Saturday, February 7, 2015

Happy Birthday: James "J-Dilla" Yancey


Happy Birthday to Detroit native James "J-Dilla" Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), the producer, rapper, and DJ, who most would agree, had the greatest hands to touch an Akai MPC. Many of us who are familiar with him already know his legacy. Being one of the most influential in Hip-Hop history, that same legacy will have Dilla enshrined in the Smithsonian as part of the collection at the National Museum of African American History & Culture. Dilla’s custom-made Mini Moog Voyager synthesizer and Akai MPC 3000 Limited Edition have been donated to the museum by his mother, Maureen Yancey. They will be part of the “Musical Crossroads” exhibit when the museum opens in 2016.

The following is a rare interview of J-Dilla and Dank of Frank n' Dank minutes after they touched down in Finland. Dilla gave a rundown of upcoming projects and shouts out to people who were a part of those projects. A little humor was tossed in between.


Some of you may have heard about the massive DJ set J-Dilla did with Dank on the mic in Malmoe, Sweden at the Inkonst arts center. If you haven't, here's the full set for you to enjoy.

J-Dilla + Dank Live at Inkonst, Jan. 25, 2003 by Djkoolemdee on Mixcloud

No comments:

Post a Comment