Disco de J Dilla: “The Shining”

I loved Jay Dee before any of his work could be considered 'post-humous,' so don't assume i'm another band-wagon jumper with this review. In fact, I'd like to state that I honestly fear for J Dilla's legacy at this moment, afraid that he may become as oversaturated in the market as a 2Pac, or a B.I.G. While Dilla was an immensely talented musician, and very influential producer, I don't think Dilla's work could be considered legendary, no matter how dope it was. I know this maybe a controversial statement, but no matter how dope Like Water For Chocolate or Fantastic, Vol. 2 were, neither are neccessarily classics(just virtually flawless albums). While Dilla left behind a large amount of phenomenal music, I worry that his posthumous work may cast a shadow over the exceptional material he graced us with when his shell was still with us.

While i don't acknowledge Dilla as a legend, he was most definitely one of my favorite producers, especially in this modern era of hip-hop and R&B. Alongside other beatsmiths like Madlib and Danger Mouse, Dilla dug crates extensively, picking out the most obscure samples from records of all sorts, and then turning those awkward-sounding samples into beautiful orchestrations. Unfortunately, The Shining doesn't give an accurate portrayal of Dilla's musical genius; while the album is undeniably tight, you can't help but feel it is missing something intangible; something, I believe, couldn't be helped on a posthumous release. No one is at fault for the one flaw this album has, and that is just the lack of Dilla's presence. Don't misinterprate that comment, because Dilla produces every track on this album, and even drops a few bars; it's just that, unlike the work Dilla released while he's alive, you just can't feel this man's soul as much as you would have had he been here to release it himself.

This isn't the best display of Dilla's talent, as many other reviewers have stated in their respective recaps of this album; if you want, arguably, J's most brilliant piece of work, and enjoy instrumental hip-hop albums, Donuts is absolutely essential. If you'd like to hear some of Jay Dee's best instrumental work, with tight emcees flowing over it, check out the aforementioned Like Water for Chocolate from Common, or Fantastic, Vol. 2 from Slum Village. While Common does kick fly verbals on So Far To Go, and, especially, E=Mc2, they just don't feel as powerful as this final reunion between two best friends should. They're definitely outstanding tracks, they just don't live up to the high standards one may have for a Common/Dilla collaboration. Busta Rhymes' guest appearance in this album is very dissapointing, as he does nothing but shout on Geek Down, which has a very fresh beat; it almost feels wasted on Busta's incoherrent rambling. There's not much more you could ask for out of tracks like Love with Pharoahe Monch, Jungle Love with M.E.D. and Guilty Simpson, or Love Movin' with Black Thought; all these tracks are simply breathtaking, and reflect how the rest of this album should've felt, and most likely would have, had Jay Dee not left us.

While not legendary yet, J Dilla was undisputedly a creative genius in the area of music, and will always be remembered by the fans who stuck by him before the illness, and after its repercussions. The Shining isn't his best release, but it's still better than most hip-hop albums you probaby heard this year. I do fear for Dilla's legacy though, because these posthumous releases continue to come out at an alarming rate, and I have bad suspicions that the quality will drop significantly over time. Only the future can tell how J Dilla's legacy will hold up, or even expand, but for now, we can be happy that while J Dilla's no longer with us in the phsyical form, he's still vibing with us when we've got the headphones on.