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J Dilla is known as one of, if not the best hip hop producer to grace our planet. Unfortunately Dilla passed away in 2006 but as is often the case in music, Dilla's legacy lives on and it's perhaps even getting stronger as we continue to hear more of his music released from his archives.

'The Diary' is a collection of tracks that differs slightly from Dilla's bread and butter. Before his passing, Dilla had intended to make an album featuring him more behind the microphone than the boards and while that specific album didn't quite make it to be released before his passing, many of these songs were recently found and released as 'The Diary'. It's a pretty interesting story given how musically inclined Dilla was and with technology moving super quickly, going back in time to salvage Dilla's songs, or specifically these songs that have Dilla spitting on his favourite producer's beats, wasn't all that easy.

I'll leave it up to those close to Dilla to tell the story...

Songs

The Introduction: Sounds like the streets, meet J Dilla
The Anthem ft. Frank N Dank: Dilla can rap over anything, even his own crazy creations.
Fight Club ft. Nottz & Boogie: Let it slap, stay away from the Detroit clubs.
The Shining, Pt. 1 (Diamonds) ft. Kenny Wray: Girl's best friend, feel the soul.
The Shining, Pt. 2 (Ice): Only a minute!?
Trucks: Only one place to bang this.
Gangsta Boogie ft. Snoop Dogg & Kokane: West Coast funk.
Drive Me Wild: Feel the tempo.
Give Them What They Want: Only Dilla could cook this up.
The Creep (The O): For the players, romance.
The Ex ft. Bilal: One time for that girl who ditched you.
So Far: When I think of hip hop, I think this.
Fuck the Police: Fuck 'em, but fuck with that flute.
The Diary: Back story, concise, succinct.

Vibe

Despite loving him, I'm certainly no Dilla expert. I would suggest that this isn't the only time that Dilla raps while someone else lays down the beat as Dilla is just as crafty on the mic as he is on the boards. The vibe I've settled on with 'The Diary' is a celebration of Dilla, it doesn't follow any narrative or a theme, it's not dark and gloomy, nor is it inspiring/uplifting, it's just quintessential Dilla and the more we hear Dilla rap, the better.

There are tracks produced by Dilla; The Anthem, Trucks, Give Them What They Want and Fuck the Police. These tracks have a typical Dilla sound to them and are a nod to Dilla's musical prowess, whether it be the strange drum and Middle Eastern string/key on The Anthem or the endless layers in Give Them What They Want, you'll get your Dilla production fix here, don't worry.

I found it to be a celebration of Dilla because I've never really heard Dilla over such a range of beats; nine other producers are credited. Each producer graces that specific track with their own twist, from Hi-Tek dropping a West Coast banger for Gangsta Boogie or Karriem Riggins taking us on a high speed pursuit on Drive Me Wild or Madlib getting in on the action with his excessively funky The Shining, Pt. 2 (Ice). There's enough variety in the production that we get to hear Dilla flex his emcee muscles over a spectrum of beats.

Producers credited (in tracklist order): House Shoes, J Dilla, Waajeed, Nottz, Madlib, Hi-Tek, Karriem Riggins, Pete Rock, Supa Dave West and Bink!

In terms of rap features, the Dilla party continues with frequent collaborators gracing the album; Frank n Dank, Nottz, Boogie, Kenny Wray, Snoop Dogg, Kokane and Bilal.

Finale

Once you hear J Dilla - whether you hear his production or his raps - you'll never go back. There's something about Dilla's ability to make hard hitting hip hop beats, that somehow also ooze a soulful nature as well as the sheer scope of instrumentation and samples that puts Dilla in rare air. For Dilla fans there's more than enough Dilla goodness to remind you of his greatness, especially with him rapping so much and I couldn't help but smile and bop my head to Dilla's simple, but highly effective bars.

Best of all is that 'The Diary' also serves as a low key great introduction to J Dilla for new fans. The world keeps spinning, new kids fall in love with hip hop and it's understandable that many modern hip hop fans may not have heard too much of Dilla. 'The Diary' serves up Dilla's production and his work on the mic, putting it in the window for new fans to enjoy. That 'The Diary' can please Dilla's hardcore fans while also putting his wizardry on display for new fans is awesome and incredibly difficult to pull off, we'd expect nothing less from one of the greatest.