Philadelphia recently kicked off February with a week of festivities honoring J Dilla, beginning with a Spiced Sessions Puff Puff Artistry Flow to the music of the legendary producer featuring cannabis-infused donuts, and concluding with an interview I got to conduct with Dan Charnas about his book, Dilla Time, for Philadelphia DJ Cosmo Baker’s Book Club. That moment was truly important for me as Dilla inspired my career in the music industry, and I firmly believe this book is the vessel in which J Dilla’s soul is encompassed. You can check it out below.
One of the big takeaways I had from the book was all of the praise J Dilla received from some of Hip-Hop’s most notable names. Dan’s goal for the book was to confirm for readers that their love and admiration for the artist is absolutely justified; it is in no way blown out of proportion as his impact on music is forever historic. Dan conducted hundreds of interviews to make this book happen, from close associates like Questlove and Common to distant relatives to the guys Dilla grew up with in Detroit. Through this storytelling, Dan places Dilla’s story in context to the development of Hip-Hop overall, showing where he fits into the roots of the genre and how his sound evolved as the culture did as well. Although he was a bit later to the game, it’s incredible to me that even the artists that paved the way for J Dilla, such as Q-Tip and Pete Rock, had so much that they learned from the artist despite them preceding him. The story confirmed that J Dilla was not just your favorite artist, but your favorite artist’s favorite artist, even probably heavily impacting them. To celebrate the adoration Hip-Hop constantly shows for the revolutionary Detroit producer, as well as the newest accolade of Detroit’s official Dilla Day and street sign, pour yourself a drink and listen to this raw, passionate, and insightful interview with Dan Charnas, author of Dilla Time.
Cosmo Baker’s book club
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