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Written by Shelley Kaur Saturday, 23 May 2009 13:24

Jay Stay Paid is the newest album by J Dilla being released posthumously by his family and friends.

When thinking of J Dilla, many think of catchy hip-hop beats. J Dilla, also known as Jay Dee, was a record producer who strongly influenced the hip-hop scene in Detroit. He produced many artists and groups, including Common and A Tribe Called Quest. Not only did he produce many artists, he also collaborated with many more, including Erykah Badu and Prince. J Dilla's beats are creative and fresh and have impacted American hip-hop greatly. Jay Stay Paid is the newest album by J Dilla being released posthumously by his family and friends.

Jay Stay Paid is an album that was executively produced by J Dilla's mother, Maureen Yancey; J Dilla's music idol, Pete Rock, was music supervisor. The album contains many beats, ranging from loud, fast beats to quiet, slow beats. This album is a prime example of Jay Dee and his musical abilities. The 28-track disc features a variety of J Dilla beats. While some of them have a lot of bass and drum, others are slower and contain softer instruments, such as strings and the piano. Along with the variety of beats featured on this album, there are also many artists as well, Mobb Deep, Raekwon and Illa J being just a few.

The album is set up as if it were a radio broadcast. It is largely instrumental, and incorporates J Dilla's earlier and later works. Though the lyrics are not up to par, they do discuss hip-hop and life in Detroit. The live, cassette-sounding beats allow one to truly hear the sound of the late J Dilla. | Shelley Kaur