What J Dilla Means To Australia: 10 Local Talents Weigh In On Jay Dee's Legacy

The late J Dilla has long been heralded as the producer's producer, capturing the ear of many budding talents by providing bumping back-beats for an endless list of legendary artists: from Busta Rhymes and A Tribe Called Quest, to De La Soul, The Pharcyde and Slum Village.

While he's often looked upon as the sonic heart and soul of his hometown Detroit, Michigan, his influence on the evolution of hip-hop production is impressively wide-spread, having touched the styles of beat-makers the world over.

Dilla's sixth posthumous album, The Diary, has just dropped – it's a compilation of unreleased vocals and instrumentals that boast features from Snoop Dogg, Nas and Bilal, and additional production from artists like Pete Rock, Hi-Tek, Madlib, and many more.

In the spirit of this album, Complex AU asked some talented Australian artists, producers and entrepreneurs to give us an idea of how Dilla has played a part in their journeys, and what his legacy means to a country an entire world away from his humble hometown.

"Dilla showed that you could be gritty as hell, nasty with the funk, crispy with the drums, but still remain so soulful. It was, and is music that the blokes could kick holes in walls to and that the ladies could groove to. Dilla, you're a genius. Can't thank you enough for the music you have blessed this world with. Bless."

All-time favourite J Dilla track:

"One of the toughest questions I have been asked, but I've got to go with Slum Village's 'Players'"

Favourite track from the new album The Diary:

"'Gangsta Boogie'. Produced by Hi-Tek and featuring Snoop and Kokane? Forget about it. If I had a '64 Impala, this is what I'd be bumping right now in the whitest neighbourhood I could find."

"Highly underrated. His dedication to the craft was second to none. A natural music-maker. A natural beat-maker, a natural MC. A constant inspiration to this day. Sampling will never die!"

All-time favourite J Dilla track:

"How do you choose? I'm going to say 'Last Donut Of The Night'. It always makes me think about him writing those beats knowing he was leaving soon. Emotional stuff."

“Dilla was one of the people, alongside D’Angelo and Erykah Badu, that inspired me to start producing. I definitely spent a lot of time studying how groove works by listening to his work and D’Angelo’s Voodoo, which was kind of a co-creation of everyone from the Soulquarians.

The way Dilla uses samples has really influenced the way I think about sampling as well. He was always about making it sound as though the music was natural and could still be played by a live band despite it being a sample. He also taught me to try and stay away from straight-up loops of a section of a sample and think outside the box a bit when sampling.”

All-time favourite J Dilla track:

"If I was speaking about any track Dilla produced then I would have to say 'Didn’t Cha Know' by Erykah Badu, although there are a lot of songs that I like equally as much.

The way the sample is used with that killer bass line changing each section and the little guitar bend that happens every few bars is so great, which can also be said about the Rhodes. The drums are perfect for the sample and vibe of the song too, as well as all the extra percussion. It’s a perfect combination of each element."

Favourite track from the new album The Diary:

"I can’t speak in terms of the whole album as I haven’t had a chance to listen to it in full yet, however in terms of the singles I really dig 'Gangsta Boogie'. Dilla’s flow is super smooth and groovy as always, and I’m a sucker for Hi-Tek’s grooves. Snoop and Kokane’s parts are super slick too, and I love Snoop's Parliament Funkadelic reference!"

“I picked up Ableton Live soon after I heard Dilla’s album Donuts. The idea of creating a track based off a horn sample or any sample I like the sound of really excites me and opens up a whole new world of music-making. Donuts is an absolute masterpiece.”

All-time favourite J Dilla track:

"My favourite Dilla track is ‘Stop’ off his album Donuts. This one minute, 39-second track gives me the goose bumps every time, as it has the perfect blend of hip-hop and soul samples."

Favourite track from the new album The Diary:

"'Gangsta Boogie' f/ Snoop Dogg & Kokane is my favourite track off the album, the skip beat holding the track together is just so cool."

"Dilla is and was my everything when I was first introduced to and started experimenting with electronic music & beat-making. So much of what I was listening to at the time was either produced by him or heavily influenced by him. It's really unbelievable how much he inspired and changed music and as a result of the legacy he has left, music will never be the same."

