About this Performance

The late James Dewitt Yancey—better known as J Dilla—was one of the most celebrated and influential record producers of all time. Before his passing in 2006, he created beats for A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Janet Jackson, the Roots, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Ghostface Killah, Common, and pretty much any other rapper looking for a rich, soulful sound. From his earliest days as a member of Slum Village through his essential solo collection Donuts, Dilla treated hip-hop production like jazz: developing swinging rhythms, embracing imperfection, and letting his samples speak to one another. Kevin “DJ Battlecat” Gilliam, also a legendary producer (Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur, The Game, Faith Evans, Tha Eastsidaz) and architect of West Coast hip-hop, brings together special guests to celebrate what would have been Dilla’s 50th birthday with live jazz and hip-hop recreations of some of his most iconic beats.