“If James Dewitt Yancey has been all but canonised by a certain corner of hip hop fandom, it’s easy to see why. In part it’s because the Detroit-born rapper and beat-maker died in tragic circumstances in 2006: aged 32, after having being diagnosed with the auto-immune disease lupus and rare blood disease TTP. But in larger part, it’s because of the music he produced – a scuffed-up, sample-based hip”
“J Dilla's diary entries from the vocal booth offer a glimpse of what might have been”
“Just like any diamond unearthed after many years, J Dilla's long-lost solo album The Diary is flawed, but still precious.”
