The Lost Scrolls, Vol. 1

A much-loved producer/emcee who left us way too soon, J Dilla (a.k.a. Jay Dee) put out a gang of classic records during his short time on Earth, working with acts like Slum Village, A Tribe Called Quest, Pharcyde, Common, Erykah Badu, and countless others. Though he passed away in 2006, he left behind a gigantic amount of unreleased material. There's been no shortage of posthumous releases, including The Shining, Jay Love Japan, and Ruff Draft. On this EP—the first edition of The Lost Scrolls series—longtime friend and co-conspirator Frank Nitt (of Frank & Dank) gives us four old-but-new tracks that showcase Dilla's mix skills, as well as his always on-point beatwork. "The Throwaway" is amazing; it's an absurdly catchy collabo with Frank and younger brother Illa J, built over banging drums and a frantic organ loop that wouldn't sound out of place on an old Beatnuts jam. "Smack a Bitch" and "Dewitt to It" come with a bigger bass sound, and the closer "Ruff and Rugged" finishes things off on a mellow, mostly instrumental tip.