Jay Dee – “Lightworks”
Producer Jay Dee’s recent death was a significant loss to the world of hip-hop, and the world of art in general. Here’s 10 of my favorite Jay Dee-produced songs, starting with one off Donuts, his last album to be released in his lifetime, an infinity loop of soulful and mysterious instrumentals.
Busta Rhymes – “Show Me What You Got”
A Stereolab fan, Jay Dee took a sample of their song “Come and Play in the Milky Night” and looped it as an unlikely backdrop for Busta’s athletic rhymes. A few years later he’d bring Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier onto a Common track on his album Electric Circus.
A Tribe Called Quest – “Da Booty”
This song’s chorus always struck me as corny, but its music is dynamite, thanks to Jay Dee and the Ummah taking a few jazz chords and funking them up to great effect, and throwing other enticing elements in the background (is that a kazoo I hear?).
A Tribe Called Quest – “1nce Again”
As the lead-off track to the Beats, Rhymes and Life album, this was the first sign that Tribe was pushing their sound in a new direction, with Jay Dee’s help. A great example of taking contemporary R&B, elements of jazz, and powerful drums, and making it all sound alien yet refreshing.
De La Soul – “Stakes Is High”
It’s interesting how many of Jay Dee’s best tracks were for eternally underrated albums. Here’s another one, the sharp lead-off single to De La’s Stakes Is High album.
Guru featuring Bilal – “Certified”
The best track on Guru’s Jazzmatazz: Street Soul album, with a killer hook and a fresh soul sound.
Common – “Heat”
“Jay Dee where ya at?,” Common asks at the start of this track, which more or less kicked off his best, sharpest album Like Water for Chocolate, much of which was produced by Jay Dee (including the hit single “The Light”).
Common – “Love”
In the middle of the mostly Kanye West-produced Be album there’s this lush, lovely Jay Dee-produced track.
Slum Village – “Jealousy”
A great example of what Jay Dee brought musically to Slum Village when he was a member. This track is tight yet disjointed, in a compelling way, with a Bill Evans sample taken and cut up.
Jaylib – “Nowadayz”
2003 found Jay Dee collaborating with another innovative producer, Madlib, for the loose and weird Champion Sound album. This track relies on a moody, claustrophobic organ, and turns into a carnival at the end.
