J Dilla – Jay Stay Paid

Album Reviews • Thursday July 2nd, 2009 • 9:29 am

Few figures in hip-hop are as revered as J Dilla. Even after his untimely death in 2006 at the young age of 32, the late producer/rapper/DJ remains one of hip-hop’s beloved icons. The Shining, Dilla’s last album, was nearly completed at the time of his death, and marked the beginning of a growing list of posthumous releases. Lots of b-side material has surfaced, most recently in the form of Jay Stay Paid (or J$P), an album compiled by Dilla’s mother, Ms. Yancey, and his longtime idol Pete Rock.

J$P is a collection of mostly instrumental tracks from Dilla’s early DATs, as well as some material created during his time in the hospital prior to his death. Pete Rock mixed J$P like a radio show, with deejay commentary and shout-outs between a few of the tracks. Guest artists include Black Thought, Havoc, Raekwon, MF Doom, and Mash Out Posse.

I’d say J$P is significant mostly as a tribute to and remembrance of J Dilla. Of the album’s 28 tracks, few stand out as musically jaw-dropping. Without a doubt, J$P is a playground for emcees — a landscape of old samples and beats to drop rhymes on top of. I imagine freestylers across the world will enjoy the album immensely, using Dilla’s beats and imagining what it would have been like to work with him in real life.

Of J$P’s many tracks, a few stood out: “In the Night (Owl N Out) – While You Slept (I Crept)” has a catchy synth hook, basic drum beat, and backing vocals that work pretty well together. “Glamour Sho75 (09)” also rocks an old-school guitar sample á la Q-Tip. By far the most sound track on the disc is “Reality Check,” featuring Black Thought from The Roots. This one was a definite winner, and is really the only track that’s been selling online, which isn’t surprising since not everyone can rap.

It’s hard to qualify a posthumous release like this based on the content itself, since it was released without Dilla’s creative organization, and comprised of unreleased, even unfinished material. I expect that for this very reason, Jay Stay Paid will not endear itself as a tide-turner in the hip-hop history books. Still, my hat’s off to Ms. Yancey, Pete Rock, and all of the collaborators on J$P for remembering J Dilla and giving the world even more of his work to enjoy.

Tagged as: Hip-hop