Published on August 16th, 2023 | by Dr. Jerry Doby
0The 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 didnât 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 seriesâ acclaimed features are the Emmy-winning documentary âMalfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jacksonâ and the Emmy-nominated films âFraming Britney Spears,â and âControlling Britney Spearsâ and the NAACP Image Award winner âThe Killing of Breonna Taylor.âExecutive 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 DâAngelo. Dillaâs influence has been celebrated far more since his death than it was while he was alive, but mainstream recognition remains elusive. âI’m a Detroiter and I’m a fighter,â his mother says. âI will stay in there and I will fight. I wonât let anybody put my son down, what I do for him down, because Iâm here to lift up his music, his legacy.â
âThe Legacy of J Dillaâ is produced and directed by Christopher Frierson and Esther Dere. Frierson previously directed âDonât Try to Understand: A Year in the Life of Earl âDMXâ Simmons.â Dere is the showrunner for The New York Times Presents.
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