Drummer, producer, dj and mastermind behind the roots, questlove, dropped by the red bull music academy recently to talk about j dilla marking ten years since dilla s untimely passing from from a rare blood disorder, the red bull music academy hosted a series of events celebrating the producers short but ultimately impressive career, topping things off with a keynote speech from questlove. Questlove breaks down the roots things fall apart songs. J dilla, one of my heroes, was in love with the cassette. Kazuya3171jedi1200 born in detroits harmonie park in 1973, james dewett yancey was raised in conant gardens, a small, treelined area located on the north. But now he breaks from polite conversation, distracted by an impossibly funky groove being laid down by a. Dilla lent his touch to tracks for a tribe called quest, busta rhy mes, common, mos def, slum village, the pharcyde, and, of course, the roots, among others. During the 2019 ascap music expo questlove stated he stopped creating music. How j dilla distilled detroit techno on welcome 2 detroit track. Yancey began his career as the producer for detroit hip hop group, slum village, and as a member of the production trio the ummah, before launching a solo career in the early 2000s. Questlove stashed unreleased j dilla beat for the roots. This was a dangelo session, so he kept playing that bassline for, like, 20 minutes straight.
Questlove remembers j dillas final days in donuts book spin. Questlove speaks on how j dillas death impacted him and. To questlove s shock and awe, dilla did so to perfection, purely off of memory. Mar 31, 2020 the roots drummer and tonight show bandleader picks apart exactly why fellow producer just blazes talent for finding and flipping samples in unexpected combinations is both inspiring and infuriating. There have been a lot of tributes to j dilla this week due to the anniversaries of both his birth and passing. In this book, we witness the astronomer mapping the constellations, reminding us to keep our heads to the sky and remember that our greatest gifts are hiding in plain sight. Feb 25, 2021 in the 15 years since his death, the music of james dewit yancey aka j dilla has been meticulously analyzed, passionately debated, and consistently referenced. Watch questlove spin four hours of stevie wonder classics and. It makes sense that dilla is so revered in music circles. So instead, he would express himself through the beats he made. Questloves new book creative quest by nzinga lejeune the. He is the musical director for the tonight show starring jimmy fallon, where the roots serve as the house band, and a fourtime grammy awardwinning musician.
A hip hop stalwart with an encyclopedic knowledge of music to boot, ahmir questlove thompson is the drummer for the roots also the house band for the tonight show with jimmy fallon and has played for the likes of elvis costello, dangelo and jay z. James poyser and the soulquarians to the mix, along with dj premier and karriem riggins. An inspiration to a whole new generation of young beat makers, musicians, and artists in the words of ahmir questlove thompson. Friday, february 7th was dilla day the birthday of james dewitt yancey. Questlove speaks on how j dillas death impacted him and more. In this lecture at the 20 red bull music academy, questlove returned to the couch. Jun 14, 2019 questlove also elaborates on some of his great collaborations with close friend detroit late great producer j dilla. J dilla then known as jay dee hung with dance as well as hiphop producers, and remixed acts for planet e.
Dillas passing, hot 97 in new york kept friday guest dj spot open for. Apr 25, 2014 in his 33 book, j dillas donuts, author jordan ferguson explores one of the most quintessential hiphop albums in recent history, interviewing dozens of sources who knew the man born james. He was also a founding member of the production collective known as the soulquarians along with ahmir questlove thompson, dangelo and james poyser amongst others which earned him more recognition. He would often use a track just for a cassette hiss. Common time travelin a tribute to fela questlove comments over music yeah, this is probably the only song that the actual, initial four soulquarians are playing on.
In his 33 book, j dillas donuts, author jordan ferguson explores one of the. His last beat samples funkadelics america eats its young record and really. The band soon rejuvenated hiphop with a flurry of instrumental and vocal energy. Drawing inspiration from their surroundings, the crew worked on a clutch of unforgettable albums. A quarantined questlove combed through the towering catalog of stevie wonder in his latest livestreamed dj set. Questlove j dilla tribute mix mixtape ambrosia for heads. Dilla, bilal, qtip, mos def, and talib kweli turned electric lady studios into a hub of musical innovation.
The last real highlight of the lecture was when he played one of the last beats j dilla ever produced. He also hipped questlove to the thomas bangalter twelveinches on roule he was. The following list catalogs songwriting, musician and production credits for james yancey, also known as jay dee and j dilla. Questlove on j dillas sampling techniques red bull. Mar 21, 2018 whatever one may think j dilla stands for in the history of hip hop and soul, its clear that he was a revolutionary figure who truly shifted how people thought about production.
Kanye west, bjork, j dilla and more to be featured in a 33. Questlove joined ben harper and john paul jones for the bonnaroo superjam on june 16, 2007, to play a 97minute set. J dilla music tech grant grants for music education. How the soulquarians birthed dangelos voodoo and transformed. On october 22, 20, harper design published the questlove authored book, soul. I remember listening to a mix interview questlove did about dilla, and i remember quest saying he was my mentor. So ill loop a dilla song and based on the duh, like, based on the reaction or that, i can tell already, ok, somewhere between the class of 95 and 2010. Retrieved 20 vaeda 1,157 words view diff exact match in.
