J Dilla 'The Diary' review

Image: J Dilla

It’s been a decade since the death of Detroit hip hop pioneer J Dilla, who at just 32, suffered a cardiac arrest only three days after the release of what was his final album Donuts.

Since then a host of posthumous releases have reminded the world of the legacy Jay Dee created, not only as one third of Slum Village but also as a solo artist and a peerless producer.

His latest, The Diary is one of the forgotten albums Dilla recorded with major label MCA and was first scheduled for release in 2002 but ended up being shelved.

14 years on, the record has finally seen the light of day and with it being touted as a record where Dilla only raps, it has been talked up immensely.

In reality there are Dilla beats here but that doesn't make it any less special. This record is more about what producers Jay Rock and Madlib, amongst others, have done with Jay Dee’s vocals.

After years of painstaking work, all the pieces of the jigsaw have finally come together and the spirit of Dilla lives on in this re-imagined collection of vocal samples.

Aptly named opening track ‘The Introduction’ is a ruthless affair with Jay snarling about his “Big fuckin’ warrior balls” to a juddering beat and hypnotic synths. It’s a no nonsense affair and certainly lives up to its name.

‘The Anthem’ follows - with a name equally as ‘no bullshit’, this Dilla produced number features Frank and Dank who also hail from the rapper’s native Detroit.

It’s a slinky track with a beat that was thankfully included and makes up a quarter of the tracks produced by Dilla on "The Diary". The others: ‘Trucks’, ‘Give Them What They Want’ and ‘Fuck The Police’ are each a treat in their own unique way.

The first samples Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’ which is as bizarrely brilliant as it sounds. The other two are stone cold gangsta rap tunes that beg to be played in a low rider.

Scrawled deep within the pages of The Diary are some big name collaborations, with the most notable appearances courtesy of Snoop Dogg and Nas no least.

‘Gangsta Boogie’ sees the D.O double G join Jay D on the mic over a squelching bassline. His opening gambit of “A,B,C,D,E,F/take a look around it’s only me left” is typically laid back and, as always, the almost mandatory Snoop collab adds a distinctly funky flavour to the record.

While an appearance from Nas results in a decidedly nasty track,‘The Sickness’ (listen below) is no less laid back and sports a hefty beat overseen by Madlib.

There’s also a name check for 2006 album The Shining which is split into two parts: 'Pt. 1 (Diamonds)' and 'Pt. 2 (Ice)'. Again, both have phenomenal production and will slot perfectly alongside the rest of Jay Dee’s back catalogue.

The album’s title track is wonderful yet rather poignantly short lived and is a reflection of its performer's career not only in length but also in quality.

With a triumphant beat from Blink! and Dilla’s slick verse: “The flow is colder than the floor in a cell/so bring your weed I got a story to tell”, this track closes an album released appropriately close to a date celebrated by stoners.

Thankfully, this important chapter in Jay’s history has been dusted off to be held up to the light. And with the help of some expert producers this album proves to be more than a footnote in The Diary of J Dilla.

See who ranked with J Dilla in our Five of the best Record Store Day releases