Track-by-Track Review
J Dilla – Jay Stay Paid
by Gerald Kong
gerald@istandardproducers.com
If you are reading your first Track by Track, here on iStandardProducers.com, then there are a few things you must know:
#1 We focus mostly on the beats … obviously – hence the name “PRODUCERS” in iStandardProducers.com… however we are still reviewing the record as a whole.
#2 EVERY track gets equal shine…
#3 You know how we do it…we don’t check the credits until the album is heard in its entirety!
The most underrated producer who is often quoted as your favorite producers, favorite producer, blesses us once again from the heavens (R.I.P) and through the album ‘J$P (Jay Stay Paid)’. Much love and respect to Pete Rock for mixing, arranging and supervising the cleverly disguised album/mix tape/radio show/dedication. J$P reflects the mélange of sounds bubbling from a melting pot of vinyl and the unique production prowess of the late Jay Dilla… a style that is often imitated but hardly duplicated. Diehard fans and fresh new ears alike will eventually have to endure the neck breaking tendencies that come about from playing this album.
1. KJay FM Dedication (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – Intro starts out with heavy scratches and dope drops pushing the rhythm forward in the best way possible over some “static” percussion. Dilla sirens blare in the background while the bass line comes through nice and full. Smokey pianos and spacey organs fill the rest of the track up. I wish this was a full instrumental track instead of an intro, but it does a great job in setting up the overall tone of the album.
2. King – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – This track drops with some deep, chest heavy bass. Straight swagger! The drums have a nice live pop to them. The snare hits and tom rolls blend smoothly with the other sounds on the song. On top of the percussion are pulsating layers of piano and spacey organ/string/guitar sounds from the intro (yes!). (Get on the mic: Jay-Z)
3. I Told Yall – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – The voice samples and scratches are cleverly laid out throughout the track. He makes it sound so easy, but you really have to work on your sample collection to add to the idea of the specific song you’re working on. The beat has an ill laid back swing to it with high pitched sweeping synths on top of short staccato video game tones. I like the phatty synth line that comes in about halfway through the track. (Get on the mic: Buckshot)
4. Lazer Gunne Funke – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – The soul clap is sounding nice against the hard kick drums. I like how the sound of the piano gradually crescendos into the lazer noise. The beat is simple yet profound. (Get on the mic: Redman)
5. In The Night (Owl N Out) – While You Slept (I Crept) – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – The track has a real “wet” sound throughout with some full bodied drums. Everything sounds like its dripping. The Baroque-ish melody line with the vocal samples fit the track perfectly. Reminds me of the “Lets Grow” track Dilla did with Royce a while back, which is also fire. (Get on the mic: Royce Da 5’9”)
6. Smoke (feat. Blu) – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – Light strings, vibraphones and a ghostly whistling fill this track with a nice hypnotic bop. Although there is no full verse, Blu sounds like he’s just playing around with the beat and just having fun with it. I think his style and tone of voice mesh well with the beat.
7. Blood Sport (feat. Lil Fame) – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – Crunchy drums sound tough over some aggressive Fizzy raps over the first movement of the track. The second half is more laid back with a springy, fuzzy bass line that drives the mellow mood of the track. The muting is on point and executed nicely over the whole track.
8. CaDILLAc- (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – The overall feeling of beat is very heavy. The drums are nice and gritty, especially the hat and the shaker. I also like the subtle overtones in the background and the ripping bass line. (Get on the mic: Method Man)
9. Expensive Whip – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – The shakers set up the rhythm nicely while the syncopated rim hits in the background adds a cool groove to it. The bass is also big and loud so you can appreciate the knock in your whip. Dilla successfully samples some choral piece and proves his willingness to experiment with his beats. (Get on the mic: Slum Village)
10. Kaklow (Jump On It)- (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – Short track with not much progression throughout. Light metallic keys drive the beat along with some snappy snares and kicks.
11. Digi Dirt (feat. Phat Kat) – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – The strings are chopped up crazy on this track. The drums have a nice strong boom bap and slap you in the face while Phat Kat rips it with some high energy.
12. Dilla Bot vs. The Hybrid (feat. Danny Brown & Constantine) – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – Bells, chimes, 808’s and a kung-fu melody get your head nodding to the beat straight off the bat. Danny Brown (www.myspace.com/dannybrownrd) goes in pretty hard and very animated while Constantine drops some well fitting smoky vocals in the chorus. I think the melody might get played out if there was another verse. It would definitely have to switch up to keep my attention.
