worth the wait

The show Sunday was amazing. Doors opened at 7 and the real crowd did not pour into the giant Ryan Center until around 8pm. At 8:15 Slightly Stoopid came on stage with enough energy to have played for 2 more hours. Although they did not play some of their fan favorites like "Bandelero" and "2 Am", the band eccentrically rocked the stage with their unique reggae punk sound that had everyone screaming for more. Miles Doughty the lead singer kept the crowd amped as he honored all us sinsemilla smokers out there as clowds of smoke poured through the stadium. With mixes of acoustic reggae jams through fast moving pop punk, Slightly Stoopid played a set worth every bit of the mere $15 it cost to get in.
After the crowd gave its last ovation it was time for The Roots to come to the stage.................


...............an hour and a half later at 11pm they finally showed. Intermission between sets was nearing unbareable in the hot heat of the Ryan Center. The crowd began to boo as the DJ on the mixing board stalled for what was presumably said to be a broken down train as we waited anxiously for The Roots arrival. I can personally attest that I had never been so annoyed at any concert before, especially just waiting for the band to even show up. With hopes running dry and the clock rounding 11pm, the Roots drum legend Questlove made his appearance on stage giving the biggest sigh of relief to those true music lovers that stuck around. For those who left, I am sorry you missed this. Black Thought, lead mc of the group hit the stage with so much energy that the wait at intermission completely left my mind. From experience at the Rock the Bells Tour last summer, I knew The Roots live performance is that unlike many others. With Tuba Gooding Junior on the Sousaphone going insane on stage I knew I wasnt leaving anytime soon. Playing a number of their known hits such as "dont say nuthin" and modern renditions of classic songs from ODB "baby i like it raw", the Roots performance was everything I had imagined. If you never gave them a listen check out their myspace http://www.myspace.com/theroots . Also for you Slightly Stoopid fans, they are going on tour this summer "The Blazed and Confused Tour" with guests Snoop Dogg and Stephen Marley; acts that I know I am not going to miss even it if i have to wait till the sun comes up.

the roots coming to URI

The infamous hip hop group and band out of Philadelphia, PA The Roots have been long friends of Producer Dilla Dog. AHMIR '?UESTLOVE' THOMPSON, PROOF, T3 and RJ RICE, members of The Roots all paid their respects to the fullest when we lost one of the world's greatest musical geniuses. Dilla produced numerous beats and compilations for The Roots along with all the compilations him and drummer Thompson created when a part of the group Slum Village. The Roots also put out an album long ago "Game Theory" in 2006, a tribute to Dilla after his passing. The most notable track on the album is "Cant Stop This", an 8 minute song with an intro that reminisces about how special JD was to the hip hop community and their group (the roots). here is how it begins:

"My man, JD, was a true hip hop artist
... I can't explain the influence that
his mind and ear have had on my band
myself and the careers of so many other
artists. The most humble, modest, worthy
and gifted beatmaker I've known. And
definitely the best producer on the mic.
Never without that signature smile and head
bouncin' to the beat. JD had a passion for
life and music, and will never be forgotten.
He's a brother that was loved by me, and I
love what he's done for us. And though I'm
happy he's no longer in the pain he'd been
recently feelin', I'm crushed by the pain of
his absence. Name's Dilla Dog and I can only
rep the real and raw. My man, Dilla, rest in
peace."


The best news I heard all year was that The Roots are now performing at University of Rhode Island, Sunday April 26th doors open at 7pm. I highly recommend buying tickets for the show on account that they are only $15 for students, $20 for general admission I believe. The Roots are an excellent live performance, I have seen them at the Rock the Bells Tour in MA and I loved every second of the show. Another reason to buy your tickets ASAP is accompanying The Roots is Slightly Stoopid. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Slightly, they are a reggae, acoustic, punk, hip hop group that can do it all and are talented instrumentalists. So get familiar with the sounds of the Roots and Slightly Stoopid, and buy your ticket today at the Ryan Center Box Office or online. This show will be one I know I will remember for life.

dilla anthology I

dilla anthology I. due march 31st

dilla and skateboarding?

its 1030 pm and i was lying in my bed ready to go to sleep before work tomorrow when i heard dillas beat over this etnies commercial sponsoring Ryan Sheckler. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz8CUFtHtaM

What is Lupus?

