The younger brother of the late J Dilla recently spoke about how he believes the Yeezy designer's success would have been different if Dilla were still alive.
- Jun 5, 2024
AceShowbiz - In a recent interview, Illa J, the younger brother of legendary producer J Dilla, made a bold claim: he doesn't believe Kanye West would be as successful as he is today if Dilla were still alive.
Illa J believes that Dilla's influence on hip-hop would have been so significant that it would have changed the course of music history. "I don't think Kanye is as big as he is if my brother stayed alive," he said. "I'm sorry, Kanye needs seven producers. If you look at the credits, there's, like, 20 producers on one track."
Illa J draws a distinction between beatmakers and producers, arguing that Dilla was a true producer in the same vein as Quincy Jones. "Because it's a thing to make beats, and then it's a thing to produce," he said. "You're making some crazy stuff, but, like, I mean, [if] we're talking producers, man, like, Quincy Jones is still the GOAT."
While Illa J's remarks have sparked debate, it's important to note that Kanye West himself has been vocal about his admiration for Dilla. In the 2013 documentary "Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton", West spoke about the need to honor Dilla's legacy: "We gotta think, ‘If Dilla was alive, would he like this?’ I have to work on behalf of Dilla."
Despite their differences in production styles, both Dilla and West have contributed significantly to hip-hop music. Dilla's innovative beats and West's boundary-pushing artistry have left an indelible mark on the genre. While we can only speculate about what might have been if Dilla were still with us, his legacy continues to inspire and challenge artists to this day.
