On February 7th, 1974 the world was blessed with the birth of two men who would go on to help redefine the boundaries of hip-hop production and inspire fans around the world. Detroit based J Dilla brought neo-soul stylings to the forefront of hip-hop during the late 90's. Meanwhile, Nujabes was incorporating classical and jazz music into his productions from Japan. James Yancey battled lupus and ultimately succumbed to his disease in 2006. A few years later, in 2010, a car crash claimed the life of Seba Jun.
Both DJ's were true crate diggers; they made an art form out of selecting the perfect records for their tracks. Even before their untimely deaths, they were gathering support and acclaim from across the hip-hop community for their works. Their productions were well respected by both fans and fellow artists, and they were recognized for their progressiveness and creativity.
We have a fascination with dead icons, especially those that are gone too soon. What's great about artists is that they leave behind a physical embodiment of their person within their works. The emotions, feelings, and souls of J Dilla and Nujabes are captured in their music; forever accessible to us. Even with their passing, their gifts and talents are preserved in the medium they loved.
Rest In Beats and Happy Birthday to you both.
A couple of my favorites:
Had NO IDEA they were born on the same day! Love them both, but since I'm from the D I grew up listening to Dilla and didn't discover Nujabes until after he died.
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