Dilla Time

 

Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip Hop Producer who reinvented Rhythm, by Dan Charnas, 460 pgs. 

I loved this book, it is so well-researched. I'd heard rumors of J Dilla's greatness and listened to his now iconic Donuts album, but really hadn't understood why he was held in such high esteem until now. This book goes into great detail about Dilla's life and influence on hip hop and rap that has made him a worldwide name for producing beats. I loved the second chapter, which delved into the history of Detroit, his hometown, and the off-kilter design of the street system, giving the reader a good touchstone for the way he made beats. There are also fun beat grid exerices for the reader to stomp and clap to, in order to help readers get a sense of the kind of timing Dilla was working from. So many albums I love from back in the day had his signature style on them, including artists like Common, Erykah Badu, D'angelo, Tribe Called Quest and so many more. His unique approach to timing and micro-rhythms helped usher in a new era of soul and R n' B. His life was tragically cut short by a gruesome blood disease that left him scrambling to produce and create as much music as he could before he passed away. The book goes into his legacy post-death, highlighting the many struggles of non-profits and agencies trying to celebrate J Dilla, while others try to make money off his name. His signature instrument, the AKAI MPC 3000 drum machine, now sits in on display in the National Museum of African American History and Culture in DC. The New York Times even released a short documentary called "The Legacy of J. Dilla" that is a great compendium to the book. Required reading for anyone interested in music, hip-hop or beat production.  

The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic

The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic, by Jessica Hopper, 426 pgs 

Much of the time, reading criticism of someone else's artistic work is pure drudgery, but this book is just the opposite. Jessica Hopper's glorious prose is witty, hyperbolic and aggressive--just like a rock critic should be. This book is essentially a collection of articles and interviews from the last twenty years of the author on a band circuit in Chicago, where she built her own career without any schooling or professional network--a monumental task for anyone in this field. She wrote her heart out for music, chronicling the rise of Chance the Rapper, lamenting the capitalist take-over of meaningful punk rock venues and applying feminist theory to outdated ideas of rock music--the lack of inclusion and tearing down the punk rock "boys" club--band by band. Particularly fascinating is her transcription of an interview with Jim Derogatis, a fellow music critic working at the Chicago Tribune, who details how his investigative work led to R. Kelly being prosecuted for sexual assault. Each essay is more or less a memoir of Hopper's fixation on music and how it helps her learn more about herself and ourselves. The great thing about reading music criticism is getting to listen to the music after you've read something--try to hear what Hopper is hearing--and in so doing, you become a more involved listener.