Producer Profile: J Dilla (Part 2, 1996-1997)

Following the limited success of 'Runnin'' by the Pharcyde, J Dilla (then, as Jay Dee) scored his second single 'Stakes is High' for De La Soul. 'Stakes is High', like 'Runnin'', was not initially successful but is now seen as one the essential mid 90s East Coast singles. The trademark laid-back beat for 'Stakes is High' is cut partially from James Brown's 'Mind Power' from his landmark album 'The Payback'. Dilla met Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest through Amp Fiddler in 1995, leading to the formation of the Ummah with Ali Shaheed Muhammed and Tip in 1996. One of the Ummah's most notable production credits is on Janet Jackson's 1997 single 'Got Til It's Gone', which famously interpolates Joni Mitchell's 1970 hit 'Big Yellow Taxi'. Though the actual production credits are still argued, the liner notes claim the producers of 'Got Til It's Gone' are Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, but many hip-hop fans contend that the beat is obviously by the Ummah.

In addition to breaking into the charts with the Ummah, Dilla was still trying to launch his own group, Slum Village. Slum Village, though not making an impression on Q-Tip at first, toured with A Tribe Called Quest in 1998. Due to problems with their label A&M, their 1997 album, 'Fan-tas-tic Vol. 1' was never officially released until 2005 (five years after the sequel was released). 'Fan-tas-tic Vol. 1' gives insight to Slum Village in an early stage and offers up some early Dilla beats. 'Forth & Back', in particular, shines with a sample from Herbie Hancock's 'I Thought it Was You'.

In a future post of this blog, we'll see Dilla's stock rise with Ummah's production for ATCQ's 'The Love Movement' and the formation of the Soulquarians.

The Lowdown:
De La Soul 'Stakes is High'
from 'Stakes is High' (1996) (MP3 not available/CD)
James Brown 'Mind Power'
from 'The Payback' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Janet Jackson 'Got Til It's Gone'
from 'The Velvet Rope' (1997) (MP3/CD)
Joni Mitchell 'Big Yellow Taxi'
from 'Ladies of the Canyon' (1970) (MP3/CD)
Slum Village 'Forth & Back'
from 'Fan-tas-tic Vol. 1' (1997) (MP3/CD)
Herbie Hancock 'I Thought it Was You'
from 'Sunlight' (1977) (MP3/CD)