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The Legacy of J Dilla

Documentary about the tragic life story of influential American hip-hop producer J Dilla.

Documentary
Time & Tickets

J Dilla – also known as Jay Dee – was one of the most influential, and tragic, figures in hip-hop. At the age of 32, just after the release of the classic DONUTS (2006), the producer died of a rare disease. With a wealth of material from family archives, this documentary outlines how Dilla created unforgettable and mind-blowing beats from his basement in Detroit for artists such as De La Soul, The Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes and his own Slum Village. As one of the founding members of the neo-soul collective The Soulquarians he also produced for The Roots, D’Angelo, Q-Tip and Erykah Badu. All the while J Dilla stayed out of the spotlight – these days, however, his musical legacy is subject to legal battles.

Esther Dere & Christopher Frierson, USA, 2023, 70 min. English spoken, without subtitles.