J Dilla – Dillatronic

J Dilla’s folklore is reaching Tupac levels. In the nine years since the producer’s untimely passing, the occasional “produced by Dilla” tagline serves almost as a seal-of-approval and there’s a good chance one has never heard the beat. Before his death at the age of 32, Dilla created tons of instrumentals that are just now seeing the light of day.

He spent long hours in the studio, perfecting his now-signature blend of hard drums and reconstructed samples. The formula wasn’t much on paper, but it was something special when it all came together. Songs like “The Light” and “So Far to Go” connect on a deep, soulful level, while “Fuck the Police” and “Stakes is High” carry a strong Hip Hop knock. Everyone from Questlove to pianist Robert Glasper has a “J Dilla story.” His music influenced Detroit’s hip-hop scene and touched the likes of Pharrell and Kanye West (who also cites Dilla’s drums as a catalyst for their sounds). He was the ultimate grinder who built a legacy by simply making great music.

Dilla’s new posthumous release, Dillatronic, collects 41 rare instrumentals onto one set. Unlike Donuts, another long release of short bursting vignettes, these tracks are more electronically influenced than some of his well-known compositions, evoking similar gems from his catalog—like Busta Rhymes’ “Genesis” and Welcome 2 Detroit’s “B.B.E. (“Big Booty Express”). These feel like scratch paper notes, though “Dillatronic 04,” “Dillatronic 13” and “Dillatronic 41” seem more close to completion than the rest. Some tracks hang around a minute too long; others, like “38” and “40,” float by without any impact. There are sporadic vocals — an M.O.P. clip dots the cosmic funk of “29,” a collage of disembodied voices, including Jay Z’s, helps “18”s spacious groove. Dillatronic has a cassette-worthy hiss, making it a beat tape in the truest sense. It’s tailor-made for freestyle ciphers and plays well in controlled doses. You sense the producer working toward something on the songs, and perhaps these would’ve benefitted from a bit more polish. While Dilla’s half-finished is still better than completed material by most, Dillatronic suffers somewhat from the composer’s own stature. He made such iconic music that anything else pales in comparison, even if we get one more glimpse into Dilla’s creative process.

These type of beats aren’t new for him, though. Across several projects—The Shining and Ruff Draft, in particular—Dilla made the same type of electronic bounce and mixed other genres into the fold. While Dillatronic is his first full release of electro-inspired beats, it makes you wonder how a complete offering would’ve sounded. Sure you hear Dilla’s trademark air horns and his voice wafting throughout, but the music quickly fades into the background, a rarity for his art. Dillatronic highlights the producer’s grand vision, but in the end, we’re left with pieces of what could’ve been.