Today, February 7th, 2011, marks what would've been the thirty-seventh birthday of late hip hop producer James Yancey, better known by his stage name, J Dilla. Old School Movie is a blog centered around our collective and individual thoughts on culture, and being that hip hop is such a big part of all our lives, we thought it only fitting to honor one of the most influential artists in hip hop history.
Dilla was the man behind classic albums by A Tribe Called Quest, Common, The Pharcyde, and Erykah Badu, was a member of Slum Village and hip hop collective The Soulquarians, and also worked with such artists as De La Soul, Madlib, Bilal, and Robert Glasper. His classic, jazzy sound was centered around the sampling of old records, but even in the absence of a sample, his signature sound was recognizable through his strategic placement of melody lines and instrumentation. Chances are, if you don't think you've listened to Dilla, he's probably produced one of your favorite tracks.
Dilla died in 2006 of the blood disease TTP just as his career was beginning to take off. He then rose posthumously to superstar status through the support of the hip hop community and media exposure. Hit the jump for some classic J Dilla joints and join us in wishing him a happy birthday. R.I.P.
The more you listen to his music, the bigger your Dilla-boner gets. Speaking of, mine is so precariously big that I may be forced to extinguish it with extensive Hillary Duff and/or Celine Dion. R.I.P. JD
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