Hacking Mixes // Happy Birthday Dilla

Welcome to Merchbar’s Hacking Mixes: Each week we select and write about a great mix to listen to while you get work done. No genres barred.

I won’t do that trite “its impossible to write about Dilla” thing because it isn’t true.

These days it’s easy to write anything you want about the producer, beatmaker and occasional MC – and lots of people do.

As he transitioned from underground to appreciated to revered to worshipped there been no shortage of bandwagon jumpers – and no shortage of people trying to add their words to the dream of Dilla whether it was true or not. I’ll admit to being late to the party.

Very late.

My awareness of Dilla came through some combination of Questlove of The Roots and House Shoes in late 2009. I say awareness because I’d been a fan for a long time via his collabs with A Tribe Called Quest, Jaylib and others but I didn’t know it was one amazing man behind so many of the beats that blew my mind.

So instead of waxing about Dilla’s place in history, mythogising his impact on music or even deconstructing his work, I’ll just let the music speak for itself.

This set came to me via J Rocc of the Beat Junkies. Not only does it rock hard from four turntables, but weaves old-Dilla favorites and interesting remixes and rarities. There’s also appearances by some of Hip Hop’s greats: Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village, Frank and Dank and Erykah Badu.

If you love Dilla you’ll enjoy these flips and connections, if you don’t I hope you just discovered something you love.