Otis Jackson Jr., known professionally as Madlib, is an American DJ, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. He is widely known for his collaborations with MF DOOM, J Dilla, and Freddie Gibbs. Madlib has described himself as a "DJ first, producer second, and MC last." His stage name is an acronym for "Mind Altering Demented Lessons In Beats".
The Coming is the debut studio album by the American rapper and record producer Busta Rhymes. It was released on March 26, 1996, by Flipmode Entertainment and Elektra Records. The album contains contributions by the Def Squad members Redman, Keith Murray, and Jamal; as well as Q-Tip, Zhané, Leaders of the New School, and several Flipmode Squad members. Production of the album was handled by DJ Scratch, Easy Mo Bee, and the Ummah, among others. It serves as Rhymes's first solo album after the breakup of Leaders of the New School two years prior, and his first full-length project after numerous guest appearances on other songs with artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, the Notorious B.I.G., Heavy D and the Boyz, and Mary J. Blige.
Welcome 2 Detroit is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist J Dilla, released on February 26, 2001. The album followed his group Slum Village's critically acclaimed Fantastic, Vol. 2, and kicked off BBE's "Beat Generation" series.
Donuts is the second studio album by the American hip hop producer J Dilla, released on February 7, 2006, by Stones Throw Records. It was released on the day of his 32nd birthday, three days before his death.
Champion Sound is a collaborative album by the duo Jaylib, consisting of producers J Dilla and Madlib. The album was released in 2003 and is considered a classic in the underground hip-hop scene. The title track, "Champion Sound," features a sample from the 1978 film The Deer Hunter and showcases the duo's signature blend of soulful beats and intricate rhymes. The album also features guest appearances from Talib Kweli and Percee P.
The Shining is the third studio album by American hip hop producer and rapper J Dilla, who died on February 10, 2006. The Shining was incomplete at the time of J Dilla's passing and was posthumously completed by producer Karriem Riggins. Discounting the instrumental album Donuts, The Shining was the first full-length solo release by J Dilla since Welcome 2 Detroit five years earlier, and as such was highly anticipated. It was released on August 22, 2006, through BBE Records. An instrumental version of the album followed its release shortly afterward.
Jason Powers, better known by his stage name Elzhi, is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He is a former member of Slum Village and now records as a solo artist. In his youth, he made numerous visits to the Hip-Hop shop in Detroit, taking advantage of open-mic nights hosted by fellow Detroit rapper Proof.
"Pause" is a single by Jay Dee that was chosen to lead his 2001 album, Welcome 2 Detroit. Besides a grunt and an ad-lib, ("Bounce"), Jay Dee doesn't perform on the song himself, but instead features his friends Frank-N-Dank, who brace the horn-laced track with suitably over-the-top braggadocio. Much of Dank's opening first is later featured in scratches on Dilla's Ruff Draft EP song "Let's Take It Back".
Jay Love Japan is the fourth studio album and second posthumous project by American hip hop recording artist, J Dilla. The album was released on June 26, 2007. The album was re-issued in 2016 after being out of print for many years.
The Official Jay Dee Instrumental Series Vol.1: Unreleased is a 2002 EP by American hip hop producer Jay Dee. The EP was compiled by Jay Dee and Waajeed, and is a collection of previously unreleased beats. Vol. 1 is distributed by Bling 47 and is mainly available through their website. This release was followed by Vol.2: Vintage, three months later.
Frank n Dank are an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. They also go by the names Frank Nitt and Dankery Harv, and are best known for their many collaborations with the late J Dilla. Known for their party-driven, tongue-in-cheek raps, the duo first came to public attention as guests on producer J Dilla's album, Welcome 2 Detroit in 2001. Prior to this, they had been performing in their hometown, Detroit, since the mid-1990s and had released the 12"s "Everybody Get Up!" and "Me and My Man" between "Love ", both produced by J Dilla.
This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2007.
"Devil's Pie" is a song by American R&B and neo soul musician D'Angelo, released October 31, 1998, on Virgin Records. It was issued as a promotional single for his second studio album, 2000's Voodoo. The song was composed by D'Angelo and hip hop producer DJ Premier of the group Gang Starr. "Devil's Pie" served as a departure for D'Angelo from the urban contemporary style of his previous commercially successful singles to the more experimental, "jam"-like sound that is predominant on Voodoo, as well as the use of sampling in his music. The song appeared on the soundtrack to the 1998 film Belly. DJ Premier originally made the track for Canibus but later offered it to D'Angelo after Canibus rejected the song.
This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2006.
James Dewitt Yancey, better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer. He emerged during the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan, as a member of the group Slum Village. He was also a member of the Soulquarians, a musical collective active during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Donut Shop is a 2-disc collection of previously unreleased instrumental hip hop songs by J Dilla, former founding member of Slum Village. The collection was posthumously released in 2010 by joint venture of Stones Throw, the J Dilla Estate, and Serato.
The Diary is the sixth and final studio album by American hip hop recording artist J Dilla. It was originally intended for release in 2002 via MCA Records under the title Pay Jay. This long-lost album is the final batch of unissued material that J Dilla had assembled for release during his lifetime. It also represents his first rap album released since Ruff Draft (2003) and Champion Sound (2003). Unlike previous full-length releases – from Jay Stay Paid (2009) to Dillatronic (2015) – all edited with unreleased instrumentals, The Diary is a collection of Dilla's vocal performances over his production and that of other producers, such as Madlib, Pete Rock, Nottz, Hi-Tek and Karriem Riggins among others. It also features vocal performances by Snoop Dogg, Bilal, Kokane, Frank n Dank, Nottz, Kenny Wray and Boogie. Recording sessions for the album took place from September 16, 2001, to April 2, 2002, at The Spaceship in Clinton Township and Studio A in Detroit, and it was mastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters in Los Angeles.
Sunset Blvd. is the debut LP by Detroit-based hip hop duo Yancey Boys, released on October 29, 2013 by Yancey Media Group in conjunction with Delicious Vinyl and distributed through Traffic Entertainment Group. The record is built around a recently unearthed batch of music created by Illa J's late elder brother, James "J Dilla" Yancey. The album features the latter's past collaborators like De La Soul's Posdnuos, Slum Village's T3, Common, The Pharcyde's Slimkid3 and Talib Kweli. Additional guests on Sunset Blvd. include DJs Rhettmatic, C-Minus, and J. Rocc as well as rapper Guilty Simpson and R&B singer Eric Roberson.
Yancey Boys is the debut studio album by Detroit-based rapper/singer Illa J, featuring instrumental production from his late brother Jay Dee, also known as J Dilla. The album was released on November 4, 2008 under Delicious Vinyl. The beats were created from 1995 to 1998 during Jay Dee's tenure with Delicious Vinyl. The album's release was supported by two singles – "We Here" and "Sounds Like Love" featuring Debi Nova. Recording sessions for the album took place at Yancey Boys Studio in Los Angeles in 2008. Stones Throw Records released a digital instrumental version of the album in 2009.
Nobody's Smiling is the tenth studio album by American hip hop recording artist Common. It was released on July 22, 2014, by Def Jam Recordings and No I.D.'s label ARTium Records. Following the release of his 2011's album The Dreamer/The Believer, Common took a hiatus from musical endeavors. In 2013, he returned to the studio and began working his tenth album and later revealed that the production, much like his previous effort, would be handled entirely by his longtime collaborator and record producer No I.D. In 2014, Common signed a recording contract with No I.D.'s ARTium Records, through Def Jam Recordings, for the distribution of the album.
[2] 
