Cynics Unlimited

Not long after the Grammy Awards honored the influential Sly Stone, the music world lost another pioneer and a class act. Veteran beatmaker Jay Dee, known for his solo production as well as his work with music collective The Ummah, passed away yesterday morning from liver complications at the age of 32. A founding father of legendary Detroit outfit Slum Village, “Jay Dilla” has also written music for Common, A Tribe Called Quest, Erykah Badu and Busta Rhymes.

Many of you may not have heard of Jay Dee and this is at least in part because the ultra-talented producer did not personify the typical image of a rap producer. Raised in a strict household, the Detroit native managed to avoid of the juvenile trouble that often landed his hip hop peers on the front page of the news. Instead, producing was a labor of love for Jay Dee and his work over the years earned the respect of both the hip hop underground and mainstream producers alike. His crowning achievement was arguably Slum Village’s Fantastic, Volume 2.

Released in 2000, to critical acclaim Fantastic broke from the bling-obsessed gangsterism generally associated with hip hop. Instead, the album featured a smooth, universally appealing neo-soul sound and beats that can only be described as delightfully chunky. The lyrics (provided by MC’s T3 and Baatin) were simplistic and of the party variety, but anyone who’s dabbled in music production can appreciate how Jay Dee made a +90% synthetic kit sound more soulful than most sampled rap music. To give synthesized sounds the same organic expressiveness associated with traditional instrumentation is the mark of a truly skilled composer and engineer. Subsequent producers still try to emulate his “soul clap” sound.

Unfortunately, the producer’s unyielding work ethic may have ultimately been his downfall. Jay Dee mused about his workaholic tendencies during a recent interview with URB magazine:

“What happened was that the doctor told me that I’d ruptured my kidney from being too busy and being stressed out and not eating right … Sometimes that fixation can be a good thing and sometimes it can be bad. There’d be days when I wouldn’t eat at all because I’d be in the basement working all day … This is definitely my second chance, my wakeup call. I still love the music, but I wouldn’t put it first in my life. It’s family first, and then everything else”
-Jay Dee (Interview with URB Magazine, 2004)

Being a workaholic myself, I’m familiar with the dangers of not watching one’s own health and it is a very difficult habit to drop. By giving his life, Jay Dee has made the ultimate sacrifice to his art - just like so many before him. May he rest in peace.

Recommended listening:
Slum Village – Fantastic, Volume 2
Jay Dee – Donuts
A Tribe Called Quest – The Love Movement