Every year, when February arrives, the global hip-hop community comes together to remember one of the greatest innovators in contemporary music, J Dilla. Born on February 7, 1974, James Yancey, also known as Jay Dee, revolutionized the sound of hip-hop and soul during his lifetime, and, in the years after his passing, his influence reached deeply into contemporary jazz. Although 20 years have passed since his death on February 10, 2006, his spirit and music still live on in every sample, every beat, and every fan’s heart.
For several years now, his work has been celebrated each February by Błoto, masters of rebuilding music from its own deconstruction, a band that perfectly feels the pulse of modern jazz and hip-hop. It all began on February 7, 2020, with one modest concert at the Surowiec club in Wrocław, which grew over the following years into a true celebration of “Dilla Month”. Last year, the quartet Błoto honored Jay Dee’s music with eight concerts, including performances at Jassmine in Warsaw, Vertigo in Wrocław, Hipnoza in Katowice, Paul’s Boutique in Kraków, Blue Note in Poznań, Salon IKSV in Istanbul, and two shows at Monk in Gdańsk.
The reinterpretations of J Dilla’s beats in the quartet’s original, improvisation-rich arrangements were recorded in the Tri-City during the final concert of the tour. From that night, the band selected the essence, 40 minutes of music captured on the cassette mixtape you are holding in your hands. It was one of those evenings when the classics collided with fresh energy, reviving a legend in the process.
For many of us, J Dilla’s music was, and still is, more than just sound; it is emotion, memory, and constant inspiration. Because James Dewitt Yancey equals hip-hop.
We remember Jay Dee.
