Especially aware of the dangers that faced unoccupied youths growing up in their Detroit neighborhood of Conant Gardens, the Yancey's set out to keep their children as busy as possible between cub scouts, music lessons, youth choir, and any other church activities. Nurturing their son's early passion for music, Jay was always enrolled in some kind of music class, excelling on the piano, violin and cello, before moving on to the drums. But it was the lure of the boom-bap which ultimately moved him from the church pews to the studio.
"When I heard Run DMC's 'Sucker MCs' and Whodini's 'Big Mouth', it made me curious to how the beats were made. Those songs were the first time I heard the beats that weren't melodic - just drums. Being someone who was taking drum lessons at the time, that made me real curious. That led me into deejaying, which slowly led to me deejaying parties and that eventually led me into production."
A fortuitous meeting with another talented Conant Gardens resident provided Jay with the direction necessary to pursue his dream. "Fortunately I ran into this cat just walking in the street, literally. This guy named Amp Fiddler. He just called us out and from that first day he actually showed all of us how a studio works and things like that. He had a little pre-production studio in his crib. He was like, 'Whenever you want to, come by the crib.' I started going over there messing with beats."Building on the experience he received at Amp's studio, Jay was determined to form a group which reflected the eclectic nature of his influences. "I heard about T3 and Baatin, and they were supposed to be the illest emcees at the time. And I thought I was, so I wanted to challenge them. To make a long story short, we just hooked up after that. The chemistry was right." Their group Slum Village gave Jay the platform to create a sound which was uniquely mid- western in its melding of jazzy, east coast influences with the glossy, bounce of west coast hip-hop.
Via another timely assist from Amp Fiddler, Slum's demo found it's way into the hands of Q-Tip, who immediately recognized a kindred musical spirit in Jay and offered the young producer a management and production contract. "It was like a dream come true, if you could ever, ever hear anybody say that. I just couldn't believe it. I love Tribe and De La and then this guy Tip called my crib! Matter of fact, the first time he called, I wasn't home. I missed the call! I was hurt. I thought that was it! But, he called me the next day. Next thing you know, I'm in New York." within months, Jay found himself producing tracks for a who's who of underground hip-hop: The Pharcyde, Busta Rhymes, De La Soul, Keith Murray, Mad Skillz, and of course A Tribe Called Quest.
"I was just riding the wave. It was still part of the dream to even be there. They even asked me creative questions about the album [Beats, Rhymes, and Life]. It's just unbelievable, man! These are the three ultimate niggas to me. They sat me down and invited me to these meetings and I felt like I was a part of that shit. Whether the album did good or not, it was to me one of the best experiences of my life."
Upon returning to Detroit, Jay found himself as the star of the city's burgeoning hip hop scene. His beats were the conduit for a diverse crop of MC's who gathered around the famed Hip Hop Shop, including Phat Kat, 5 Ela, Proof, Eminem, and a young Elzhi. His extended periods away from home had been difficult on Slum Village, but with Jay back in the fold and a renewed focus they set out to record their first album
"We decided to do that Fantastic album, and we did it in like two weeks. Everything was done. We were selling that shit out of boxes within a couple of weeks." Fan-tas-tic Vol. 1 became an underground classic, relentlessly dubbed and traded by fans in the days prior to file sharing. Innovative and playful, the album featured a string of hip hop classics including "Players", "Look of Love" and the brilliant James Brown adlib mash-up of "I Don't Know".
While his growing number of imitators were content to pick up the scraps of the fledgling neo-soul movement, Jay soon became the nucleus around which a group of like-minded, progressive artists would form, creating some of the best music to emerge from the post Golden-Age of early-nineties hip hop in the process. Dubbed the Soulquarians, Jay's beats would provide the key inspiration for this eclectic group's best work: The Roots' Things Fall Apart, D'Angelo's Voodoo, Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun, Q-Tips's Amplified, and Common's Like Water for Chocolate.
Originally intended as a breakbeat record, Jay's first solo album Welcome 2 Detroit provided the first opportunity to display his full range as a producer, MC, and vocalist. Seamlessly blending live instrumentation with programmed beats, W2D reflected his numerous influences and styles- from synth-heavy techno and grimy street anthems to breezy bossa nova. Stepping to the forefront as an MC for the first time, Jay introduced his alias J Dilla, and with it a more confident, street-edge rapper would emerge.
