The iconic night for Dilla is back for another year, featuring usual suspects Spin Doctor, Kidkanevil, DJ Lok, and a live performance from Phat Kat. Due to commitments every year since I last went in 2012, I’ve yet to return to J Dilla Changed My Life. It makes me sad but thems the breaks (pun intended). But the UK’s only official Dilla tribute night continues…
Barcelona-based beatmaker Thijsenterprise drops mammoth beat tape, Stepbacks & Setbacks, dedicated to some important people in his life. “Old school hip-hop with soul and jazz samples, dusty breaks and raw chops.” With a description like that, I just had to listen when this dropped in my inbox. Thijsenterprise (real name Reinier Thijs) is a producer from Barcelona and Stepbacks & Setbacks is his latest project. 42…
Power 106 Los Angeles got DJ VinRican to mix tracks from Champion Sound with the samples they used. It’s officially dope. Say what you want about WhoSampled but I’m sure many of us have searched through and marvelled at the samples used in our favourite tracks. I’ve done it with Jaylib before but there’s always a slight disconnect between the track and the sample when…
You’re now tuned into The Donuts Network, our new YouTube playlist dedicated to J Dilla. Have you ever needed a burst of inspiration and struggled to find it? That was me on Friday night. Then I noticed a saved playlist on my YouTube account. It was the Bling47 Dilla Edition series and it gave me the jolt I needed. Whatever your reason or need, Dilla…
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…
To celebrate Thelonious Monk’s 100th birthday, we take a look at five samples from the iconic jazz pianist. He was a trailblazer with his improv style, wide-ranging melodic shifts, and trademark fashions. Thelonious Monk was born on this day in 1917. We have been blessed to have had him in our presence, physically and musically. In commemoration of this, we have compiled a list of…
Stro Elliot and co performed live renditions of some of Dilla’s greatest composition. Talent is energy and when it’s exuded, you get moments like these. A big shout out to Stro Elliot for the incredible live drumming, which despite the sound and rhythm, wasn’t done on a real kit as you’ll witness below. Shouts to PlayList Retreat.
30 minutes of intriguing conversation between Joe Kay of Soulection and Peanut Butter Wolf of Stones Throw. Joe Kay had Stones Throw owner and legendary hip hop figure Peanut Butter Wolf on his show talking about everything from Dilla and Madlib to the inner-workings of owning a record label. Stream it below.
For our 100th Song for Sunday, we’ve chosen The Orb’s Dilla’s Moon Quake. It’s been a long time coming but we’re finally on #100 and what better way to celebrate than with a Dilla tribute. In 2015, electronica duo The Orb released “Moonbuilding 2703 AD” and as a bonus track, they included Dilla’s Moon Quake. The 10 minute track acts as a beautiful homage to…
TUAMIE channels some “Moon Energy” on his latest album. When it comes to TUAMIE, it’s all about those straight beats and loops; no frills, no mess, no fuss. It’s minimalist in composition and captures a vibe in a similar vein to J Dilla with his batch tapes. A more ardent critique may call it repetitive. We call it a groove.
