The Hustle Simmons Report

When it comes to Dilla, it's not too many words I can say, I just resort to shaking my head and trying to find the words to fit the feeling I can't seem to conjure. He wasn't a description, he was a feeling. What he did for hip-hop music and music in general was indescribable. Just ask anybody who's familiar with his music...and watch their reactions. He touched so many of us anonymously, many didn't know who he was, although, they were very familiar with his music. Most people knew him from his work with Common, but many of Hip-Hop's classics were produced by him. I connected with Dilla, unbeknownst to me, on Tribe's "Beats, Rhymes, & Life" album. While I was a Tribe fan from "Low End Theory", I had no idea that these beats I was loving so much, while still in the ATCQ framework, were being produced by Dilla. Now that I go back and listen to them, it's as apparent as Dolly Parton's titties, but I didn't know that then. Songs like "Word Play", "The Jam", and have Dilla's fingerprint all over them.

My first big opportunity in the music business came as a chance to do a remix for The Pharcyde for a song called "Return of the B-Boy". I knew them from "Passing Me By" and "Otha Fish", but jumped at the chance. This was right before the release of the 2nd album which featured a new producer named Jay Dee. After my situation fell thru (L.A. was hit by a huge earthquake, and after the chaos & dust settled, the A&R wasn't at the label anymore) I hear this new song, "Runnin". I'm like "Wow, that's how I want my drums!" The Stan Getz sample was classic enough, but me being a drum fanatic, I was paying attention to the drum pattern. "Who is this guy?", I remembered asking myself. The sample contains all the percussion already, but it's not easy to program a beat over, trust me. Dilla pulled it off in top form, but I still wasn't aware of his genius. That was my first run in with Mr. Dilla.

The next I heard about Dilla, I was in Busta Rhymes room at the Impact Music Conference in Nashville in '99 and he was letting everyone who was there listen to songs from his upcoming "Anarchy" album. Busta tells us he doesn't know which songs are gonna make it to the final cut, but proceeds to put the tape in and go thru each song. Many of the songs actually made it, but as he playing the tape, this one beat comes on. Instant screwface. The beat was so ill, I told you, I'm a sucker for drums, and these drums slapped you up like you stole something from them, I ask Buss, "Who produced that joint?" He says "This cat from Detroit named Jay Dee". Turns out that beats I heard were "Live It Up" and "Show Me What You Got" off Busta's Anarchy album. Now I'm paying attention, I gotta find out who this guy is. On a side note, another one of those sick ass beats I heard was produced by a young Scott Storch, which ended up appearing on the album as "Bladow". But, I digress.

All of these songs I was in love with had one common denominator. J. Dilla. As I became more aware of him, the more I felt a connectedness to his sound. "This is what my drums are supposed to sound like", I'd say. Even though I sample, I play keys too, so I utilized them both to achieve my sound. But, Dilla chopped his samples more than Benihana and made use of filters, FX, and his main contribution to Hip-Hop, his drum programming skills. His rhythm existed juuuust outside the pocket, but other drum elements in the sequence would be on a stiff 4/4. He'd chop breakbeats, that's how he kept that analog sound to his drums, he didn't use digital drum machines. But, how he used swing and quantization, was in-credible! After it was all done and said, everything was always in the pocket, sometimes the pocket was looser than others, but it always stayed in, no matter how off it felt.

By this time, I knew his sound before even knowing who produced it. Janet Jackson, De La Soul, Erykah Badu, whoever it was, as soon as I heard those off kilter drums and that bassline, yup....that Dilla. Then I got Slum Village's album Vol.2...let's just say, I haven't been the same since. It was sonically one of the best masterpieces I'd ever heard. Mecca & The Soul Brother's still up there, but I drowned out all the raps and got closer to the beats. This was groundbreaking material, there wasn't ONE sample I heard on there that ANYBODY used...not one. You gotta understand, I'm looking at it from a producer's standpoint, not as a consumer or lyricist, but a purely organic one. It's like he was a prototype, it's like God only made one of him to show producers what they could be, if they really tried. Then came Common's album. While the world was finally being exposed to his music on a more mainstream level, I laughed to myself, because I knew who he was, and I was clowning everyone for being so late. I took pride it telling people about his body of work, with many of the reactions being, "He did that?" Yup, he did, and you had no clue. We've been enjoying his work and didn't even know his name or what he looked like. Nowadays, you hear about the producer before you hear who rhyming on the track. Man, what I would've gave to hear him make a beat.

