It’s Dilla month. We celebrate the life of one of the best producers we have ever been blessed to hear. Dilla was an extremely prolific producer. Much of his greatest work is with his group Slum Village, A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, Common and of course on his own project “Welcome to Detroit.
Dilla had beat tapes circulate the world once people discovered his genius. As a result, a lot of his work may be uncredited or has traveled under the radar and out of the scope of the mainstream. One thing for sure is you can’t mistake that J Dilla bump. It’s a groove. It’s a vibe.
Lets take a moment and listen to 5 songs Dilla produced that you may not have been aware of.
- Janet Jackson “Got Till it’s Gone”
When I first heard this song I’m not sure I was fully aware who Dilla was yet. But according to stories I have heard about this production Q Tip who was working with Dilla and basically presented him to all of his friends shared this track with Janet Jackson and she was instantly hooked. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis took credit for this production, but the word got out as to who did the work. This may be one of the first introductions of Dilla’s prowess to the mainstream culture.
2. The Brand New Heavies “Sometimes (Ummah Remix)
The Brand New Heavies were a force to be reckoned with during the Neo-Soul movement. They were driven by live instrumentation and an R&B vibe. This specific song mentions that this song was remixed by The Ummah. The Ummah was a production collective that consisted of Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Raphael Sasdiq, Q Tip and J Dilla. By this point the cat was out of the bag and Dilla was known more in the industry. So even though this is an Ummah remix you can still hear Dilla’s bump all over this.
3. Black Star “Little Brother”
As an avid fan of the legendary rap group Black Star I thought I knew a lot about them. Yasiin Bey aka Mos Def and Talib Kweli are two of my favorite emcees. I had a pretty good idea of the production they used. Imagine my surprise when I found out that “Little Brother” a single used for “The Hurricane” soundtrack featuring Denzel Washington was produced by Dilla. Whats even more amazing is to hear the way this song was produced. It is awe inspiring and speaks directly to Dilla’s genius. Google “Questlove on J Dilla’s sampling techniques ” to hear that story.
4. D’Angelo “Feel Like Makin’ Love
“Voodo” by D’Angelo is arguably his greatest work. The recording of that album took place at the legendary Electric Lady Studio’s where legendary projects by Common, Erykah Badu and The Roots were recorded. This song was recorded because Lauryn “Miss Hill” Hill missed a session. Dilla is ALL over this one.
5. A Tribe Called Quest “Find My Way”
This song comes from a Tribe album that wasn’t well received initially but has since grown to be a classic. The Love Movement had a different sound. It was jazzy but still hip-hop. Its had class and bottom. All of these a Dilla traits. The Ummah is credited for production on this but as always Dilla’s influence is evident and seeps into your soul.
6.Tupac “Do For Love” . BONUS!!!
I know I said 5 but this one had to mentioned because it features two of Hip-Hop’s greatest. This is one I just realized thanks to a post by Andrew Barber on twitter. Tupac and Dilla on a track together is truly heaven!
For context on this Tupac joint.
I’m sure I missed a few. What are some of your favorite Dilla productions. Share in the comments.
Stream “Speak Life” by Precise
Precise 
You need to research this sh*t before you write and post. You’re so far off on some of this.
Well correct me. I’m not above correction. Let’s work together.