CONFESSIONS OF A CURLY MIND

it’s taken me almost all month to work up the emotional fortitude to really blog my little broken heart out about James “J Dilla/Jay Dee” Yancey, a true musical spirit who departed our plain of existence on Feb 10, 2006 due to an on-going battle with lupus. i feel like, instead of giving some half-assed tribute, i wanted to make a string of “Dilla Month” posts from now until the end of the month spotlighting all things Dilla, and really concentrate on how he changed MY life and how i approached music (so i guess a more introspective personal take on his lasting legacy). i would however like to begin with a documentary video shot and compiled by long-time Okayplayer affiliate BKyle, most of the footage being from 2006 (post-funeral) mixed in with some rare live footage of Slum Village performing, and candid scenes of Dilla’s fam + extended fam (including testimonials from Common, Bilal, Erykah Badu, ?uestlove (of The Roots), Pete Rock, James Poyser, Karriem Riggins, Houseshoes, Phat Kat, Dwele & others).

props to BKyle & The J Dilla Project, which are hosting the video on their website via Vimeo: The J Dilla Project.

V.