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Victory
After the untimely passing of one of the greatest hip hop
producers of all time and a brick layer for what we know today
as neo-soul music, I personally went through a mourning phase
that sometimes feels like I haven’t gotten over. I remember so
adamantly making sure that I purchased Donuts before
going to my next practice and gave a sh*t if I was late! It
was crazy because the mom-n-pop shop I buy music from only had
one copy left (hmm…).
After I left practice, I continued to dissect my favorite
instrumental of ‘06 and couldn’t wait to get home to see if |
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there were any articles or responses on Dilla Dog-but what I read
was quite the contrary. What I found were articles that shed light
on how sick he was and how he made the majority of this album from
his hospital bed (This is also the best album made from a hospital).
Immediately, I begin to text friends like, ‘’Yo you hear about Dilla’’?
From that point on I have been spreading Dilla’s music to anyone who
will listen.
In the booklet of The Shining, is an advertisement for yet
another CD Dilla created before his death entitled Jay Loves
Japan. There is a website that you can refer to called
Operationunknown.com (Once you check out the site make sure you go
to youtube.com to check out the 30 second promotional video) that
goes into more detail about this album. Through hours of searching
on American and Japanese sites, I was able to find an advance copy.
It has 10 tracks (two are instrumentals) and an interlude from close
friend Bo Bo Lamb who is so thankful for Dilla flying him out to
Japan. Bo Bo’s 2 minute interlude/rant ranges on random topics from
being pulled over by the police in America to not letting Bruce Lee
taste the blood on his lips because that’s when you know, ‘’he gon
kick yo ass!’’ |
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Dilla doesn’t rap on this album but it does feature new artists
such as Ta’Raach, Red Light, Pacific Division, Blu, and Jontel.
The two names that do stand out are Truth Hurts on ‘’Ghetto
Love’’ and DJ Exile who provides scratches on ‘’Say It!’’.
The track “Believe in God’’ fades in with approximately 15
seconds of the sampled chorus, then begins Dilla’s angelic
interpretation, supplied with a heavy drum kick, chopped lyrics,
and various symphonic ranges of the violin. Also featured is
Dilla’s Ma Dukes crooning; eloquently reminding us to ‘’believe
in Him’’.
The best lyrical track comes from Blu and Jontel on “Sun in |
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my Face’’. The impressive and descriptive lyrics that follow explain
Blu’s outlook on hip hop culture, his own struggle to be heard, and
the public’s acceptance of the music followed by its exploitation.
The beat is hypnotic. This time Dilla provides 10 seconds of the
sample that has classical music written all over it. A millisecond
voice sample is added that doesn’t sound like a word, but rather the
letter “E”.
Dilla takes his hook, sample, and title from Diana Ross and the
Supremes on the instrumental “Can’t You See’’. He slows down the RPM
on the lyrics while maintaining a rhythmic BPM (beat per minute) and
begins to take you on a journey through his interpretation which is
accompanied by Asian instrumentation. The beat is eerily reminiscent
of the 90’s Wu-Tang sound and reminds you that a true genius was at
work on the track.
I
entitled this Victory because Dilla was just that,
victorious. He was one of the few people that got an opportunity to
live out his dreams and impact a culture. He gave the world a new
way to listen, think, and enjoy music. He was a friend, father,
brother, and son. He discovered victory back in February and now the
sun is in his face.
James Law
jlaw@thisisrealmusic.com |
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