Did J-Dilla stans exist before he died?

[Whitty Hutton]

It seems he's now in the supreme hierarchy of producers to a lot of cats, but I can't remember this being the case in the 90's and early 2000's. I actually remember dudes blaming him for Tribe's beats falling off. I got a homie that posts on IG every other week about J-Dilla the GOAT, he's in a club where the members got special J-Dilla New Era fitteds and everything. I liked the nikka and all, but I want to tell him to calm it down a bit

 

[Juggalo Fred]

They did not.

 

[Ian1362]

Yes, especially among the producers I know. Once he got on Stones Throw the stannery started taking off.

 

[Zero]

Yeah...but they were mostly on okayplayer

He was always respected in the industry though

 

[*L*E*G*A*C*Y*]

I was. Others weren't. I was all about Bling47.com (way back when they had the realaudio exclusives in high quality) and all of the j-88 stuff.

 

[Nomad1]

Of course he did. He was a respected producer and he deserves the post-death praises. RIP to the nikka

 

[wizworld]

It seems he's now in the supreme hierarchy of producers to a lot of cats, but I can't remember this being the case in the 90's and early 2000's. I actually remember dudes blaming him for Tribe's beats falling off. I got a homie that posts on IG every other week about J-Dilla the GOAT, he's in a club where the members got special J-Dilla New Era fitteds and everything. I liked the nikka and all, but I want to tell him to calm it down a bit

J Dilla stannery didn't really grow legs until Fantastic Vol. 2 was released, which was 2000. That was his "Group Home/Livin' Proof" album. The album didn't blow up worldwide, but it was heavily discussed in some circles on and offline. Everyone on the Okayplayer boards was all over it.

 

[Cole Cash]

yea, but the hilarious thing is how nuts it got post 2006. Back in 96/98 when he was with tip and they had that "umma" thing going, people were saying that something was missing from those tribe albums, i personally loved them, even the love movement, even if lyrically it wasnt as strong. Fantastic Vol. 2 again was another album where the lyrics were sub par but his production outshined alot of people. The thing is, after he died, as much as i enjoyed his stuff, i didint understand the "genius" of what he was doing. i thought he was really good, but that was it.

Some of these same people were shyttin on those two tribe albums back then, but now hail them as dark horse classics because he was involved. Dilla would be madlib status if he was around today, which is a great thing, but its not what these fukkin hipsters with vinyl parading on instagram make it out to be. Stones Throw marketed that shyt perfectly.By all accounts ive spoken to ONE person who has been in the studio with J-Dilla and the onlyl description given to me was that he was really really quiet. REALLY quiet and just liked to do his thing and leave.

 

[SixxiS]

fukk outta here OP. You must be 12. Dilla was one of the GOAT and still is. Let the man RIP

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

i called him the ummah..

 

[PlainSight]

I bumped his shyt heavy in college just before his death. Always appreciated his music, then and now.

 

[Ukbrotha]

Always been a huge fan. Labcabin...and Fantastic vol 2 are in my top 10.

 

[Blackout]

 

[THE 101]

The thing is a major part of Dilla's legacy is Donuts which came out just before or after he died (can't remember).

That's the album I think that really effected people as despite it being an instrumental album, I think a lot of people felt it was a personal statement from Dilla about his mortality. The stories of him making beats whilst confined to a bed and the overall spirit of the music really resonated with people and built up the cult of Dilla even further.

Also a lot of his influence came after his death with all the L.A. beat scene dudes in particular following his legacy.

His death definitely played a part in his rising popularity but his work speaks for itself. He IS one of the GOAT producers it's just due to his death people feel little more emotionally connected to his work compared to say someone like Pete Rock. If Pete had died in the late 90s it would be similar.

 

[Threnody]

I remember I would be trying to put people unto JAY DEE in the early 2000s nobody was fukking with it....I wasn't the biggest fan but I thought he was dope......after he died I hear dilla this and dilla that....didn't even know dude by that name so it took me a while to realize people were talking about Jay Dee....'Welcome 2 Detroit' was ill