His passing had a profound effect on me. All kinds of existential, contemplative thoughts came into my head. Life and death questions, the purpose of life questions, things like that. I mean, how could he be gone? He had so much to offer, so much to give. It seems all visionaries leave earth seemingly too soon, and Dilla's no exception. Not to sound cold, but dammit, Keith Richard is still alive?! It's like our truly gifted are taken so we can see the genius in them, and strive to better ourselves. But, how do drug addicted, leather faced, incoherent asshats, live to be 90, while a man in the prime of his life, with a gift still unparalleled, get taken away before 35...Only God knows these answers, and I trust his judgment, after all, He gave Dilla to us, didn't He? I had these same questions when my good friend Static Major died after a botched procedure in the hospital. Static wrote all of Aaliyah's 1# songs, Ginuwine, Pretty Ricky, Truth Hurts, and was responsible for Lil Wayne's #1 smash, "Lollipop" which got him a posthumous Grammy. I will have a post dedicated to him as well. As I listen to Dilla's music, I think to what music would be with him here. In the era of skinny jeans, singers who can't sing, producers that produce nothing but regurgitated vomit and prostitutes passing themselves off divas, and to top it off, a repeat of 80's New Wave fashion all over again (I lived thru that weird time, let's keep it there, mm-kay?) will the industry ever get back to real music?..In my opinion, Hip-Hop died on February 13, 2006.

The most hurtful thing about his whole legacy is how his estate is being handled after his death. Dilla took out loans to help finance his hospital bills and was in a mountain of debt when he died. His mom suffers from Lupus as well, she lost the house and lives in the projects, under enormous pressure mounting from Dilla's hospitalization bills. She get no money from her own son's body of work. His children are being supported by Social Security and the people that are making money from pimping Dilla's death for profit, have a special place in Hell reserved for them. I know there are those that do help, but others, have effectively blocked his family out from the business dealings and issues of his estate. If you really, really respect and admire Dilla, help out his mother and his children. Find a way to get in touch with Ms. Yancey personally and see how you can help, don't go thru an organization or charity, do it directly, if possible. Let's honor him by taking care of his mom, after all, she has Lupus too. James Yancey, your purpose here was for a reason, one we listen to daily. For those you inspire, for those you influence, you gave a gift not many of us are able to give. The gift of reaching a happy place in people thru your music. People from around the world, regardless of ethnicity, age, background, or affiliation. There are a handful of people on Earth granted with a gift such as that, and it's true for me that J. Dilla saved my life. He influenced me in a way that can't be gauged with any instrument. He exposed me to techniques and methods I'm still deciphering today. Producing music has kept me from running the streets, getting caught up with chickenheads, and going in and out of jail. Your music freed me, kept me intrigued, made me scratch my head, and made me jump outta my chair. We will always miss you Dilla, but God allowed your vibrations to continue to exist as music, so you're only gone in the physical  sense, but your essence remains, and I'm thankful to have it. Thank you Dilla, for saving my life, and may you rest in peace brother...




RUNNIN - Dilla's drums patterns was totally unpredictable & unorthodox. This was Dilla's 1st offering to the world...

NAG CHAMPA- Joints like this is when Dilla's in that "riding music" vibe, this appeared on Common's album. Beats like this go on infinite repeat...

DIME PIECE- To me, this was one of Dilla's most creative beats. I liked The Shining, but when THIS joint came on, it completely left me speechless...

PLAYERS- These have got to be the hardest drums ever for a Hip-Hop beat. Dilla's trademark "just off a bit" drums kills the sick ass sample he uses. You'd have to hear where he got this sample from to appreciate his genius...

FUNKY FOR YOU- Another of those joints where you KNOW Dilla was in a "happy place" when he made it. He had an ability to make R&B-type joints that had an edge on it so sharp, it could cut air...the drums are, as usual, pure screwface...

FLYYYY-This beat has "hypnotic" written all over it...in my opinion, many of Dilla's beats didn't need NO LYRICS over 'em...they stood on their own

DESTINY- Dilla's beats MAKE you nod your head, period. You can't sit still and listen to his beats.

**BIG UP TO MY HOMIE JON ZARO FOR PUTTING ME ONTO FLYING LOTUS, SHOWING ME YOU CAN TEACH AND OLD DOG NEW TRICKS!! IT  DOESN'T MATTER YOUR AGE BRO,  AS LONG AS YOU GOT IT.....

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