ILLA J: THE OTHER YANCEY
Illa J: Timeless
Illa J: All Good
From Yancey Boys (Delicious Vinyl, 2008)
I have to admit - there's something just slightly unsettling about the younger brother of the late J-Dilla releasing an album, featuring all Jay Dee beats, and named "Illa J" to boot. At the very least, it has the appearance of coattail-riding - not the best way to make a debut as your own artist, least of all when the person wearing the coat is passed.
The thing is though: Illa J actually has strengths all his own as both rapper and singer so he could have found a way to make his mark without necessarily needing to flash the Yancey name but of course, for the legions of folks still mourning Jay Dee's unexpected death in 2006, any excuse to hear more beats from him, whether for his lil bro or not, is a good thing. And overall, Yancey Boys is a good thing, nagging perturbations aside.
Apparently, the bulk of the beats are taken from Dilla's 1990s vaults which would explain why they do sound closer to the kind of Ummah-style tracks he was making with A Tribe Called Quest and Pharcyde. For those who've meticulously analyzed Dilla's styles, Yancey Boys offers a treasure trove of beats to ponder; like uncovering a stash of early career Van Goghs previously collecting dust in a warehouse. Expect a lot of mellow, ambient textures, lurching keyboard slaps and crisp drums (ah, remember when all hip-hop songs had "crisp drums").
"Timeless" is actually more conventional though - a simple (but sweet) jazz piano loop and basic drum track. "All Good" has more of that off-kilter Dilla magic going on with its muted horn snippets playing "The Look of Love," while a güiro rip unexpectedly enters the frame; many of the best Dilla tracks sounded best when they sounded just slightly wrong.
As for Illa J, I found him much more interesting as a singer than a rapper. He has this post-D'Angelo falsetto going on that works quite well with the soft fabric of the tracks and more to the point, helps accentuate the inherent soulfulness that permeates the album. You hear that well on "Timeless," which is suffused in the kind of melancholia that was always an undercurrent in his brother's production. As a rapper, Illa J is competent enough, with a precision flow that hits all the right rhythmic marks but isn't that memorable otherwise, topically, lyrically or otherwise.
However, as someone who can sing and rap, Illa J - like fellow L.A. artist Aloe Blacc - is a double-threat in terms of versatility. And while it's a pleasure to listen to practically any Dilla beats from the vaults, it will be more interesting to see Illa J go off on his own and make a name for himself and not just as "the younger brother." On "Alien Family," cameo guest Frank Nitty suggests that unworldly talent runs through the Yancey veins - Illa J deserves the chance to prove that theory.
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