Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm
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- Create Date：2023-02-27 08:52:59
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Dan Charnas
- ISBN：1250862973
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Summary
Equal parts biography， musicology， and cultural history， Dilla Time chronicles the life and legacy of J Dilla， a musical genius who transformed the sound of popular music for the twenty-first century。
He wasn’t known to mainstream audiences， even though he worked with renowned acts like D’Angelo and Erykah Badu and influenced the music of superstars like Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson。 He died at the age of thirty-two， and in his lifetime he never had a pop hit。 Yet since his death， J Dilla has become a demigod: revered by jazz musicians and rap icons from Robert Glasper to Kendrick Lamar; memorialized in symphonies and taught at universities。 And at the core of this adulation is innovation: a new kind of musical time-feel that he created on a drum machine， but one that changed the way “traditional” musicians play。
In Dilla Time， Dan Charnas chronicles the life of James DeWitt Yancey， from his gifted childhood in Detroit， to his rise as a Grammy-nominated hip-hop producer， to the rare blood disease that caused his premature death; and follows the people who kept him and his ideas alive。 He also rewinds the histories of American rhythms: from the birth of soul in Dilla’s own “Motown，” to funk， techno， and disco。 Here， music is a story of Black culture in America and of what happens when human and machine times are synthesized into something new。 Dilla Time is a different kind of book about music， a visual experience with graphics that build those concepts step by step for fans and novices alike， teaching us to “see” and feel rhythm in a unique and enjoyable way。
Dilla’s beats， startling some people with their seeming “sloppiness，” were actually the work of a perfectionist almost spiritually devoted to his music。 This is the story of the man and his machines， his family， friends， partners， and celebrity collaborators。 Culled from more than 150 interviews about one of the most important and influential musical figures of the past hundred years， Dilla Time is a book as delightfully detail-oriented and unique as J Dilla’s music itself。
He wasn’t known to mainstream audiences， even though he worked with renowned acts like D’Angelo and Erykah Badu and influenced the music of superstars like Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson。 He died at the age of thirty-two， and in his lifetime he never had a pop hit。 Yet since his death， J Dilla has become a demigod: revered by jazz musicians and rap icons from Robert Glasper to Kendrick Lamar; memorialized in symphonies and taught at universities。 And at the core of this adulation is innovation: a new kind of musical time-feel that he created on a drum machine， but one that changed the way “traditional” musicians play。
In Dilla Time， Dan Charnas chronicles the life of James DeWitt Yancey， from his gifted childhood in Detroit， to his rise as a Grammy-nominated hip-hop producer， to the rare blood disease that caused his premature death; and follows the people who kept him and his ideas alive。 He also rewinds the histories of American rhythms: from the birth of soul in Dilla’s own “Motown，” to funk， techno， and disco。 Here， music is a story of Black culture in America and of what happens when human and machine times are synthesized into something new。 Dilla Time is a different kind of book about music， a visual experience with graphics that build those concepts step by step for fans and novices alike， teaching us to “see” and feel rhythm in a unique and enjoyable way。
Dilla’s beats， startling some people with their seeming “sloppiness，” were actually the work of a perfectionist almost spiritually devoted to his music。 This is the story of the man and his machines， his family， friends， partners， and celebrity collaborators。 Culled from more than 150 interviews about one of the most important and influential musical figures of the past hundred years， Dilla Time is a book as delightfully detail-oriented and unique as J Dilla’s music itself。
Reviews
Gideon Kalischer
，
Great division between bio and music theory。 Very enjoyable for someone with basic knowledge of the J Dilla scene， but not the whole story。 Reads very snappy。
Andrew
，
If you are interested in hip hop I recommend this book a lot。 There were so many songs in my playlists I didn’t know jdilla produced。
KORDER’S CORNER
，
When I first picked up the book I was thinking it may be a dry and uninteresting book。 However， it’s an insightful and compelling book。 It chronicles Dilla’s life and death and his impact on music。 In such a short time on earth J Dilla changed so many things in relation to rhythm and music that the impact is still being felt today。 Definitely worth reading！
Dyde
，
This book was a great window into the world of hip hop from the 1990s to 2000s。 Many aha and woah moments - and the musicology chapters really helped break down the genius of Dilla。 A bit cheesy - but the biggest takeaway for me was to find one’s own rhythm。
Jason Cady
，
