J Dilla: Jay Love Japan [VINTAGE VIBEZ]

Why you'll love it

This 2016 Vintage Vibez edition is the official uncut version from the Dilla estate, remastered and properly sequenced, in a die-cut sleeve. Guests include Blu, Ta'Raach, Baatin and J*Davey.

This edition

• Die-cut sleeve
• Official uncut version
• Remastered

About the album

Some records take the scenic route. J Dilla announced Jay Love Japan in Wax Poetics in 2005, planned it as an instrumental EP with a couple of vocal tracks, and had it largely done before he died in February 2006. A Japanese promo version surfaced that year, and the album finally reached American shops in June 2007. Operation Unknown and Pay Jay were behind that first run.

"Can't You See" opens on one of his warm, woozy loops, "Sun in My Face" brings in Blu and Jontel, "Say It" features Ta'Raach and Exile, and "First Time" reunites him with Slum Village bandmate Baatin. J*Davey stop by on "Red Light," and the samples run from Isao Tomita and Art of Noise to The Emotions and Gladys Knight & the Pips' take on "Yesterday." Dilla produced every track himself.

In 2016 his estate brought it back with the songs in the order he meant. Dilla famously left his drums a touch off the grid and still had everything land exactly where it should; we've tried the same approach with the shop rota, with noticeably less success.

Also at Kops: more J Dilla on vinyl · browse Hip Hop / R&B

Tracklist

Listen

On Vintage Vibez Music Group (cat# VNT201), a reissue of the 2007 album.