At a professional crossroads after a label deal with MCA collapsed in 2003, Dilla bypassed the mainstream altogether to unleash a flurry of new material: a collaborative album with Madlib entitled Champion Sound, and his own solo project the Ruff Draft EP, a muddy, lo-fi epic of uncompromising rawness. "I did it in four or five days, turned it in and had wax in ten days. If I'm not doing beats for somebody, I make stuff for me to drive around and listen to, and that was one of those projects. I was just doing me. That's why it was called the Ruff Draft EP". "There'd be days when I wouldn't eat at all because I'd be in the basement working all day. Even after being in the hospital so long, I had to fight with the doctors [to go home] because being away from music was starting to get to me."
Dilla relocated to Los Angeles in 2004 to re-energize himself and focus on his career. But by the end of the year, he would again be hospitalized. Undergoing debilitating dialysis treatments 3-4 times a week, Dilla was bedridden for long periods of time causing his hands and legs to swell dramatically, making walking difficult without assistance. He lost 50% of his body weight. During this time he was diagnosed with Lupus, a debilitating blood disease which causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue and for which there is no cure. He was released from the hospital in March 2005, only to be readmitted later that summer. Using equipment set up in his hospital room, Dilla began work on what would become his masterpiece, Donuts, a sprawling, back-to-basics instrumental album filled with emotional, heartfelt testaments to life and mortality that brought him full-circle to his beginnings as young producer chopping up breakbeats.
That Fall, Dilla embarked on a European tour alongside his mother and friends, rapping to sold-out audiences from a wheelchair. It would be his final farewell to the fans who had shown their love and support for so long. Upon completion of the tour and another stay in the hospital, Dilla returned home. He handed off the masters for his still-unfinished solo LP The Shining in time for his upcoming birthday.
On Tuesday, February 7, 2006, his 32nd birthday, Donuts was released. He spent the day at home with friends and family. Three days later on February 10, James Dewitt Yancey passed away in the arms of his loving mother Maureen. He was put to rest the following week, on Valentine's Day. As mourners gathered around his final resting place high in the hills of Los Angeles to say their goodbyes, a lone heart appeared in the cloudless sky above, fitting tribute for the man who above all else lived life to do what he loved. And what he loved, he did better than anybody else. For that, we will be forever thankful. Thank you Jay Dee.
Jay Dee's complete discography can be found here: http://www.stonesthrow.com/jdilla
It should be noted that there are/were other artists that have gone by the name Jay Dee. One example is a mid-70's soul/disco Barry White protoge named Jay Dee.
It's Like That
Jay Dee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, un huh, watch this why'all, come on,watch this why'all, Jigga
Roc-a-fella ya'll, uhhhh, come on yea !
[Kid Capri}
It's Kid Capri and Jay-Z, It's Kid Capri and Jay-Z
Cause I'm Like That yo ! Cause I'm like that yo !
Verse One: Jay-Z
As a young and dumb man, gun in the waist
And had to numb it with baste
Couldn't drink the henny straight, I needed somethin to chase
I needed something to chase
Nowadays I throw shots back,leavin nothin to waste
Life is like a treadmill, niggas runnin in place
Gettin nowhere fast, a whole year done past
I vowed to never stop winin, 'til the earth stop spinnin
Rock hot lenin, cop hot cars and hot women
If it's not him then you got it confused, why'all not remembering,
My motto is simply I will not lose, abide by the block rules,
I buy my glock used, wit bodies on it, let me know anybody want it ?
I'm raised, illrational, way misunderstood,
If you ain't live like I live then run with the hood
I done what i could, to come up with this paper 'til this day still
Run with the hood, guess it's part of my nature, if hell awaits ya ?
Nigga I'm coming with the razors, still flashin ya shit
Try to pass me in a six, tight classy on the wrist
Every bit of 30 karats, this is not a game
This isn't why I came, make these words find a spot on your brain
And burn, then I recycle my life
I shall return
Chorus: Female voice and Jay- Z
[Woman]
How tight is your flow ?
[Jay-Z]
Cause I'm like that yo !
[Woman]
How right is your dough ?
[Jay-Z]
Cause I'm like that yo !
[Woman]
How white is your blow ?
[Jay-Z]
Cause I'm like that yo !
[Woman]
Only writers you know
[Jay-Z]
Cause I'm like that
Verse 2: Jay-Z
I'm a hop, skip, a jump, from rippin the pump
Spittin a couple of curse words, and hittin you chump
Shit, I get digits in lumps, I'm a motherfucking problem is this what you want
?
