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The first in the series highlighted Dilla’s production work, the second volume focused on his remixes and to finish off, here are some of his best known works with tracks off his solo albums and Jaylib (the collaboration with Madlib) and some guest spots from Guilty Simpson, Black Thought (The Roots), Phat Kat, Common, and D’Angelo.

Arguably his greatest success was the Malib collaboration (aka Jaylib) from which ‘Raw Sh*t’ and ‘The Red’ are taken from but as there’s only one Malib, there was only on James Yancey, (aka Jay Dee / J Dilla -February 7, 1974 - February 10 2006).

His move from Detroit (where he made his name with Slum Village) to West Coast to join up with Peanut Butter Wolf at Stones Throw Records where there was an even greater urgency for this prolific producer with the diagnosis of the immune-system disease Lupus in 2003. With a brain for beats, his ability for keeping it simple (like ‘Glamour Sho75’ and ‘WorkinOnIt’) was/is his strength (fellow Detroitians Theo Parrish/Moodymann would be a house equivalent).

And in Detroit, Dilla led the way in post old skool hip-hop as an antidote for radio/gangster rap with a more soulful emphasis, try, ‘Baby’ with Madlib again and his favourite rapper, Guilty Simpson.

‘It’s Like That’ has a funky bass with a massive drop into the echo chamber (love that), ‘Crushin’ is on a disco tip (what’s the sample?) and he also worked with Black Thought and Phat Kat (who appeared on Harmonic 313’s When Machines Exceed Human) that’s seminal underground hip hop mixtape (together with nuisance girl friend phone messages); you’re the man JD.

Going back to the soul of Detroit, Common and D’Angelo linking up on ‘So Far To Go’ that ends the album on such a sweet note.

Dillanthology 3 is a timingly release as it follows the Carlos Niño and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson’s Suite For Ma Dukes and the part version of ‘Think Twice’ on Gilles Peterson’s brilliant new album, Havana Cultura and it’s a fitting companion to Dillanthology Vols. 1 & 2 that’d make an excellent box set; much respect J Dilla (RIP).

Reviewed: J Dilla - Dillanthology 3 (Dilla Productions) (Rapster) Cat. No. RR0086CD Release date: 13th October 2009
Tracklisting:
1. J Dilla - WorkinOnIt
2. Jay Dee - Pause
3. Jaylib - Raw Sh*t
4. J Dilla - Nothing Like This
5. J Dilla - Anti-American Graffiti
6. J Dilla - Glamour Sho75 (09)
7. J Dilla - Won’t Do
8. J Dilla - Baby feat. Madlib & Guilty Simpson
9. Jaylib - The Red (INST)
10. Jay Dee - It’s Like That
11. Jay Dee - Off Ya Chest
12. J Dilla - Crushin’ (Yeeeaah!)
13. J Dilla- Reality Check feat. Black Thought
14. Jay Dee - Featuring Phat Kat
15. J Dilla - So Far To Go feat. Common & D’Angelo

Links:
stonesthrow.com/jdilla
http://www.myspace.com/jdilla
rapsterrecords.com