As a primer on the life and career of James "J Dilla" Yancey, "The New York Times Presents: The Legacy of J Dilla" is a sufficient introduction to the world of the innovative Detroit hip-hop producer, who died in 2006 at age 32. The documentary premieres at 10 p.m. ET Friday on FX.
Through interviews with Dilla's contemporaries, admirers and family members — including rapper Frank Nitt, jazz musician Robert Glasper and Dilla's mother, Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey — director-producers Christopher Frierson and Esther Dere capture the essence and lore of J Dilla, as well as the magic of the soul-steeped beats he produced for the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Common and others.
Dilla's voice is heard throughout, in excerpts from an interview the producer did with Swedish radio DJ Mats Nileskär, a warm touch since he's so often discussed but so rarely heard from in his own voice. His fraught relationship with fame, his push-pull with notoriety for his work and the complicated matters of his finances upon his death are all touched on.
