J Dilla Documentary Finally Making Its Debut In April

BYAron A.Published on March 29, 20231053 Views

Hip hop artist J Dilla of the group Slum Village photographed at the Key Club in 2000 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gregory Bojorquez/Getty Images)

A new documentary on the life and legacy of J Dilla will hit Hulu and FX next month.

J Dilla left an imprint on rap that will never fade away. The crispy drums he used influenced people like Kanye West. Years later, he birthed the new generation of lo-fi producers. The Donuts producer’s influence continues to be heard in hip-hop nearly 15 years after his tragic passing. His collaborators and friends have shared his story and kept his legacy alive. However, for new fans who’ve yet to fully comprehend his genius, Hulu and FX are releasing a documentary titled, The Legacy Of J Dilla.

The upcoming documentary will make its debut on FX on April 7th at 10 p.m. Afterward, Hulu will upload it to their platform to stream on the same day. The New York Times will present the upcoming doc, which they describe as “an intimate portrait” of Dilla’s life and legacy. The documentary also includes exclusive access to his family. The Legacy Of J Dilla will certainly become a must-watch for hip-hop heads. It's no doubt that it'll explore his life and legacy in a way that hasn't been done before.

The Legacy Of J Dilla Drops On April 7th

The documentary, which has been directed and produced by Christopher Frierson and Esther Dere, will include contributions from Dilla’s family and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his estate and legacy following his 2006 death. “I’m a Detroiter, and I’m a fighter,” his mother, Maureen Yancey, says. “I will stay in there, and I will fight. I won’t let anybody put my son down, what I do for him down, because I’m here to lift up his music, his legacy.”

In addition to his forthcoming documentary, Questlove also has a documentary in the works based on the Welcome To Detroit artist. Dilla Time is described as “part biography, part musicology, and part musical meditation,” based on the 2022 biography, Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, The Hip Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm by Dan Charnas. “J Dilla was our teacher. And what he taught us was how to feel rhythm in a way we had never felt before,” Quest said. “I’m so honored to be a part of bringing his story to the world through this documentary.”

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About The Author

Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.