Description
Equal parts biography, musicology, and cultural history, Dilla Time chronicles the life and legacy of J Dilla, a musical genius who transformed the sound of popular music for the 21st century. His name wasn't known to mainstream audiences, and when he died at age 32, he had never had a pop hit. Yet since his death, J Dilla has become a demigod, revered as one of the most important musical figures of the past 100 years. At the core of this adulation is innovation: as the producer behind some of the most influential rap and R&B acts of his day, Dilla created a new kind of musical time-feel, an accomplishment on par with the revolutions wrought by Louis Armstrong and James Brown. Dilla and his drum machine reinvented the way musicians play.
In Dilla Time, Dan Charnas chronicles the life of James Dewitt Yancey, from his gifted Detroit childhood to his rise as a sought-after hip-hop producer to the rare blood disease that caused his premature death. He follows the people who kept Dilla and his ideas alive. And he rewinds the histories of American rhythms: from the birth of Motown soul to funk, techno, and disco. Here, music is a story of what happens when human and machine times are synthesized into something new.
This is the story of a complicated man and his machines; his family, friends, partners, and celebrity collaborators; and his undeniable legacy. Based on nearly 200 original interviews, and filled with graphics that teach us to feel and "see" the rhythm of Dilla's beats, Dilla Time is a book as defining and unique as J Dilla's music itself.
Museum Story
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) hosted its inaugural Hip-Hop Block Party in 2022, to celebrate the first anniversary of the release of the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap. More than 8,000 people attended in person and thousands more watched online. The event featured performances by local and national talent, presentations and activities that explored hip-hop music's origins and cultural influence for 12 hours. In 2023, the tradition returned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop.
Details
- Paperback
- 480 pages
- 8.2" x 5.4"
- Written by Dan Charnas