All-time favourite J Dilla track:

"My favourite Dilla track of all time is Slum Village's 'Fall In Love'. Its simplicity is so powerful and it really highlights those classic Dilla drums which for me is everything."

Favourite track from the new album The Diary:

“My favourite track from The Diary is 'The Ex' – classic Dilla swing and stunning jazzy sampling, and Bilal is one of the most soulful and stunning vocalists around."

"Meeting Dilla and being fortunate enough to see him work on beats was very inspiring, but I would say that I have continued to stay inspired by him from a quality and quantity perspective. He also didn't put his name to any garbage – so dope."

All-time favourite J Dilla track:

"'Reckless Driving'. The beat and the rap are just too damn good."

Favourite track from the new album The Diary:

"The track with Bilal, 'The Ex'. I think the work that these two did together was super good."

“When I first started making beats seriously way back in like ’03, I was basically trying to emulate a few producers: the soulful vibe of Kanye, the incredible sonics of Dre and pretty much everything Dilla was doing. I tried so hard to get my drums to snap in the way he did, like his timing & groove was so on point.

I loved both styles of Dilla: the early more jazz/neo-soul fusion and the later more synth-based hard hitting joints. I based most of my style on his and even to this day I try to maintain some of his elements in my work, whether it’s the groove or just being mindful of how to treat samples and understanding the makings of a sophisticated chord-progression.”

All-time favourite J Dilla track:

"Definitely a toss up between Pharcyde's 'Runnin' & Slum Village's 'Get Dis Money'; I love them both for different reasons. On the one hand 'Runnin' is just an indisputable hip-hop classic where the sample and sentiment of the song go so perfectly together, then when the beat switches up into the third verse and gets even jazzier – just perfect.

The S. Villa joint is both amazing sonically & musically: it was the first time I’d heard an intricate synth-bassline that sat so nicely in the chords, and the whole groove of the song sits in such a dope pocket. I definitely tried to remake this beat dozens of times to no avail [laughs]."

Dyl Thomas: “He made me want to push my sound and experiment and go places I would have never thought of going. He made it okay to be yourself and own your sound and not just follow current trends. Dilla was a trailblazer, and I guess as an artist, we all aspire to lead not follow. There were layers in Dilla’s music that are not apparent when you first listen, but then the more you listen, the more it opens up for you – it's pretty amazing and inspiring at the same time.”

All-time favourite J Dilla track:

“'Dime Piece (Remix)' f/ Dwele - it's a great example of how Dilla was a real diverse producer, he had so many weapons when it came to production sound and style. This track still sounds fresh and sits well with current trending productions today.

The shuffle, sound design, and layers that sit beside Dwele's vocals just work so well - that 808 snare (which was pretty rare for Dilla to use) layered with those 909 pitched down claps just snaps so hard, and the hats and kick pattern just seem to roll on forever. I can never just play this track once when it comes on."

Favourite track from the new album The Diary:

“'Fuck The Police' – originally this was released in 2001 and not long after that was when I heard it. When I first heard this track it had me tripping on how raw the drums were, and when the René Costy sample drops, it has one of those “oh shit!” moments. Stripped back and raw, it’s Dilla at his best. Not just on the beat tip, but real nice on the MC tip on this one too."

"J Dilla is an artist you can listen to every year on repeat and feel the same as the first time you heard him. It’s his feel-good, conscious, soulful, truthful vibe fused with the experimental that has always inspired and continues to. You know his beats speak from a deeper place, a musical place that our creative souls and consciousness yearn for."

All-time favourite J Dilla track:

"So hard to choose just one, but 'Workinonit'. The chop/screwy sampling, that baseline, the nostalgic feel. So interesting!"

Favourite track from the new album The Diary:

"Need to give it a proper few more listens, but so far, ‘The Ex’ f/ Bilal."

"The way Dilla produces and brings life to a track is everything I want to bring to my own music. He has such a signature sound that resonates among so many. He's a genius."

All-time favourite J Dilla track:

"Slum Village - Untitled/Fantastic (Instrumental). This joint is so simple but just slaps so hard. For me, it's the epitome of 'more is less'".

Favourite track from the new album The Diary:

'The Sickness' with Nas. I've always wanted to hear Nas flex on some Dilla. I just wish he was around."