At first I wanted to write a super nerdy breakdown of Fantastic Vol. 2 what I believe to be the only classic made in the last 10 years. But that piece would have taken me three days and I am on the road without that much time. And that should be a book unto itself. So instead I am going to run down a brief list of my favorite and what I believe to be the most important Dilla songs in his
catalogue.
1. “I Don’t Know”, Slum Village, Fantastic Vol.2, Goodvibe
I could not think of a better record to start off a classic album (“Conant Gardens’ is like an extended intro).
I am not sure how or even if he cleared all these James Brown samples. I tend to think there is no way. It would have cost far more than Barack or Goodvibe (remember them) could have afforded.
The word play is classic SV and the vocal arrangement is a prime example of the trio’s MC skills. There are no Rakim’s but here you see their ability to weave their vocals into the track, not on top of it.
2. “Fuck Da Police” 12-inch, Up Above
“Don’t say damn, just say whoaaaaaaa.” Was never sure what larger project this was a part of or was it a one-off for Up Above, an American front for a Japanese label. It is also not clear when this was recorded but it is clearly a post Slum Village track. Here you begin to see a side of Jay Dee that would mark his solo work. More outspoken, more vulgar, more engaged. As much of a team player that he was, he clearly enjoyed being a solo artist and a one man band. The Fred Wesley sample on here is just beautiful. The best part is the span from about 1:40 to 1:55 where the vocals disappear for no apparent reason. Classic Slum Village/Dilla minimalism/Scat/Fuck you.
3. “Pause” Frank-N-Dank, Welcome 2 Detroit, BBE
Another post SV song that let us all know that a solo Dilla was gonna be a problem. Frank N Dank were like a more ignorant Slum Village (as if The S were some sort of Ivy League intellectuals but still…). While Jay Dee felt he was competing with Baatin and T3 he was clearly the Svengali with Frank N Dank. They seemed to be more like Dilla in terms of strip clubs, holding heat and braggadocio. And with the joint he gave them one of his best tracks. To Frank and Dank’s credit they rode the beat perfectly. This was released on Rawkus then incorporated into the BBE record. Without a doubt the best song on ‘Welcome To Detroit.’
4. Pharcyde, “Drop”, Labcabincalifornia Delicious Vinyl
Dilla had just joined the Ummah and was only known to an inner circle including Delicious Vinyl head Michael Ross. The Pharcyde had dismissed J-Swift as their main producer and on their wonderful second album “Labcabincalifornia” they featured a young Jay Dee. This is a great example of early Jay Dee. This is before he truly embraced the minimalist approach. This and “Runnin” were still simple compositions but had a more polished tone. More reminiscent of the Q-Tip solo work than the Soulquarian or Common production.
5. “Vivrant Thing”, Q-Tip, Amplified, Motown
This song horrified may A Tribe Called Quest fans with its playboy tone and Hype Williams video. On the other hand this song re-introduced Q-Tip to a whole new generation. To first generation Tribe fans the Boho rapper from Queens gave birth to the fur coat wearing stud from Queens. This is on the list because it is one of the talents that Dilla had that many of his contemporaries did not – the ability to make a hit record. Whether you value it or not it is a skill. His ability to make a classic or underground hit record was undeniable. But unlike many contemporaries Dilla was able to straddle the line. Make crossover hits while never losing integrity. “Vivrant Thing” was a Q-Tip song. It was not Q-Tip selling his soul. Insiders will also tell you that the promiscuous, iced out dude in the video was the Q-Tip they knew and the dashiki wearing hippie had died years ago. Dilla dressed him up and showed him to us.
We will return to this but other other notable Dilla tracks (not already mentioned during Dilla week):
“Stake Is High” De La Soul
“Get A Hold” ATCQ
“McNasty Filth” Jaylib
“The Look Of Love” J-88
“Make ‘Em NV” Ruff Draft
“Come Get It” Welcome 2 Detroit
Go Deeper and cop Your J Dilla music and gear here