A rare music biography that actually discusses the music in a serious and intelligent way—both relevant to knowledgeable musicians and fans。 I must admit， that I think the author does over-hype his subject a bit。 Playing ahead and behind the beat is not a new concept。 Yes， Dilla applied it to beat programming in a way that hadn't been done before， but it was not at all new to the field of music。But， I will definitely read Charnas' next book。 A rare music biography that actually discusses the music in a serious and intelligent way—both relevant to knowledgeable musicians and fans。 I must admit， that I think the author does over-hype his subject a bit。 Playing ahead and behind the beat is not a new concept。 Yes， Dilla applied it to beat programming in a way that hadn't been done before， but it was not at all new to the field of music。But， I will definitely read Charnas' next book。 。。。more
Andrew Ettinger
，
must-read — or in my case， listen — for any modern music fans （not just hip-hop fans！）"your favorite artist's favorite artist's favorite artists"-questlove must-read — or in my case， listen — for any modern music fans （not just hip-hop fans！）"your favorite artist's favorite artist's favorite artists"-questlove 。。。more
Jake Smith
，
The impact that J Dilla had on R&B and hip-hop during the late 90’s to early aughts is remarkable。 Albums like D’Angelo’s “Voodoo” and Tribe’s “Beats Rhythms and Life” were inspired by James’ creativity in not only sampling， but also by his unique method of timing that amazed even the likes of Questlove。 The care taken with this book and the way in which the author humanized J Dilla is beautiful。 It was difficult to read about the struggles he experienced near the end of his life， though his pas The impact that J Dilla had on R&B and hip-hop during the late 90’s to early aughts is remarkable。 Albums like D’Angelo’s “Voodoo” and Tribe’s “Beats Rhythms and Life” were inspired by James’ creativity in not only sampling， but also by his unique method of timing that amazed even the likes of Questlove。 The care taken with this book and the way in which the author humanized J Dilla is beautiful。 It was difficult to read about the struggles he experienced near the end of his life， though his passion and dedication to creating art while suffering so immensely is inspiring。 。。。more
Miska
，
This amazing book allows the reader to dive deep into both （i） the life of Hip-hop's most extraordinary talent and （ii） the art of music making which helps the reader understand why J-Dilla was a true master of producing。 Spoiler for those who don't know James D。 Yancey's life: I had the feeling that the steam of the book runs out a little once Dilla dies but regarding the first 300 pages， I just couldn't stop reading。 Hint 1: have your music streaming app nearby in order to follow well the trai This amazing book allows the reader to dive deep into both （i） the life of Hip-hop's most extraordinary talent and （ii） the art of music making which helps the reader understand why J-Dilla was a true master of producing。 Spoiler for those who don't know James D。 Yancey's life: I had the feeling that the steam of the book runs out a little once Dilla dies but regarding the first 300 pages， I just couldn't stop reading。 Hint 1: have your music streaming app nearby in order to follow well the train of thought。 Hint 2: read it in February！ Chapeau ！ 。。。more
Jordan Arkin
，
Ambitious and really dope book， one of those 'to properly cover this 1990s hip hop evolution we really must go back to Detroits city design circa 1800'。Didn't realize extent of dillas influence， fun reading back story of songs/artists， and hits on music theory in approachable/engaging way Ambitious and really dope book， one of those 'to properly cover this 1990s hip hop evolution we really must go back to Detroits city design circa 1800'。Didn't realize extent of dillas influence， fun reading back story of songs/artists， and hits on music theory in approachable/engaging way 。。。more
Tony
，
What an incredible book。 Dan Charnas did an excellent job balancing what is mostly biography/legacy with readable and compelling musicology chapters focusing on Dilla’s techniques。 A must for fans of Dilla’s music and the musicians that he collaborated with and influenced。
Mary L
，
Dilla Time not only tells the story of J Dilla's life， but also of music and hip-hop。 I was extremely grateful that this book is accessible to me as a newbie to hip-hop。 The aspect of this book that I like the most is the interconnectedness of J Dilla's life and music。 J Dilla had so many connections to other key artists in hip-hop; his music was as much a testament to his life experiences as it was an amalgamation of years and years of Black music that came before him。 On a somewhat unrelated n Dilla Time not only tells the story of J Dilla's life， but also of music and hip-hop。 I was extremely grateful that this book is accessible to me as a newbie to hip-hop。 The aspect of this book that I like the most is the interconnectedness of J Dilla's life and music。 J Dilla had so many connections to other key artists in hip-hop; his music was as much a testament to his life experiences as it was an amalgamation of years and years of Black music that came before him。 On a somewhat unrelated note， I like that Q-Tip is frequently mentioned， as I find myself with a growing fascination and respect for A Tribe Called Quest and Q-Tip。 Overall， Dilla Time is a fascinating read which I recommend to music lovers everywhere。 。。。more
Steve
，
Excellent - you can tell this guy loves his subject matter。
Ken
，
