Audiopile Review: J Dilla. I mean, that should be enough, right? There are a million producers and a billion algorithms out there trying to emulate his raw, loosely funkdafied beats. But nothing comes close to the real thing. In 1998, when Slum Village’s ‘Fantastic Vol. 2’ emerged from Detroit, Dilla’s legendary status was far from assured. But he already had major juice in the rap game. How else do you explain an album from an underground Detroit crew featuring so many Golden Age heavy hitters? Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, and Pete Rock were all in the house. And yet, every time we play it in the store, we kinda wish the emcees would quiet down and let us hear those gritty snare drums in all their glory. Well, here’s an instrumental version, revealing the great man at the height of his powers. Most hip-hop albums would not survive having their vocals removed. But ‘Fantastic Vol. 2’ might… actually… be… improved?

The contributions of the late Detroit producer James DeWitt Yancey –better known to the world as J Dilla- to the world of hip-hop can’t be overstated, and nowhere is his legacy more apparent than his work as a member of Slum Village. A founding member of the trio, (Alongside rappers T3 and Baatin) Dilla provided the groups distinctly esoteric, free-wheeling sound, built around winding basslines, quirky drumbeats, subtle low-end frequencies, and classic jazz & soul samples.

After the success of Slums 1997 studio debut, Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1, the group went to work on their follow up. Though the project was completed in 98, label turmoil kept the project on ice until 2000. By the time Fantastic Volume II hit, Dilla was well on his way to his status as a hip hop legend having produced cuts for Common, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest and many more. Later works from Slum Village may have had more of an impact sales-wise (in the immediate) but Fantastic Vol. 2 had fans and many critics saying that Slum Village, and Dilla in particular, may single-handedly save rap music. Perhaps that statement is hyperbole but many consider Fantastic Volume II to be Slum Village’s, and J Dilla’s, finest work ever.