heavy beats
finally, i’m back in the states, sorting through bollywood stacks on my turntable. i also couldn’t help but spend just a little time on i-tunes to check in with some reliable peoples. two albums are in my phones on repeat right now. both are instrumental, heavy and a bit rough. if you’re into beats and soul samples, or if you’re just a free-stylin fool in search of good material, here ya go: j dilla’s ‘donuts’ and madlib’s ‘beat konducta.’
james yancey (aka jay dee aka j dilla) passed away just a couple days after his donuts album was released. this dj, often called the producer’s producer, was (is) a pillar in the hip hop world. if you liked beats, rhymes, & life by tribe, stakes is high by de la, like water for chocolate by com, voodoo by d’angelo, mama’s gun by badu, or any slum village track, chances are you were lovin the beats j dilla was cookin.
otis jackson, jr. (aka madlib) is a cat straight out of oxnard, california. he was one of three members of the lootpack in the early nineties and then began producing for stones throw records. since that time, this guy has released albums where he performs both production and vocals (quasimoto), plays all musical instruments in a quartet (yesterday’s new quintet), re-interprets jazz classics with beats (blue note’s shades of blue), or teams up with other production greats (like jay dee or mf doom). the results are always interesting, never disappointing.