In his Fall 2006 release, beat junkie J-Dilla goes out with a bang in “The Shining.” Being that this is his 15th CD produced, it was sadly released soon after his death from lupus the prior spring. Also known as “the producers producer,” J-Dilla’s production of “E=MC2,” featuring Common, is so intelligent that my head couldn’t help but rock to its rhythm. In other songs, some of his productions seemed to go to waste when his beats went along with the shallow lyrics of guest artists. The CD picks back up with the song “Dime Piece” featuring Dwele in a soothing collaboration of a slow rhythm and lyrical depth. He takes his fresh Detroit talent to smoothly weave in his instrumentals throughout the disc blending hip-hop and soul. I enjoyed his solo tracks where the turntables do the talking. The album is sure to satisfy your hunger for hip-hop that you can sit back and relax with.