On the eve of the 15th anniversary of j dillas death, bbe have. James poyser is on organ, this bassline that you hear, dilla was playing that on the rhodes. We asked questlove, drummer of the roots, to make a new kind of summer mixtape. J dilla is to rhythm what john coltrane is to harmony and louis armstrong is to melody. To try and best dilla s mastery with the hiphop competitive spirit, questlove tried to attempt the same feat. On friday, questlove joined ascap chairman, paul williams, at the i create. Ahmir questlove thompson said it took him five years to get over the death of j dilla, the detroit rapper and fellow soulquarians producer who died following complications from lupus in 2006.
After a stint on mca records, the vast majority of yanceys work, both as an artist and. Hiphop producer james dewett yancey, better known as j dilla, elevated the art of. Music of my mind and talking book both of which were also recorded in electric lady studios. Last week cee talked with pete rock about heavy d, and this morning questlove played an hour of songs produced by j dilla. In his 33 book, j dillas donuts, author jordan ferguson explores one of the most quintessential hiphop albums in recent history, interviewing dozens of sources who knew the man born james. Questloves new book creative quest by nzinga lejeune. J dilla instrumentals users who reposted the best of j dilla instrumentals playlists containing the best of j dilla instrumentals. Today, friday february 10th, we remember j dilla s passing in 2006, just a few days after his 32nd birthday. In his 33 book, j dillas donuts, author jordan ferguson explores one of the most quintessential hiphop albums in recent history. This essay is adapted from his new book, playing changes.
Questlove remembers j dillas final days in donuts book. Questlove says he stopped making music after j dillas. He is a devoted student of music who has spent years studying the set lists and techniques of some of the most important djs in history, a few of which have left a lasting impression. Now available new book mixtape potluck, now available. Questlove helped design the sparse funk, soul and hip hop beats on the generally groovebased record. He also happens to be one of the most knowledgeable, talented and celebrated musicians that hiphop has to offer. In the midtolate 1990s, jay dee introduced his wonkyness to the world, writing the book on warm, filtered. What does the world sound like to its greatest drummers. Dilla s musical creations, there are a few of us out there. Feb 10, 2012 download questloves j dilla tribute mix. In 2007 he provided the foreword for the book check the technique. Scott heins, early on in the book, just as he begins to make his case, ferguson offers up a rather exemplary articulation of why donuts deserves a book, why its myth is manicured so delicately, and why we love it so. The philadelphiabased bands drummer, questlove, was a good friend of dilla s. A philadelphia native, questlove cofounded the roots in 1987.
Dilla s passing, hot 97 in new york kept friday guest dj spot open for. Dilla beats j dilla instrumentals live mix youtube. Sign up for the complex newsletter for breaking news, events, and unique stories. James dewitt yancey february 7, 1974 february 10, 2006, better known by the stage names j dilla and jay dee, was an american record producer and rapper who emerged in the mid1990s underground hip hop scene in detroit, michigan, as one third of the music group slum village. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on youtube. He was also a member of the soulquarians, a musical collective active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2003, he played drums on john mayers song clarity from his second album.
Dilla is one of the most legendary producers to ever grace hiphop culture. Here, we run an excerpt from the book that lands with the release. In later interviews, questlove discussed that he and dangelo incorporated much of the distinctive percussive rhythms of detroit hip hop producer, slum villagemember and the ummahaffiliate j dilla, also known as jay dee. Drummer and producer ahmir questlove thompson is a quincy jones for our times. On march 2, 2009, questlove and the roots began their run as house band for late night with jimmy fallon. Questlove speaks on j dillas final days, losing inspiration. Dangelo, questlove, james poyser and j dilla hunkered down in greenwich.
Described by the roots black thought as the most gifted. Questo opens up about j dilla s passing, the toll it took on his work, and his final gift from the pioneering producer. May 04, 2019 questlove says he stopped making music after j dilla s death unless it was a roots album, i pretty much had stopped working and collaborating with other people. Electric lady hadnt seen such activity for a while. J dilla was not well as he worked to finish his now widely heralded donuts. Watch questlove spin four hours of stevie wonder classics. For those of you who dont know, in the book outliers, by malcolm gladwell, his. Dilla s use of technology to further his art is proof of hip hops reliance on and celebration of digital production, but also of what it is capable of. Questlove remembers that time dilla inspired him to play. In honor of dilla day, questlove shares a candid video of j dilla playing drums in a soulquarians session for commons electric circus lp circa june 2002. Dilla was amazingi honestly can say hes my single most favorite person in hip hop. Questlove s j dilla tribute mix via missinfo the 50 best j dilla songs. We asked the roots drummer to make a new kind of season. Questlove on j dillas sampling techniques red bull music.
J dilla is without question, one of the illest beat makersever. Ahmir khalib thompson born january 20, 1971, known professionally as questlove stylized. Hank willis thomas questlove is a powerful, slightly nerdy seeker, a repository of curiosity, depth, and soul. Questlove on why j dilla was the best rap producer of all. Questlove says he stopped making music after j dillas death. When he passed away in 2016, dilla left a soulful gap in the hiphop landscape.
He explains how sick dilla was at the time and that he couldnt really express himself through words. The iconic producer, mc, and dj would have turned 45 years old. Like in my head, i thought, ok, my little post j dilla approach to drumming, this. May 22, 2020 we asked questlove, drummer of the roots, to make a new kind of summer mixtape. Each mix is curated by a different guest dj, and this mornings came via.
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