Jay Dee (J Dilla): Welcome 2 Detroit (2LP) [BBE]

Why you'll love it

This BBE 2LP set was mastered for vinyl by Walter Coelho at Masterpiece. Pitchfork gave the album 8.5, and it was the first record on which Dilla officially used the J Dilla name.

This edition

• 2LP set
• Mastered for vinyl by Walter Coelho
• Stereo mix

About the album

Producers usually stand at the back of the band photo. In 2001 London's BBE invited them to the front with its Beat Generation series, and the first name it called was a Detroit beatmaker then known as Jay Dee. Fresh from Slum Village's Fantastic, Vol. 2, James Yancey made Welcome 2 Detroit between 1999 and 2001 at Pay-Jay Studios and Studio A in Dearborn Heights, playing, sampling and rapping his way around his city's sound.

He brings friends. Dwele joins "Think Twice," a Donald Byrd cover with Dilla singing lead, Elzhi drops by on "Come Get It," Frank N Dank take "Pause" and his old partner Phat Kat gets the aptly named "Featuring Phat Kat." Karriem Riggins produced "The Clapper" and plays drums across the record, "Rico Suave Bossa Nova" tips its hat to Brazil's Azymuth, and on "African Rhythms" Dilla replays Plunky & the Oneness of Juju's tune himself, spoken intro and all.

It runs from grimy hardcore to electronic psychedelia in 41 minutes, and the outro, "One," thanks Slum Village, Q-Tip and De La Soul. 'N Sync get a shout too, which tells you how wide his ears were.

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

Tracklist

Listen

On BBE (cat# BBEBGLP001), the 2001 album.