I can’t recommend this book enough。 A crazy mix of biography， musicology， music history and black history。 Dilla Time is interesting， heartfelt， and an ultimate read for any music nerd。
Josh
，
Makes a persuasive case for JDilla as one of the great innovators in American music。 The sections outlining the musical theory behind “Dilla time” are fascinating， and the chapter detailing Dilla’s musical legacy sent me scurrying for my favorite D’Angelo and Robert Glasper records。 A few sections concerning record label woes and estate debacles are less compelling， but the overall effect of this book is very potent。
Phetite
，
Probably everyone who’s interested in neo soul / jazz has heard of j dilla but only few know the real impact that his work has on the subsequent generation（s） of musicians。 Besides biographic chapters the book contains musicology chapters analyzing the typical j dilla style。 Every page is absolutely worth reading！
Peter Raffel
，
my favorite part is when dilla and common go to see the matrix
Joseph Siskey
，
Charnas is a great writer and journalist and this is a well reported book。 I hope that Charnas does this with other artists。 I say this not because Dilla isn't great but in the pantheon of hip hop he is not alone in deserving such a well researched book。 Charnas is a great writer and journalist and this is a well reported book。 I hope that Charnas does this with other artists。 I say this not because Dilla isn't great but in the pantheon of hip hop he is not alone in deserving such a well researched book。 。。。more
Colette Lauture
，
10/10。 so well written。 the time span this book covers is absolutely insane， starting from way before dilla was even born to way after his death。 truly an amazing piece of work。
Hamza
，
Real art 💯
Dylan Hirshon
，
I cried。 Good book。 What else is there to say？
Gaby Miramon
，
Loved this book， especially listening to the audio version。 I had no idea what it was about and I couldn’t put it down。 Entertaining while informative about hip hop， music， life in Detroit。
Alexis
，
I listened to the audio book， narrated by author Dan Chanas in a way that flowed well with the book's content。 When I learned that the written book includes diagrams I got a copy of that also， but I found that Chanas has done such a good job talking about "time" in music that the diagrams were unnecessary for my understanding！ This is one of the book's biggest strengths - explaining in a clear and persuasive way what was unique about J Dilla's beat - and how it relates to musical styles that cam I listened to the audio book， narrated by author Dan Chanas in a way that flowed well with the book's content。 When I learned that the written book includes diagrams I got a copy of that also， but I found that Chanas has done such a good job talking about "time" in music that the diagrams were unnecessary for my understanding！ This is one of the book's biggest strengths - explaining in a clear and persuasive way what was unique about J Dilla's beat - and how it relates to musical styles that came before， how it influenced hip hop and a lot of popular music， how Dilla created it， how it evolved， etc。 Musical TIME is a main character of this book just as much as Dilla is （as the title， Dilla Time， suggests）。 This is a huge strength of the book， and it's why it works as a fairly long biography of someone with a short life。I do wish that I'd realized sooner that there is a website linking to all the music Chanas mentions 。。。 it's organized in order of mention and it's the easiest way to hear the many examples cited。 These popular music examples are fun and can be helpful - Chanas says so many times， "listen to" and "notice"， and his explanations about why he's using the examples are clear and help bring his points to life conceptually。The book begins and ends with a lot of discussion about musical theory / time， and the middle of the book is more about Dilla's life， family， music career， and death。 At times I thought some of this biographical detail could have been presented more simply。 In the end I think it's worth it to have this full exploration and documentation of J Dilla's life， and it's worth it to stick with the book even when feeling mired in sad family infighting after Dilla's death。 Chanas brings it around in the final chapters to an eclectic exploration of contemporary experiments with time in music。 This book was published in 2022 so it feels very current。 I wasn't very familiar with J Dilla before reading this book; afterwards， I feel glad to know his work and I feel the book has changed me in some way， as many people feel they were changed by Dilla's beats。 It was a recommendation from my library， and a good one！ 。。。more
Jamie
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Just WOW。 I thoroughly enjoyed this far-reaching book。 I wish I could recall why I put this on my "to-read" list but I am glad I did！ I had never before heard of J Dilla but I am a big fan of many of the artists he's influenced and inspired。 This book is very well researched， constructed and written。 Just WOW。 I thoroughly enjoyed this far-reaching book。 I wish I could recall why I put this on my "to-read" list but I am glad I did！ I had never before heard of J Dilla but I am a big fan of many of the artists he's influenced and inspired。 This book is very well researched， constructed and written。 。。。more
Patrick
，
