The New York Times Presents: The “Legacy of J Dilla” on FX

In his short lifetime, J Dilla was a musician, producer, and visionary who profoundly influenced rap and Hip Hop. Given how prolific he was in his 32 years, many ask, “Why didn’t his accolades come sooner?” Good question but here it is now The New York Times Presents: The Legacy of J Dilla which premiered on FX on April 4th. It’s a deep dive into the mindset of one of Hip Hop’s most revered creators of music with samples. Actually, that doesn’t describe the majesty with which a J Dilla beat is held by music creatives across the board, artists, producers, DJs, and music analysts across the globe have been amazed by and celebrated his musical genius.

The New York Times Presents, a series of standalone documentary films powered by the unparalleled journalism and insight of journalists at The New York Times, is produced by The New York Times and Left/Right. Among the series’ acclaimed features are the Emmy-winning documentary “Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson” and the Emmy-nominated films “Framing Britney Spears,” and “Controlling Britney Spears” and the NAACP Image Award winner “The Killing of Breonna Taylor.”Executive Producers are Esther Dere, Jason Stallman, Liz Day, Sam Dolnick, Stephanie Preiss, Ken Druckerman, and Banks Tarver. Dere also serves as the Showrunner of The New York Times Presents. Rachel Abrams is Senior Producer.

Born James Dewitt Yancey, the Detroit native who came to be known as J Dilla started rapping and making beats as a kid. He grew into a visionary music producer, rapper, and artist who left an undeniable mark on the hip-hop landscape, working with artists like Erykah Badu, Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, and D’Angelo. Dilla’s influence has been celebrated far more since his death than it was while he was alive, but mainstream recognition remains elusive. “I’m a Detroiter and I’m a fighter,” his mother says. “I will stay in there and I will fight. I won’t let anybody put my son down, what I do for him down, because I’m here to lift up his music, his legacy.”

“The Legacy of J Dilla” is produced and directed by Christopher Frierson and Esther Dere. Frierson previously directed “Don’t Try to Understand: A Year in the Life of Earl ‘DMX’ Simmons.” Dere is the showrunner for The New York Times Presents.

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Tags: FX, Hip Hop, J Dilla, Music Producer, The New York Times, The New York Times Presents

About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.