February62012

james yancey R.I.P. (originally posted Feb 11th, 2006) 
Current mood: crushed

i’m heading to Tower Records to purchase “Donuts” at around 3pm Friday (Feb.10th) and I get the message on IM from one of my greatest inspirations in life (DJ Jazzy Jeff) that my absolute favorite producer PERIOD and fellow Motor City representer JayDee has passed away…

knowing that Jeff would never joke about something of this magnitude, i sit motionless for about 20 minutes thinking of all the beautiful beats this guy has ever done and realize that we’re NEVER gonna hear another producer willing to just throw caution to the wind and make shit from the heart. a guy who never gave a shit about making “hits”, someone who knew how to freak the shit outta samples that other producers have used and worn out completely but yet and still managed to make it sound COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, and most importantly, CLASSIC. i’m about to reflect on the first time I ever heard Dilla, pay attention…

as most of you know, i’ve been living in Atlanta for a while now so I can’t claim to know about every beat Dilla ever did in his life or that I grew up with him in Conant Gardens or what have you…

what I do know is that i used to get a lotta vinyl in the mail in my college radio days (92’-97’ (wras 88.5) and some of the joints would have “slum village remixes” on them. not knowing who or what the hell slum village was at the time, my curiousity was piqued because the beats were some of the craziest shit i’d ever heard. then once the Pharcyde “runnin” joint came out I began seeing the name James Yancey and the Ummah a lot more on remixes and what have you. then, i heard De La Soul’s “Stakes Is High” on a Tommy Boy cassette sampler on the way back to Atlanta from the Impact convention in Nashville in April of 96’ while riding with DJ Nabs. I SWEAR we rewound that shit about 15 times, like it was just the illest shit in the world. then, I heard A Tribe Called Quest’s “Get A Hold” (oh my GOD!!!) and “Wordplay” on the “Beats, Rhymes, and Life” album from 96’ and THEN “Find A Way” and “The Love” from “The Love Movement” album in 98’ (@$%!%^!*!!!!)

i know i’m probably skipping over a whole assload of his key joints he’d produced for everyone else up until this point (98’) but these are the ones that specifically spoke to ME and made me rewind the records over and over like what in the hell did he use for this? how the hell did he chop that, or filter that, what have you…(producer lingo)

and THEN…

Jen Boogie (one of my all time favorite record reps) sends me this black cassette in late 98’ that looked like it had been through HELL AND BACK with tape covering up the holes on top with a note attached saying “PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS SHIT, it’s Jaydee’s group Slum Village. You’re from Detroit and it would be UNFAIR for me NOT to share this with you.” 

even though it was a 20th generation copy lol, it was IMPOSSIBLE to deny the dopeness. Players??? the “original” version of Climax with the Al B. Sure “nite & day” sample in it??? Forth and Back??? I Don’t Know??? Can you say WHAT THE FUCK any louder than in these caps??? I was on a MISSION to find this shit on wax so I could expose my listeners on v103 to it. God bless DJ Rage for finding the bootleg white label vinyl single that had Players and I Don’t Know and 2U4U on it, he gave it to me and I swear I ran that shit in the GROUND every weekend for damn near 2 years straight on the air. Other than 88.5, NOBODY in Atlanta repped SV on the radio like me and I think all of Atlanta can vouch for me on that one, LOL. 

i remember helping create a super ass buzz on this group that had folks in line waiting to buy the entire album on BOOTLEG Interscope vinyl (the one with the fake ass skyline cover, haha) at Fat Beats Atlanta and the J-88 “look of love” remix where he used 2 different versions of “inside my love” on the SAME TRACK and MURDERED IT??? i DARE anyone else to try to use that shit and make the same impact. (oops!!! you can’t because Dilla freaked it yet AGAIN on Busta Rhymes latest album…)


The Common album??? Dynamite (the roots)??? Fantastic Vol.1 and 2??? D’Angelo??? Janet??? Erykah Badu??? Welcome To Detroit???? Q-Tip??? The Magnificent EP??? Spacek??? Frank N Dank??? Toshi Kubota??? the Blackstar “little brother” joint??? Jaylib??? Y’all know I could go on and on and on but I shouldn’t have to…


y’all know his work behind the boards as well as the mic was THOROUGH and this is why I feel that ANY DJ who knows what the fuck dope hiphop really is should do a MANDATORY Dilla set from now on in his memory, whether it be on the radio, in the club, mixtape, whatever!!! Just DO IT (like NIKE), no questions asked…


And if my nigga isn’t on the COVER of Scratch within the next 2 issues i’m cancelling my subscription!!!! (he made the cover, sort of. i appreciate the effort from ?uestlove and crew rocking the r.i.p. Dilla shirts and all but c’mon. it woulda been a classic cover with his face on it and y’all know i’m right) 

do like I did and buy 5 copies of Donuts, cause if y’all can buy all that “trap and snap” SHIT, you can also support a true genius laid to rest NOW…

I’m proud to say I actually met dude 1 time in Atlanta at Justin’s but that wasn’t the time or setting to really let him know how dope I thought he was. He was on a dinner date but was gracious enough to greet me with the customary “what up doe?” because I was rockin the ill Lions jersey and fitted with the patent leather air force ones on. Detroit recognizes Detroit when we see it, LOL…

Damn, wish I got the chance to really build with him.
here’s knowing you’re gonna STILL be freakin the MPC as you rest in peace, my nigga…

update: YES, that was his contact info as of March 2004 when we met. NO, i do not have the sidekick anymore hahaha…
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