CD REVIEW: J DILLA, THE SHINING
Sep 26, 2006 1:16 PM Dominic Umile (Writer)
Early in 2006, beloved producer J Dilla (aka Jay Dee) almost completed the last album he would ever work on before an illness stole his final breath. Unlike the masterful instrumental-centered Donuts album, issued days before Jay Dee's passing, The Shining follows the unrivaled beatmaker's Welcome 2 Detroit format and pins a handful of guests against his venturesome grooves. Jay Dee's live/sample sound features pronounced MC spots on The Shining, while radiant arrangements ripple with fuzzed-out Moogs and live drum claps.
Like Frank N Dank's brawl-amped recklessness on Welcome 2 Detroit's "Pause," MED and Guilty Simpson ride tom-toms on The Shining's "Jungle Love," a chunky swagger joint fitted with tambourines and roomy background squeals. Exec producer Karriem Riggins' synth noodling and J. Rocc's cuts in "Body Movin'" bring wordless clamor, answering Common's organized contribution over the buzzing loops of "E=MC2." Though the album's title connects Jay Dee's grim hospital stay to Stanley Kubrick's haunting film, The Shining moniker speaks also to the incandescent relationship cultivated between a producer, many fortunate listeners and a monumental impact on hip-hop.
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