Though Dilla Day has technically come and gone, every day is a chance to celebrate the late Jay Dee’s timeless touch.
READ: J Dilla’s Influence & Legacy Lives On in the World of Lo-Fi Hip-Hop
Late last month, D2S Archives, a capsule of more recent Bay Area hip-hop history, published a 26-minute clip of never-before-seen concert footage from a 2005 Stones Throw showcase in San Francisco. Leading with an ace set from J Rocc, Madlib eventually makes his way to the stage to perform a handful of hits, clearing a path for his late production partner and creative kin.
LISTEN: Disciples of Dilla: Modern Classics Haunted by The Late Production Pioneer
Dilla appears for a short while, dapping members of the crowd before curling over J Rocc’s booth while Jaylib‘s regal anthem “The Official” blares through the hall. The clip cuts to Madlib closing out the show with a freestyled drum session from behind the kit. The clip features one of the last live appearances from Dilla, who later that year, amidst speculation over his declining health and dramatic weight loss, toured Europe in a wheelchair, confirming his illness. He’d pass just three days after his February 7th birthday (which also marked the release of his final album, Donuts) the following year.
Watch J Dilla join Madlib onstage in San Francisco in a freshly-excavated clip below.
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