To close out “J Dilla Month,” us here at the Hip Hop Speakeasy thought it’d be cool to reblog this post we saw on RAPPAMELO.com. Shout out to RAPPAMELO, to Brian “B. Kyle” Atkins, to Ma Dukes, to the J Dilla Foundation, to Stones Throw, everyone who was a part of this project, all of Dilla’s fans and to James “J Dilla a.k.a Jay Dee” Yancey, himself. RIP.
“We are fortunate to have the musical gifts of J.Dilla remain with us to listen to forever. He will live-on through his music, and his legacy will be upheld by his many supporters. After 5 years, there aren’t too many Dilla related photos or videos clips of our beloved J.Dilla that we haven’t grown familiar with… fortunately some periodically surface. This video is a mark of one of those refreshing times. When James “J.Dilla” Yancey passed away on February 10, 2006, this remembrance piece “J.Dilla: Still Shining” got underway on the day of his funeral when friends and family shared their thoughts on camera (you’ll notice the dark clothing). This project takes us to February 2006… in the very moments when we were all still coming to terms with this heavy loss. In the weeks that followed, other interviews with his associates, artwork submissions in Dilla’s likeness from his fans, photographs from friends, and some unreleased video material helped support the piece to completion.
This piece was designed to be an uplifting and fun project that was created from a pure place to reinforce J.Dilla’s legacy, not as an official documentary. This stands as a tribute for the true J.Dilla fans that knew of him well at the time he passed away… and those who continue to seek material about him to rejuvenate their support. This “J.Dilla: Still Shining” remembrance piece is designed as a fun way for each of us to gain greater insight, and a richer appreciation of this musical icon. J.Dilla continues to shine. “