Overachiever, I love chicks that puff chiva,
And reefer paper, I hate the one's that blow up ya beeper
Cause I, go in ya deeper, I only bone divas
Inpregnate the world when I "cum" through your speakers [ha ha]
Fuck hot my records got the fever
Niggas kick dirt, get ya whole block sweeped up
I creep up when the beef heats up, caught him with his feet up
And shoes off, bout to snooze off
Hatin, cause you can't turn the booze off
You dudes is too soft, when I fuck with you all
I might bark your ex, and spit at the locks
But, other than that I ain't even fucking with cats
Just me tied B.I., thug it like that, me,dame and biggs
What's fuckin with that ?
why'all can never diss Jigga, get nothing for that
Other then a couple slugs in ya back,[huh huh]
Rappers why'all runnin around, like I won't gun ya down
Last nigga that fronted, two spun him around
Lord, except this offer here's somethin for your crown
I admit no malice, I just met his challenge, In one
Chorus : Repeat 3x
[Jay-Z]: Repeat 2x til fade
Girls and guns, all i want
stock exchange, rocks and thangs
The song "It's Like That" by Jay-Z featuring Kid Capri is a classic rap song that highlights the rapper's journey from a young man who used to sell drugs to a successful artist. The first verse is all about Jay-Z's past, where he used to sell crack to people who couldn't handle the pain and needed to numb it down. He couldn't drink Henny or liquor straight, so he needed something to chase it, indicating his struggles with addiction. He reflects on his past now and talks about buying hot cars, women, and living a luxurious lifestyle, all the while not forgetting his roots. Jay-Z goes on to say he does not want to lose and will abide by the block rules. He also mentions that in his early years of music, he’d come into the game expecting to make it big and worked hard to achieve it.
In the second verse, Jay-Z displays his skills as a rapper by using multiple play on words, puns, and metaphors. His second verse is about his present and future, where he's living his best life and enjoying every moment with a snap of his fingers. He talks about being successful and admires himself while subtly dissing his haters and the competition. He spits about his love for guns and girls and doesn't want anything else. Jay-Z’s style comes off as confident and almost boastful, but it serves to inspire and motivate other rappers and his fans.
Overall, "It's Like That" by Jay-Z became a fan-favorite due to its hard beats, witty wordplay, and Jay-Z's effortless flow.
Line by Line Meaning
As a young and dumb man, gun in the waist
As a young and foolish person, I carried a gun on me
Sold crack to those who couldn't take the pain
I sold drugs to those who were in emotional or physical pain
And had to numb it with baste
They had to use drugs to numb the pain
Couldn't drink the henny straight, I needed somethin to chase
I couldn't drink liquor straight, I needed to mix it with something else to make it more palatable
Life is like a treadmill, niggas runnin in place
Life can feel like a treadmill, where people are working hard but not making progress
Gettin nowhere fast, a whole year done past
We're not making progress, and time is passing us by quickly
My motto is simply I will not lose, abide by the block rules
My motto is to never give up, and to follow the rules of the streets
I'm raised, illrational, way misunderstood
I was brought up to be impulsive, and people don't understand me
Nigga I'm coming with the razors, still flashin ya shit
I'll attack with razors, and still show off my flashy possessions
Every bit of 30 karats, this is not a game
My jewelry is worth 30 karats, and this is not a joke
Make these words find a spot on your brain and burn
I want my words to have a lasting impact on you
I'm a hop, skip, a jump, from rippin the pump
I'm very close to becoming violent
I'm a motherfucking problem is this what you want ?
I'm a serious threat, is that what you're looking for?
Overachiever, I love chicks that puff chiva, and reefer paper
I'm an overachiever and I like women who smoke marijuana and use rolling papers
I only bone divas, Inpregnate the world when I 'cum' through your speakers [ha ha]
I only have sex with attractive women, and my music has a huge influence
Niggas kick dirt, get ya whole block sweeped up
If people start trouble, their entire neighborhood will be affected
Rappers why'all runnin around, like I won't gun ya down
Other rappers act tough, like I won't shoot them
Lord, except this offer here's somethin for your crown
Accept my challenge, I have something to prove
I admit no malice, I just met his challenge, In one
I don't have any ill will towards my opponent, I just defeated him in a challenge
Girls and guns, all i want
I desire women and weapons
Stock exchange, rocks and thangs
I'm interested in both financial success and drug trade
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES DEWITT YANCEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@simbeam
Personal fav for years 🐎
@SpectaclePictures
The beat at the end !🤯🤯🤯
@darylnez5635
The one and only JAY DEE!
@hasanwallah7015
This deserves more views
@hongoharuhisa6800
JAY DEE IT'S LIKE THAT
MRMYX
MYL