The Home Grown Radio team found themselves immersed in the presence of hip-hop royalty this past Saturday (February 10) at J. Dilla Day LA, an event set to commemorate the legacy of pioneering producer James “J. Dilla” Yancey, in what would’ve been his 50th birthday. Set in the downtown area, the vibes were on point to make room for what would be a memorable night! Here are four of my favorite moments from Dilla Day LA, where music, memories, and the spirit of authenticity converged in an unforgettable celebration.
Behind-the-scenes w/ Slum Village & Ma Dukes: Before the evening’s festivities, the Home Grown Radio team got to sit down with Young RJ and T3 of Slum Village along with J. Dilla’s mother ‘Ma Dukes’. From the initial introduction, you could feel the love and appreciation for hip-hop, family, and legacy in the room. We exchanged commentary about everything from keeping J. Dilla’s legacy alive all over the world to what it means to be “Home Grown”.
“It’s great…we’re definitely one of the pioneers of keeping that going. We’ve traveled from London to Africa, Russia, Australia, and we’re ALWAYS repping the Dilla!…Slum Village, you know, we’ve got a lot on our back, but we’re proud to be here to be able to represent that.” – T3, Slum Village on Dilla’s Legacy
“To Ma Dukes, Home Grown means the authentic, it means not afraid of what it is…take it like it is. There’s nothing fake about it…you take it from the root.” – Ma Dukes on Being Home Grown
Another highlight moment took place during my interview with Ma Dukes, where we reminisced over Dilla’s first vinyl record ‘The Wiz’, a gift from her to him. This moment stemmed from a personal story I shared with her about my love for the beloved musical and how on a day out thrifting, I acquired that very same record for the first time. “It was a two-day hike around Detroit in the snow, with ice”, Ma Dukes said. “I had no car at the time…and it was about a six or seven-mile walk.”
DJ Exile Takes Over the Stage: If you want a classic hip-hop listening experience, you want to be in the house when DJ Exile is on the boards! He took over the night with his 30-minute set purely inspired by the man of the hour, Mr. J. Dilla. I appreciated the live scratching experience on the 1s and 2s; to hear that in person as opposed to on a track or even a film was truly a different type of feeling that can only be understood if you were in the room. Exile even brought out artist Blu, to help him close out his electric set.
Slum Village Performing Some of their Classics: Of course, the night wouldn’t have been complete without Slum Village hitting the stage! Our very own Tony Morales was at Dilla Day LA to capture footage of group members Young RJ and T3 performing classic tracks from some of their most notable albums. One performance highlight was when the duo performed “Cash Flow”, an original Mobb Deep track, over a funked-out beat.
If you attended Dilla Day LA, let us know what your most memorable moments were in the comments below. Big thanks to Slum Village, Ma Dukes, and the whole Dilla legacy for allowing Home Grown to be a part of the celebration!