All throughout the final chapter， I was genuinely sad that my journey through the life and legacy of J Dilla was about to come to an end—I could've listened to stories about Detroit， the gold school era of hip hop， Dilla's life and his production style forever。 I particularly enjoyed the chapters that took a music theory deep dive into not just how he developed his artistic style， but the history behind it。 I've always been a fan of Dilla's， but the book gave me a greater appreciation for what h All throughout the final chapter， I was genuinely sad that my journey through the life and legacy of J Dilla was about to come to an end—I could've listened to stories about Detroit， the gold school era of hip hop， Dilla's life and his production style forever。 I particularly enjoyed the chapters that took a music theory deep dive into not just how he developed his artistic style， but the history behind it。 I've always been a fan of Dilla's， but the book gave me a greater appreciation for what he provided to music。 。。。more
Adam Martin
，
“Maaaaaaannnnn”- J Dilla。 What an amazing book。 Before reading this book， I knew very minimal about J Dilla。 I had only listened to Donuts and the Shining， and I didn’t really get the hype。 I then listened to the audio book。 Narrated by the passionate author Dan Charnas， the book relives the life and legacy of J Dilla with the reader。 Dan plants you firmly in the history and upbringing of JD， before unraveling a long series of ripples that show the impact of the producer。 Throughout the book， he “Maaaaaaannnnn”- J Dilla。 What an amazing book。 Before reading this book， I knew very minimal about J Dilla。 I had only listened to Donuts and the Shining， and I didn’t really get the hype。 I then listened to the audio book。 Narrated by the passionate author Dan Charnas， the book relives the life and legacy of J Dilla with the reader。 Dan plants you firmly in the history and upbringing of JD， before unraveling a long series of ripples that show the impact of the producer。 Throughout the book， he name drops a lot of different J Dilla inspired artists to really ground and demonstrate JD’s legacy。 A lot of these names were not just inspired by JD， but worked with him and adopted his signature complex/ simple time， or Dilla Time。 Names mentioned throughout the book that I knew but I didn’t know JD was connected to them: Thundercat， Kendrick Lamar， Hiatus Kaiyote， Robert Glasper， Erykah Badu， Questlove， Common， Busta Rhymes， Q-Tip， Talib Kweli， Tribe Called Quest， Madlib， MF DOOM， Kanye， EminemThe book does a great job of explaining music theory concepts as well， but doesn’t linger too long in those pockets。 （Microtiming， Polyrhythms）。 It develops the human being of James Dewitt Yancy incredibly well: showing his flaws as much as his tremendous talent and legacy。 I felt a lot of varying emotions throughout this book。 I was inspired， I was pissed， I was impressed， I was excited， I was upset， and I was reverent。 Towards the middle of the book， Dan retells the story of J Dilla’s complicated health。 I felt so connected to J Dilla just from this book at this point in the story that when J Dilla passes away in the story， I teared up。 Wonderfully crafted book。 Musically， I’m excited about where this has opened my ear up to。 Before listening to this， I had the idea that quantization and on the grid was “correct” and deviating from it was strongly discouraged。 Post book， I know that if you venture correctly， with expertise for breaking the rules of quantization， you can gain extraordinary results。 Fantastic book， and I can’t wait to dig more into J Dilla’s music。 Strongly recommend to anyone who loves hip hop and music production！ 。。。more
Micah
，
Amazing。 Even though I knew his death was coming it still made me sob on the subway。 Definitely one of the best music history/artist biographies I’ve read in a while。 - Obsessed over music as time travel and oral history- Love connecting my own music interests with my parents and their parents before them
Shawn
，
An exceptional， complex， and conflicted biography of J Dilla， the influential and revered hip hop producer， and an analysis and appreciation of his music and the innovations in rhythm and form that he brought to modern pop music。 If you love music， this is a daunting but essential read， rewarding and infuriating and moving。 Highly recommended。
Michael Powers
，
Really well written and fun read。 Was a bit of an info dump at the end but takes on you on a great introspective journey
XLII
，
Incredible。 One of the best books I’ve read on music / biography。 My head spins just thinking of the amount of research it took to put this together and then to structure it so coherently。 This is the definitive guide to the life of J Dilla， to the roots of the global beats scene and also to the lives of many artists we know and love。 So inspiring。 Amazing work。
Mark Manz
，
So good！ If you ever bobbed your head to hip hop。 You need to read this。 Great inspo for beat making but also the writer writes so well and very academically。 Great respect for those he interviewed。 The you feel like you’re there every step of the way from when Jdilla arrived in earth and when he was sick and he died。 You also learn how to read the rhythm of any song。
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dilla time the life and afterlife of j dilla the hip-hop producer who reinvented rhythm dilla time the life and afterlife of j dilla the hip-hop producer who reinvented rhythm analysis