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that tragically took the life from whom we know as Jay Dee, J Dilla, but to his family James Dewitt Yancey. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often affects the heart, joint, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and nervous system. As other autoimmune disease it your own immune system will attack your bodies cells and tissues. Though SLE is treatable for its symptoms there still remains no cure. One of the big problems with Lupus is that there isn't a test one can take to see if they have it regardless of its symptoms. Unfortunately, many of the signs of lupus are also associated with other diseases and so misdiagnosis has been a big issue. Lupus has the ability to come and go, appear and reappear. Its symptoms may seem as if they are going into remission but then will return again. Because this disease is so complicated and involves a number of factors far beyond any field of expertise I can account for, this link should hopefully help break the legistics down of the disease from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease. Dilla is also sponsored in the Lupus Foundation for America "Walk for Lupus Now", a premier walking event to raise money in order to try and bring an end to this disease. There is a listing on the site to see when and where the walk comes to your state.

disco with dilla

Here is a link to the complete discography for Dilla by Stones Throw Records. You can find all his artist/group releases including some of my favorites with Frank N Dank, MF Doom and Tribe, but they are all amazing. There is also an extensive list of his production credits for other artists that he worked/produced with or for (many may surprise you). Check it out and don't be afraid to buy a cd. http://www.stonesthrow.com/jdilla/discography

For those who dont know...

James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974–February 10, 2006), better known as J Dilla or Jay Dee was an American hip hop producer and emcee, who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip-hop scene in Detroit, Michigan. Dilla embodied the neo- soul sound and had a major influence on his peers during the mid 90's to 2000's. He began as a member of Ummah, a production team for personal friends of his A Tribe Called Quest (another favorite of mine). His breakbeat, heavy hip hop and "no frill" style of making music was being recognized by the hip hop community. Pharrell Williams named Dilla his favorite producer and was highly acknowledged as a producer's producer by Kanye West and Just Blaze. Pharrell was asked about his favorite hip-hop producer during a BET interview in 2004 he replied, “You may not know his name, but J Dilla, Jay Dee from Detroit.” Of Course the interviewer had no idea. A large collection of his work, mostly unused beats and instrumentals , remains unreleased, and have been circulating around through the internet, impressing hip hop fans and upsetting record companies. Amp Fiddler, a friend of Dilla who played a funk/soul stlyle of music helped Jay master the MPC machine, large improvement from an old school tape deck. Jay got together with T3 and Baatin, friends from highschool, forming Slum Village who were quick to release their first album Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1. Jay immediately began spending his days and nights producing music. His skills instrumentally was noticed by the entire music industry and Dilla began producing beats for artists such as The Pharcyde, Busta Rhymes, Keith Murray (Def Squad), De La Soul, Janet Jackson, Macy Gray, D'Angelo, A Tribe Called Quest, Erykah Badu and N'Dea Davenport. In 1999 Dilla became part of The Soulquarians, which included Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson of The Roots, James Poyser a keyboardist out of Philly and D’angelo. Jay produced a substantial amount of Common’s 2000 release “Like Water for Chocolate” which not only went gold but also secured Dilla a record deal with MCA Records for his McNasty label. While collaborating with a number of artists like Madlib and Pete Rock, rumors began circulating about Dilla's health. Unfortunately for the most part the rumors were true, Jay was hospitalized in ICU with complications from Lupus Nephritis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the bodies cells and tissue. Dilla began working straight out of hospital bed from a portable sound system including a turntable, samplers, and small boxes of vinyl brought in by friends and family. Here began the foundation for what soon turned into his famous beat instrumental album "Donuts". The amount of Jay's discography is unheard of and I would be here forever listing off albums, I'll post a link or list of his work in a later post. It was in 2005 when concerns regarding Dilla's health began emerging while he was touring Europe as sick as anyone could possibly imagine, and check this, performing out of a wheel chair! On February 10, 2006 at his home in Los Angeles, California James Dewitt Yancey passed away due to kidney complications associated with lupus. "Donuts" was released just three days earlier.