J Dilla's protege Black Milk

If you are not involved in the global culture of Hip Hop it is understandable if you have not heard of the producer/artist originally Jay Dee thereafter J Dilla. If however you do have at very least a passing interest in Hip Hop and are unfamiliar with J Dilla you have then just been given a great gift. Born James Dewitt Yancey- Dilla- was responsible for seminal production sounds that defined artists like Pharcyde, Common, Busta Rhymes and Slum Village of which he was a member. James Yancey died on February 10, 2006 (born February 7, 1974) of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, a rare blood disease, and possibly lupus- he was three days past his 32nd birthday. On his birthday the instrumental record Donuts was released, it runs 43:25 and is perhaps one of the greatest examples of the use of sample based music, the use of a studio as an instrument as well as being a work of unparalleled magnitude. This is not a narrowly considered view. It is said in the oral tradition of Hip Hop that Dilla lived in a mansion full of production gear, thousands of records lining the walls but remarkably sparse of any furnishings beyond what was most basically needed. Yancey was said to prefer the acoustic effect this seemingly odd living arrangement provided. He had a yellow Hummer in the drive. The loss of J Dilla is keenly felt by those whose hearts are warmed and have been nourished by his unestimable talent. Talk which has circulated for several years now of his 'protege' Black Milk seemed initially simply too soon gone. But with phenomenal albums now firmly under his belt including Popular Demand, Tronic and Caltroit- Black Milk has safely established himself as the heir apparent to J Dilla's throne. Black Milk has also, with the help of frequent MC collaborators including Guilty Simpson and Royce Da 5'9" helped make if not define the Detroit sound of Hip Hop as simply the most exciting, dextrous and creatively ambitious American mecca for the next American art form after Jazz. Varied reports of Black Milk's showcase with his live band at the SXSW music conference in Austin, TX draw rightful attention to his deft production and MC skills but apparenly he is no slouch of an instrumentalist either, nor his crack crew of a band. Amongst the set the hyper-crack live crew of drummer Daru Jones, keyboardist AB and Milk took a masterful stab at one of the finest Hip Hop tracks kicking around the world - 'The Matrix' (originally ft. Pharoahe Monch, Sean Price and DJ Premier each of whom delivers a masterful verse over a priceless beat and hook). "You, you, you love my style cuz I'm not what ya used to" "Caught in The Matrix, is out of hand high demand gotcha" "ye, ye, your in my Danger Field like Rodney"