R.I.P. J DILLA "Jay Dee", the man, James Yancey

Currently Playing: You Know What Love Is by J-88

On February 10th, James Yancey, aka J Dilla, also known as Jay Dee, passed away. For those in the know, this was and still is in my mind, one of the top hip hop producers EVER. I LOVE THIS MAN'S MUSIC. My neck is still hurting from snapping off this dude's beats cuz I have NEVER heard a wack beat from him. You don't know how many times I've burned the midnight oil on some freelance with Slum Village, on repeat...Champion Sound, on repeat...J-88, Best Kept Secret, on repeat...Phat Kat, on repeat...Frank N Dank, on repeat...Welcome to Detroit, on repeat...Tribe Called Quest, on repeat...Common, Like Water for Chocolate, on repeat...the list of classics this man has produced goes on and on.

There's was a time when I was into music production. Dr. Dre and Jay Dee are my top cats. The moment I heard them snares and just the non-digital, organic feel of the beats, I WAS HOOKED. Real Hip Hop is so precious. It's such a pleasure to hear it done RIGHT. And, I'm not mad at the fact the authenticity of the music has somewhat been relegated to club jazz. That just means it's "choice" listening, not for the squeamish...But, it's that ecclectic vibe that this man crafted that has kept me breathing many a night.

His passing is so unexpected. Cat was 32 years old!!! 32! That is crazy! Life, man...I can't even put it into words...but, everyday, man...everyday, you gotta live. And, if you do right, you can leave a positive contribution behind, like this man. So, even though you're gone in the physical, you'll always be here in spirit living through your creations. That's whatzup.

R.I.P. Jay Dee. You'll always be here with me.

visit www.stonesthrow.com and www.myspace.com/jdilla if you don't already know. 1.