13. Milk Money (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – One of the smoothest beats on the compilation that just feels good. The panning crescendos with the sampled “ahhhs” on top of the guitar plucks sound real fresh. The scratches are on point, of course. I appreciate how the drums build up slowly before it starts to knock with the bass. (Get on the mic: Ghostface Killah)
14. Spacecowboy vs. Bobblehead – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – The wobbly, sporadic, pulsating bass is very “left field”, but works with the beat. Sounds like music you would hear traveling through outer space. The high pitched echoes work nicely with the old western melody. If you listen close, there are also some light bongos in the background. The second part of the track is very short but original in the way the vocals were chopped and played. (Get on the mic: Snoop Dogg)
15. Reality Check (feat. Black Thought) – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – Straight energy throughout the whole song. The beat pushes forward with the overdriven guitar riff accompanied by the solid bass. Black Thought is also killing it on the lyrics professing his attitude towards all the reality shows on television.
16. On Stilts – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – Funky ass beat. Dilla uses some crazy rubber band, banjo type sounds. The bass bounces along nicely with the melody and the drums. (Get on the mic: Ludacris)
17. Fire Wood Drumstix (feat. DOOM) – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – “They scared of this track like a terrorist attack!” DOOM murders the track with lyrics “that are off the leash”. Dilla employs a nice head nodding electric harpsichord melody with some strong bass kicks. I wish it was longer.
18. Glamour Sho75 (09) – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – I think this beat was on an old Dilla beat tape (correct me if I’m wrong). The way the beat drops after the sample cut is off the chain. Sounds like he sampled the band Heart? (not sure) The echoed snare sounds crazy and so does the layered strings that come in not too long after it drops. The “ehs” and “ohhs” samples are used very tastefully. (Get on the mic: De la Soul)
19. 10,000 Watts – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – “Who got more style?” sample is cut up nicely over the track. Sounds like a beat that should have been on the Donuts LP. The drum chops and patterns on the pickup and the rolls are on point. (Get on the mic: M.O.P)
20. 9th Caller- (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – Sounds like a throwaway beat to me. I like the percussion and the bass, but not really anything else. The melody is too hazy for my taste. Maybe it will grow on me.
21. Make It Fast Mega Mix (Unadulterated Mix)(feat. Diz Gibran)– (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – The funky guitar plucking and cowbell rhythm sounds dope. The overall mix gives the beat a lot of air and room to breathe. Bongos are sounding sick on the second part of this song and just flow with the filtered bass sound. Dizzy’s treble heavy voice works well with the distortion of the whole song.
22. 24k Rap (feat. Havoc & Raekwon)- (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – Grimy and gritty Dilla beat. I like the fact that everything is not too heavy. The beat consists of arpeggios with some keys in the background and some panned horns. The bass has a nice, steady bump to it. The drums are not too over powering and allow the lyrics to really come though. Havoc and The Chef get busy! Who wouldn’t want to hear a whole album with just the three of these legends? The last 16 seconds of the song features a little clip of some other hot joint that I’ve never heard before.
23. Big City – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – I picture some bright city lights, windows rolled down, top down, money aint a thing. The beat features a strong kick drum with a laid back swing. (Get on the mic: Common)
24. Pay Day (feat Frank Nitty)- (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – Beat drops heavy with some epic horns and some flutes. Unfortunately, like the last track, it ends after about a minute. Nevertheless, Nitty works his wordplay nicely over the beat and all of the breakdowns and fills.
25. See That Boy Fly (feat. Illa J & Cue D) – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) Mysterious sounding beat with the sample “flllyyy” stretched out nicely throughout the track. The bass is very choppy in a good way and sounds dope against the drums. The lyrics are ok and the chorus could use some work, but it’s definitely pretty cool to hear his little brother over the tracks. (Get on the mic: Blackstarr)
26. Coming Back – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – The sounds on this beat remind me of Faith Evan’s “I Love You”. I think I hear waves crashing in the background over the music as well, which is a pretty cool idea if that’s what it really is.
27. Mythsysizer – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – Crazy chopped keys on this track make it sound very dreamy and hypnotic. The hi-hat and shaker have a nice lazy feel to it. The bass bounces right along with the keys and the snare has a nice smack to it. (Get on the mic: Busta Rhymes)
28. KJay And We Out – (Produced by James Dewitt Yancey) – This track was originally released on Frank-n-Dank’s “48 Hrs” album in 2003. The title is “Ma Dukes” and featured Tammy Lucas on the chorus. Great bass line and guitar samples. The beat is fly as ever and it’s the perfect track to end the album.
Due to the fact that I am a fan of Dilla’s work, my review of this album may be a little biased, but I’m pretty sure that most hip-hop fans will enjoy the music on this record. The only downside to the album is that most of the tracks are only rough drafts and are fairly short in length. Even so, it is always a pleasure to sit back, relax and listen to some timeless cuts by one of the greatest. Although he lived a brief thirty-two years, the types of songs and concepts he came up with are pretty mind-blowing. His production credits and extensive catalog of songs is something to truly revel about. Despite all of the legal troubles, thank you Ma Dukes for helping to release this great compilation of Jay Dee’s music and thank you Pete Rock for bringing the music to life.
OVERALL – 3.5 out or 5.
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