In certain circles, asking where you were when you found out James Yancey—better known as Jay Dee or J Dilla—died is like asking the same question about JFK's assassination to people of a different generation. This is not an exaggeration. J Dilla was that important. His presence was huge and the void created by his absence is enormous.
Just like the untimely passing of any great man, J Dilla's death is so heart-breaking because there will never be another Jay Dee. The man was one of a kind. His passing is even more crushing, as the man—only 32 years old—was at the peak of his musical powers when he passed in 2006. What James Yancey could have produced if given 20, 10, five, even one more year is unimaginable.
But there's no point in focusing on what the man could've done, especially when what he did do is so incredible. In fact, like Jimi Hendrix, the man's recorded output was so immense in his short lifetime, that it will take many, many years before it's all released. Jay Dee may have passed on, but his music just keeps coming.
The most recent in the string of both official and unofficial posthumous releases is "Jay Stay Paid." The album, which was released this summer by Nature Sounds Records, was put together over three years by Jay Dee's mother, affectionately known as Ma Dukes, and the legendary producer Pete Rock, a hero of Jay Dee's. The album is a compilation of previously unreleased music, assembled from the innumerable floppy-disks and DAT tapes that Dilla recorded during his many hospital stays while battling thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, a rare blood disease.
The album listens like a radio show, with host DJ Pete Rock presiding over the whole thing. It features guest vocals by many friends and collaborators of J Dilla's, including MF DOOM, Black Thought of The Roots, M.O.P. and Raekwon of The Wu-Tang Clan.
The album certainly holds it own with the finest Dilla releases-"The Shining," "Welcome 2 Detroit," "Ruff Draft," "Jay Love Japan" and "Donuts." After the "KJay FM Dedication" opener, the second track, "King," hits with its serene, murky groove.
If you're new to Jay Dee's music, look no further; put on your headphones, turn up the volume, and let yourself escape into the world of J Dilla. It's a transcendental experience, really.
"Jay Stay Paid" has something for everyone. From the dark, street-wise "24K Rap" featuring Raekwon to the otherworldly, neo-baroque funk of "In the Night (Owl N Out)" to the grooving, celebratory "Smoke," the album showcases the many sides of the man. It's an absolute must-have for Dilla-devotees and with its 28 tracks, those less familiar with Jay Dee's music will certainly find plenty to get attached to.
Like all the best J Dilla releases, "Jay Stay Paid" is an example of what hip-hop music can achieve. It showcases a combination of soulfulness, subtlety, texture, as well as both complexity and simplicity. When you turn on your stereo, you find a blending of heart (soul, feeling, emotion...) and mind (complexity, intellectualism, cerebrality...) to which all music-makers should aspire.
As a result, Jay Dee's beats touch you in a way that no other music can. Its simplicity draws you in. Its complexity keeps you interested. Its deep layers and textures bring you to another place. And its heart and soul, its rhythmic sense, its indescribable "feel," connect with you on a visceral level.
The experience of listening to J Dilla's best music is at once both physical and metaphysical. In not so many words, it's like nothing else in this world.
Although James Yancey made enough music to keep his estate busy churning out new releases for many years, the man obviously did not leave behind an infinite amount of music. Eventually, a day will come when the last Dilla beat is released. That will be it. The story will be over. Never again will you be able to utter the words, "New Dilla." This will be a sad day.
Rest in Peace, Jay Dee.