Label: Delicious Vinyl
Reissued 7/21/2023, Originally released 2008
John “Illa J” Yancey, younger brother of late, great genius producer James Yancey (aka Jay Dee, J Dilla), is currently completing his debut album for Delicious Vinyl. With the multi-talented Illa J rhyming and singing over a treasure trove of previously untouched Jay Dee gems, the project represents both a full-circle collaboration and a whole new beginning in the story of the musically exceptional Yancey brothers. When Jay Dee passed away from complications relating to lupus in February 2006, he left behind an extraordinary legacy of production work, including hits for Common, Janet Jackson, and Busta Rhymes. One mother lode of previously untouched beats dates from his time working on the Pharcyde’s sophomore album Labcabincalifornia (1995). As DV owner and founder Michael Ross explains, “From ‘95 through ‘98 Jay Dee was my go-to guy for hot beats and remixes. He was always making beats, always. So there was a select amount of tracks that he composed for me during that time, tracks as good as anything he’d done, only they never got used. When I finally met Illa J last year, I gave him a CD containing those unreleased beats.”
Track listing:
- Timeless
- We Here
- R U Listenin'?
- Alien Family (Interlude)
- Strugglin
- Showtime
- Swagger
- Mr Shakes (Skit)
- DFTF
- All Good
- Sounds Like Love
- Everytime
- Illasoul
- Air Signs