tunegrape: Lessons from J Dilla

J Dilla is a legendary figure in music, known for his unique beats, and occasional raps, he worked with some of the most talented names in music and is respected throughout the music community. Although slow to rise, he had begun working with some very big names in rap at the time of his tragic death in 2006, from the blood disease TTP. As his career was peaking he had been working with some pretty famous names in hip-hop such as Busta Rhymes, Common, A Tribe Called Quest and Pharcyde. He crafted some memorable beats, some of the more original, and more beautifully put together beats. His had the ability to turn the beat into something more. On the occassion where there is a rapper gracing Dilla's tracks, the raps often fall into the position of pacing the track or falling into an instrumental, positive effect on the music. But the focus is not the rapper, the focus is Dilla and the captivating efforts he put forth. Currently I'm listening to The Shining, which was only 75% completed at the time of Dilla's death. He literally lived for music and spent his dying days in the hospital bed on a laptop, always creating. The final album released while he was still alive, Donuts, was released on his 32nd birthday, three days before he died. The Shining features the likes of Common, Busta Rhymes and Black Thought among others. Busta Rhymes was one of Dilla's biggest supporters. The album was finished by Karriem Riggins; an instrumental version was released as well. Dilla is an inspirational person, someone who lived for what he loved. Not rich at the time of his death, he died doing what he loved. How could you not respect a person like that?