with care by design studio Good Wood NYC.

We are dribbling with excitement at the prospect of getting our hands on one of the small number that have been made, and we’re secretly hoping that Mr Period might even consider letting us have one (hey, its worth a try). In the meantime, watch the video below for more on how the box set came about.

Christmas, all rapped up.

Screen Shot 2014-12-05 at 13.27.58Christmas is coming fast, and if you are anything like us, you’ll leave the present buying until the very last minute. At that point you’ll panic buy, and your loved ones will get the same old shit you got them last year. Again.

For those that like to get in nice and early, here’s some present ideas for the classic hip-hop fan in your life. And by that we mean you, because these are the things you should be asking Santa for this year. You’re welcome.

Check the Technique 2: More Liner Notes for Hip-hop Junkies, by Brian Coleman

Screen Shot 2014-12-05 at 13.25.58

The first Check the Technique book from hip-hop writer Brian Coleman was certified classic, bringing us the story behind some of the best albums in the history of rap. The follow up is just as good, with in-depth analysis and interviews covering the creation of 24 milestone albums, including Lord Finesse’s Funky Technician, DJ Polo & Kool G Rap’s Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Beatnuts’ Intoxicated Demons, Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, KMD’s Black Bastards and 3rd Bass’ The Cactus Album. It is well written and nicely put together, and if you buy from Rap and Soul Mail Order, you even get a special Smif-N-Wessun 7″ thrown in too.

Order from Rap and Soul Mail Order in Europe, or Get on Down in the US.

Dust & Grooves: Adventures in Record Collecting (Second Edition), by Eilon Paz

Screen Shot 2014-12-05 at 13.05.34

With vinyl sales back on the rise, interest is getting bigger. True hip-hop heads never actually stopped buying records of course, and we like nothing more than snooping through the vinyl collections of our favorite artist via shows like Crate Diggers. Dust & Grooves is a coffee-table book exploring the collections of hip-hop artists and beyond, with interviews covering how each library has grown, and its best gems. The updated Second Edition features new contributions, including a chance to see what Questlove has in his many crates. It’s by no means cheap, but is beautifully illustrated and presented.

Buy from the Dust & Grooves website.

Limited Edition J Dilla figure

Screen Shot 2014-12-05 at 13.01.47

Dilla Dawg was one of the greatest to ever do it, and a personal favorite of ours. Ma Dukes has been overseeing the release of several special products recently, and this one is nicely timed for the Holiday Season (although it may not arrive until the New Year!). The figure comes complete with Detroit cap and Stussy tee, and miniature Dilla is even holding his beloved sampler. There have only been 2,000 made, and they are already selling like hot cakes donuts.

Pre-order yours from Rappcats.

Go behind the scenes with Joey Bada$$ on tour

Screen Shot 2014-11-23 at 23.12.56It’s been a good week for Joey Bada$$ fans. First up was a new cryptic teaser trailer that finally gave us a solid release date for B4.DA.$$. The highly anticipated debut album will drop January 20, 2015, and although full details are yet to be released, its expected to include singles Big Dusty and Christ Conscious, and feature production from DJ Premier, J Dilla and Statik Selektah amongst others.

A new video has also now emerged, documenting Joey as he travels around Europe on the latest leg of his tour. He talks about why he loves performing more than being in the studio, how to give the fans what they want, and the inspiration he’s taken from seeing Jay-Z and other major artists on stage.

We’ve been itching to hear B4.DA.$$ for months and months, and its nice to hear the young Mr Badas$$ stay humble and grounded as he prepares for what will surely at last be his breakout year.

Watch the mini documentary below, and the album teaser further down.