J Dilla – Music’s Prodigal Son

Dilla expanded his musical reach when he, along with Questlove, D’Angelo, James Poyser, and many others, created the Soulquarians – a collective of artists whose overarching goal and achievement was creating sounds that were raw and uncompromising.

In 2001, Dilla would début as a solo artist, leaving Slum Village in pursuit of musical growth. He released his first single, Fuck the Police, and the subsequent album, 2003’s Welcome 2 Detroit, under MCA Records.

Dilla began work on his next album; however, he wore the MC hat instead of acting as the album’s main producer, enlisting the help of such renowned producers as friend and fellow DJ Madlib, Pete Rock, and Kanye West, among many others. However, when MCA transitioned to Geffen Records, Dilla’s project was shelved and didn’t see daylight. It was later released posthumously in 2008, entitled Pay Jay [1].