Premiere: Hi-Tek Remembers First Meeting J Dilla, Realizing They Were Kin w/ Mass Appeal
The world has been learning just how capable J Dilla was as an MC (you know, on top of being the greatest to ever do it behind the boards) with the arrival of his once-lost, now-found MCA solo debut, The Diary. Many of the album's featured guests have given voice to their very first memories of the Motor City maestro, whether in-person or on-record. We've heard Karriem Riggins speak to Jay Dee's swaggering on-mic alter-ego and listened as Snoop Dogg professed Dilla's uncanny influence in developing a hallmark Detroit sound. Today, we have the pleasure of bringing you yet another personal testimony, this time from none other than fellow production luminary, Hi-Tek. Of Dilla, he says simply:
"I don't think he can be touched."
Speaking with Mass Appeal, the midwestern MPC master reminisced over his very first encounter with J Dilla at Electric Lady Studios at the time that of it Soulquarian takeover, where Tek had been working with Talib Kweli on Reflection Eternal and Dilla had been hopping in and out of damn-near every session taking place in the house that Jimi built, including those with D'Angelo, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Common, so and so forth. With the utmost reverence at heart, Hi-Tek goes on to explain the difficulty in sharing his work with Dilla as one producer to another, particularly with such profound respect for the late game-changer. But he, as any producer who crossed paths with Dilla Dawg, was met with mutual admiration, as the two each had their own respective lanes. Watch as Hi-Tek remembers his longtime friend, J Dilla, in the clip below and if you've yet to do so, grab your copy of The Diary on iTunes today.
