More new music from Slum Village, this time featuring the one and only Phife Dawg. Listen to Push It Along below, taken from upcoming new SV album Yes.
Category: J Dilla
Madlib – ‘Beat Konducta in Africa’ bonus beats
We make no secret of how Madlib is one of our absolute heroes, and we’re confident we’ve heard almost every beat he’s ever produced. If you are not familiar with some of his lesser-known work, then check this stream of instrumentals released by Rappcats. The tracks first featured as bonuses on the Beat Konducta in Africa release, part of Madlib’s epic Medicine Show series.
Elzhi – ‘February’
Slum Village veteran Elzhi tells us about the perils of one of the most depressing months of the year with new track February. As you’d expect, there are some references to the death of his old friend J Dilla in there, who passed in February 2006.
Slum Village – ‘E(I)GO’ video
Keeping Dilla Month alive, Slum Village have now dropped a visual for recent track E(I)GO. Watch below and let us know what you think.
Joey Bada$$ – ‘Like Me’ (produced by J Dilla)
Another day, another new release from Joey Bada$$. This time its a video for Like Me, produced by the one and only J Dilla. The police brutality message is laid on pretty thick, and the Joey-getting-shot-to-death plot is way overcooked, but this gets a pass on account of being a Dilla beat.
Frank Nitt – ‘Money on my Mind’
J Dilla affiliate Frank Nitt hits us with a video for Money on my Mind, referencing Slum Village days of old. It also features original SV member T3, plus Dilla’s brother Illa J. Basically, with a line-up like that, its another slice of dopeness from Detroit’s best extended family.
A round-up of J Dilla anniversary treats
It’s been a great few days for remembering the work of J Dilla. The annual Dilla Weekend took place just days ago in Miami, and today, on the date of his actual death, there have been videos, interviews and mixes showing up everywhere. Here’s a quick round-up:
Get Live With It mix, from J. Rocc and DJ Rhettmatic:
2002 studio session footage, with Common and others:
Memories of Dilla from Camp Lo, Ski Beatz and his old group Slum Village:
Random YouTube man puts pictures to Dilla’s classic Donuts
Hip-hop music videos just ain’t what they used to be, and they weren’t that great even when they were. They still have a place though, but what do you do when you want to put pictures to a work that never had videos, years after the fact?
If you are video maker Houston Loves J Dilla, you make your own video by stitching together hours of random footage. But when the music you are working with happens to be J Dilla’s Donuts, one of the most revered albums in hip-hop, you have to tread carefully. Thankfully, the boy has done good.
Coming off more like a short film, the clip illustrates the entire 43 minutes of the Donuts album, gifting us a respectful and skilful pastiche of an absolute classic. Watch below for yourself and let us know what you think.
Dilla Day 2015
February 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.
Drool over this new J.Period Limited Edition Box set
We 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.