Rebirth of Detroit

A legendary producer who left this world far too early, J Dilla (a.k.a. Jay Dee) remains a much-loved beatmaster who has influenced an entire generation of bedroom maestros. Known for his work with A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, Slum Village, Jaylib, Frank-N-Dank, and countless others, J Dilla possessed an uncanny ability to craft music for a wide variety of artists. He continually tweaked and morphed his approach while always maintaining that classic Dilla funk. Though he died in 2006 after a long battle with lupus, his art lives on; several posthumous projects have been released over the years. On Rebirth of Detroit—a fully legitimate album, with proceeds going directly to his family—we get 21 new tracks featuring rare and mostly unreleased Dilla beats. They're rocked by a gang of underground emcees, including his younger brother Illa J ("Do It for Dilla"), Amp Fiddler ("Let's Pray Together"), The Almighty Dreadnaughtz ("Ride with It"), and OG extreme rapper Esham ("Big Thangs"). It's a fantastic collection that pays tribute to both Dilla and the hometown he loved. Don't miss the flute-laced "Requiem" or the mellow closer "The Best That Ever Did It."