J Dilla

[Nosmo King]

hi, so i realise this may attract some bad feelings from members but hopefully you will see where im coming from and the fact that this is me genuinely trying to understand...

so the other week somebody was playing some J Dilla and i asked who made the track. the three other beat makers in the room instantly started laughing at me like i was an idiot and i said... well im sorry but what part of this track is supposed to make it easily identifiable as Dilla?... its just a standard boom bap beat.

this soon turned into those 3 people all shouting at me at once for half an hour and getting really aggressive for absoloutely no reason. after all that the only thing they told me that makes Dilla by far the greatest beat maker of all time (as i constantly hear everywhere) is that he could instantly pick out any record from his massive collection and that he made beats on his death bed... neither of these say anything about how good he was at making beats

im certain that theyve all been told countless times that hes the best and they dont even know why they think that now.

ive had times where ive listened to Dilla all day long trying to find out what is supposed to be so special about him and have found nothing.

i resent that they constantly say that people like samiyam or flying lotus wouldnt even make beats if it wasnt for Dilla... i find that to be a really stupid thing to say

can somebody tell me what all the fuss is about? (without getting angry at me)

[1616]

Don't believe the hype.

[URASUN]

Don't believe the hype.

[Slumlord88]

^^funny...

For me I feel like a lot of people just say he's the greatest because most other people say it.

But to me he is,
- his drum game was incredible, his patterns wer amazing and the loose kinda sloppy feel is widely imitated now.
-never heard someone beautifully side chain kicks like that before in hip hop music like in donuts.
-he could sample something someone else did before and make it sound fresh and original
-his digging was all over the place, jazz, funk, soul, then into rock and electronic. He basically touched all generes and sound great in each one.
-his synths which have me at the moment we dark and mean
-live drums, bass, keys whatever he did it!

So for me you have to feel it when your listening or you don't?

[roygbivs]

Some of it could be that he really solidified the 'detroit' sound that has been copied a lot in modern hip-hop. This along with the sheer volume of his work. Most people consider him the 'best' because the consistent quality in his massive volume of work, along with the fact that his catalog stretches over many genres that he sampled from, or made music in that style.

Personally i'm a dilla fan, but this came from me stumbling upon his music and loving it before I ever heard of the hype behind his name.

[timmytoga]

I am one of those people that legitimately thinks Dilla is the g.o.a.t.

If you're looking for a good place to start, might I suggest you listen to the Thank You Jay Dee Mixes by J Rocc...

[Chopperman]

Most people consider him the 'best' because the consistent quality in his massive volume of work, along with the fact that his catalog stretches over many genres that he sampled from, or made music in that style.

Personally i'm a dilla fan, but this came from me stumbling upon his music and loving it before I ever heard of the hype behind his name.

Agreed.

Years and years of producing classic after classic is what makes Dilla the greatest, or at least one of. Check out some of his work with Tribe, Slum Village, Busta Rhymes, Common, De La Soul, The Pharcyde, The Roots, just to name a few.

I guess part of his supreme legend status is due to his early passing. The man made some of his best work during some of his last days. He never fell off.

[Chopperman]

If you're looking for a good place to start, might I suggest you listen to the Thank You Jay Dee Mixes by J Rocc...

Good call.

[1616]

I guess part of his supreme legend status is due to his early passing.

It's the main reason. He wouldn't get the attraction if he still alive.

Don't get me wrong, I love his works too.

[knobsmcgee]

the stans have gone too far, yet that doesnt diminish the man's accomplishments and talent.

-his drum work is unparalleled, period.
-complete stylistic changes, and mastery over each
-absolute killer basslines
-encyclopedic record knowledge
-subtle inventiveness without a cliche trademark "sound"
-10,000 hr work ethic
-engineering abilities the likes of which we havent seen in a "beatmaker"
-made multiple beats that made me question my very existence MANY times over

seemingly, there's nothing he couldnt do with beats

[Mr. Davenport]

I am being honest here so I wanna just clear the air for all you die hard "Dilla is the greatest ever!" dudes who go apeshit about this. I am in no way disrespecting J-Dilla, ok?
I have never heard anything by him that flat out blew me away. Yes he made some great beats, no doubt about it. But a lot of these dudes never even heard of him til after he passed. Look, just because someone else says so and so is the greatest doesn't mean it is. Maybe to them it is but everyone should have their own personal tastes that let them for their own favorite. It's kinda like the whole "Madlib Craze". It seems people almost trick themselves into thinking they just love his shit to no end and then you got all those dudes trying to sound exactly like him and Dilla. Dilla was a great producer/beatmaker but his legacy has taken on some kinda weird cult following. It amazes me that people like exile or RJD2 don't get nearly the praise. Exile "Radio" is one of the greatest beat tapes I've ever heard and never even gets mentioned on this forum...wait, that's right he made it with an MPC not an sp

[Chopperman]

Regardless, you have to respect Dilla, as well as Madlib, as well as anyone who makes it to the top with dignity intact.

[Chopperman]

You can't tell, but that period is in bold font.

[Om_Audio]

Have never heard this stuff but this thread piqued my interest:

Thank You Jay Dee, Act 1, mixed by J Rocc:
http://www.rappcats.com/thank-you-jay-dee-act-1/

Thank You Jay Dee, Act 2, mixed by J Rocc:
http://www.rappcats.com/thank-you-jay-dee-act-2/

Thank You Jay Dee, Act 3 & 4 mixed by J Rocc:
http://www.rappcats.com/thank-you-jay-dee-act-3/

[Mr. Davenport]

Regardless, you have to respect Dilla, as well as Madlib, as well as anyone who makes it to the top with dignity intact.

Indeed, as I stated above with all due respect. I really like Madlib's static invasion or whatever it's called, but is he overrated? I think so, by a long shot. Dilla not as overrated, but still overrated nonetheless.