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.
Touched on, but not deeply interrogated. "The Legacy of J Dilla" provides an overview of Dilla and his contributions, but isn't definitive. One assumes the forthcoming Questlove-produced "Dilla Time," based on author Dan Charnas' 2022 tome "Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm," will dig further into those nooks and crannies of Dilla's life and what he left behind.
As it stands, "The Legacy of J Dilla" hits on the key elements of Dilla's life and story. But it feels like a trailer for a longer story to follow.
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'THE NEW YORK TIMES PRESENTS: THE LEGACY OF J DILLA'
Grade: B
Rated: TV-14 (language)
How to watch: 10 p.m. ET Friday on FX and streaming on Hulu
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