J Dilla: Ruff Draft review

Artist

J Dilla

Label

Stones Throw

Release date

19th March 2007

Genre

Hip hop

Groundbreaking, posthumous re-release from late hip hop legend ties up loose ends

The posthumous release has a crass reputation in hip hop: think the relentless re-hashes of Biggie and Tupac's back catalogues. The re-release of Ruff Draft, just over a year on from visionary producer J Dilla's untimely death, thankfully arrives without a whiff of cynicism.

Originally out in 2003 as an elusive, limited vinyl only release, Ruff Draft was missed by many who had gorged on his output during the 1990s. Dilla (pre-2001 known as Jay Dee) had not only found major label success as a founding member of Detroit hip hoppers Slum Village, but forged his reputation producing The Pharcyde, Common and in particular A Tribe Called Quest on 1998's The Love Movement. The latter's deep, soulful vibe and understated, minimal beats were pure Dilla. Not for nothing is he revered by Kanye West and Pharrell Williams as the "producer's producer".

These 14 tracks exhibit the more uncompromising, DIY punk ethic coursing through Dilla's samples and beats come the noughties. The man himself proclaims on track one that it "sounds like it's straight from the muthaf**kin' cassette" - and it really does. Dispensing with the smooth, its 28 minutes zig-zag through off-centre and wobbly super-compressed beats, spaced out synths and head-spinningly layered samples: the extraordinary Nothing Like This is especially disorientating, sounding like My Bloody Valentine being played backwards to a tribal beat. Alt-hip hoppers Dälek have definitely been listening.

Ruff Draft fascinatingly sketches out the path from Dilla's earlier productions towards later, more robust releases The Shining and Champion Sound (with Madlib). If only more posthumous releases could be diamonds in the rough like this one.

Also try: J Dilla - The Shining Slum Village - Fantastic, Vol 2 Jaylib - Champion Sound A Tribe Called Quest - The Love Movement Dälek - Abandoned Language