10 Essential J Dilla Tracks: The King Of Beats
J Dilla is one of, if not, the greatest Hip Hop producer/s of all time. He was a massively influential artist who sadly passed away aged 32 in 2006 after a long battle with Lupus. Jay Dee’s ability to create intricate and timeless beats and melodies in such a simplistic yet complex way separated him from the rest. His drums, percussion, bass, samples, and synths were utter perfection, and to this day, no other producer has come close to Dilla in regards to blending and integrating sounds and samples in such a melodic and beautiful way. His music was extraordinarily seamless and loose, and whenever J Dilla touched the MPC it was as if no rhythmic grid truly existed.
Dilla’s influence isn’t just limited to Hip Hop/Rap. He has gone on to impact a number of different genres ranging from soul, jazz, funk, and RnB! This statement can be backed up by the wide range of artists who are still inspired by Dilla’s timeless work to this day such as Kanye West, Erykah Badu, Common, Quest Love, Madlib, Tom Misch, Phife Dawg, Hudson Mohawke, Joey Bada$$, Thundercat to name a few… Anyway, we could chat about the greatness of J Dilla for days on end, so here are 10 essential tracks from Jay Dee’s rich catalogue of work (we’ve only included his studio records as this list could go on for days otherwise)! We hope you enjoy this piece:
10. A Tribe Called Quest - Word Play
Word Play is a personal favourite from ATCQ’s fourth studio album ‘Beats, Rhymes and Life’! Dilla comes through with his signature spacey, elegant backdrop, and Q Tip and Phife Dawg rhyme effortlessly, delivering some of their best B2B verses to date! In an interview with New York Magazine, Phife Dawg named “Word Play” one of his Top 5 ATCQ songs stating “It’s a dope record because J Dilla is known for his drums, kicks, snares. The bass line is crazy”. - This track is a perfect example of “the best songs off of albums are not always the most popular ones”.
9. Slum Village - Players
“Players” is just one of those songs that hits differently. The harmonized vocal chops, handclaps, and the wistful cry of “Players” that show up every few bars make it feel surreal and Surene! The genius of this song is that the sample actually says “Clair”, however, Dilla managed to somehow manipulate and place the vocal chop to sound like it is saying “Players”… Genius! When I first discovered this, I was absolutely mind blown!
8. Illa J - All Good
In my opinion, this whole album fails to get the recognition it deserves. Everything about the project is pure gold, and in my opinion “All Good” is the standout record. The track oozes emotion, melancholy and nostalgia and the crisp yet sombre sample from the “Look Of Love” by Ray ‘Funky Trumpet’ Davies (1967) features instrumentation that most producers would avoid. I guess that’s what set Jay Dee apart from most!
7. Erykah Badu - Didn’t Cha Know
It’s no coincidence that one of my favourite neo-soul joints ever made was produced by the legend himself! “Didn’t Cha Know” is the perfect amalgamation of smooth, dreamy Hip Hop grooves and drums and soft, angelic neo-soul vocals! Just let the music speak for itself on this one.
6. J Dilla, Illa J - Won’t Do
If you could describe heaven in a beat, it would be “Won’t Do”. Most people think it is J Dilla rapping on this track, however, it is his brother Illa J. Part of J Dilla’s genius was his ability to use portions of frequently sampled records that no one else would use; as he did here with The Isley Brothers' “Footsteps In The Dark” (which had already been flipped by everyone and their mother). Fun fact: this was one of the first J Dilla tracks I ever stumbled across!
5. Slum Village - Get Dis Money
Name a more iconic bass line than “Get Dis Money”… You can’t… The track samples a short snippet of Herbie Hancock's “Come Running To Me”! Dilla chopped and sampled the record on the vocoder, added a complex multi-layered bassline and worked his usual magic. I still can’t even fathom how someone makes a beat this crazy…
4. J Dilla, Common, D’Angelo - So Far To Go
This is one of the most-streamed Dilla tracks on Spotify for a reason right?! Like most of Dilla’s beats that wound up as Common collabs, “So Far To Go” radiates an energy that will never be repeated - the chemistry between the two was almost unrivalled. More than just a song, “So Far To Go” represents the end of an era. It was one of the last beats Dilla completed before passing away, and also marked the last time he'd work with his Soulquarian contemporaries.
3. Slum Village - Climax
On “Climax” Dilla created a breezy, luscious soundscape with dope verses by the Slum V Trio, and an outstanding appearance from Baatin's sister on the hook. Something about “Climax” always hits differently; it just takes me to a special place. Moreover, despite “Climax's” frisky subject matter, it is still a record for the masses as it’s been done in a subtle way which isn’t demeaning and misogynistic (unlike some of tracks about sex you stumble across in 2022… right?).
2. Common - The Light
Common is one of my favourite rappers of all time, and this is probably my favourite Common joint! That says everything right…? At the turn of the century, Jay Dee had mastered his warm, melodic style of production, and the “The Light” was Dilla at the peak of his powers. The next phase of Jay Dee's production style was more experimental and electronic, so this was a welcome goodbye to the smooth era of Dilla!
1. The Pharcyde - Runnin’
“Runnin” was the first single from The Pharcyde's legendary sophomore album, Labcabincalifornia. I’ve put this one at number one due to the ridiculous amount of times that I have chosen to listen to this track! The track features an upbeat bassline and tempo than that of Dilla's later work. The genius flip of Stan Getz's “Saudade Vem Correndo” with the rearranged piano, horns and guitar, made the world aware that their was ‘a new kid on the block’. It was clear to see that Jay Dee was coming for the crown with this one!
Bonus pick: Slum Village - Fall In Love
“Fall In Love” is a great example of how J Dilla constructed his beats by layering and filtering samples, and designs them to be looped perfectly. That’s why people say he pioneered the thriving “lo-fi hip-hop beats to study to” genre. “Fall In Love” is a testament to that. This record is also a fine example of those compelling, distinct drums that have became integral to the ‘Dilla sound’.
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