Rest In Peace James Yancey

 Friday, February 17, 2006

Dilla changed the game for hip hop producers, as far as I’m concerned..Period. From Keith Murray to The Pharcyde, The Ummah to The Soulquarians, Jaylib, Spacek, D’Angelo, The Roots, Frank & Dank, SV and PPP, and the zillions of other remixes and originals he blessed us with before leaving us, for a better place. His drum programming sensibilities and sample chopping techniques were second to none, and everybody and their momma knows that. When we lose our pioneers so young, it’s disheartening to us all on a fundamental, human level. Many of us also have extremely personal reasons why losing Dilla hurts us so badly, us specifically meaning the musical community most of us share, and even more specifically, my fellow Young Black Mavericks as a whole. We have less and less of those Mavericks by the minute these days, and when one dies so young, due to physical failure, rather than a bullet, or the other dumb shit we’re used to seeing kill our men, it hurts even more... because death becomes a bit more tangible to the average person at that point. I just hope to God that his passing reminds those of us who are musically conscious that there is great work to do, in continuing the lost art of penetrating the mainstream without compromising our creative license, and sticking to our guns by allowing our style to guide our path, rather than be guided by our “need” to be embraced by the musical Ivory Tower. I personally think that Dilla was a shining example of the idea that the truth will indeed come to light one day... that artists in the music business need not chase industry standard pipe dreams in order to be heard, and hopefully be respected and admired, as Dilla so incredibly was, by a wide and diverse audience of people. The work he put in in his short time with us is to be honored and remembered, and that work deserves Hall Of Fame credentials immediately, in my opinion. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I have a hard time remembering when another producer created so many “me too” followers of the light he shined on people with his work, in such a sincerely short period of time.

Shine On Dilla,
Rich Medina
Kindred Spirits USA


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