Happy Heavenly Birthday to Detroit’s Own J.Dilla
When you think of Detroit’s hip-hop roots, J.Dilla is one person that stands out among the rest. Born February 7,1974, J.Dilla emerged on the underground hip-hop scene in the mid to late 90’s as a member of Detroit rap group “Slum Village.” He quickly became one of the most polarizing record producers in hip-hop. The “Get Dis Money,” producer worked closely with artists/groups like A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip, and Common, in his short, but promising career. J.Dilla died on February 10th 2006, in his home in California due to cardiac arrest. He was just 32 years young.
On February 1st, 2022 author Dan Charnas released a new book titled, “Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm.” Charnas sat down with Tati Amare on ”Live in the D” to discuss his new book. Charnas says that the book isn’t just about Dilla, the book also focuses on Detroit as well. He believes Dilla re-made rhythm, but Detroit made Dilla. Charnas said Detroit became like a second home to him in the late 90’s. He said that while Dilla wasn’t very popular during his era, he created an entirely new rhythmic feel that people have been using for over 20 years. According to Charnas, Jazz, Pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop have all used the “Dilla feel.” Detroit, help 105.9 Kiss celebrate the life and legacy of not only Detroit’s, but hip-hop’s most beloved producers.
