Video

How J Dilla Humanized The MPC3000

Estelle Caswell discussed how J Dilla made his MPC3000 musical for Vox. Many musicians are synonymous with their instrument of choice – Jimi and his guitar, Questlove and his drums, Dorothy Ashby and her harp. And then there’s J Dilla and his MPC3000. In effect, J Dilla was a Jimi, Questlove, and Dorothy thanks to …

J Dilla - Donuts
J Dilla - Donuts

Estelle Caswell discussed how J Dilla made his MPC3000 musical for Vox.

Many musicians are synonymous with their instrument of choice – Jimi and his guitar, Questlove and his drums, Dorothy Ashby and her harp. And then there’s J Dilla and his MPC3000. In effect, J Dilla was a Jimi, Questlove, and Dorothy thanks to the MPC’s capabilities but he was so much more than that.

For Vox, Estelle Caswell examined Dilla’s artistry with the Akai machine and how he made it so iconic. The video also stars Brian “Raydar” Ellis, emcee and Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music who touches on the musical intricacies of Dilla’s work, such as the move away from quantization and his Minimoog bass. For anyone new to Dilla’s music, the MPC3000’s capabilities, or in need of an inspirational jolt, put aside 10 minutes of your day and watch this.

How J Dilla humanized his MPC3000
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