The J Dilla may sadly have left us three years ago, but there are still countless hours of his productions left behind on old floppy discs and DAT tapes. Executive produced by Dilla's mom, Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey and musical supervisor Pete Rock, these tracks are culled from productions he did early in his career as well as some during his early hospital stays. Rock describes this collection as, "Mind blowing...this is like the missing links to Dilla's legacy."

Like most everyone else, my heart jumped when I read the advance word on Jay $tay Paid. Authorized by Dilla's mother Maureen Yancey (a/k/a "Ma Dukes") and overseen by the legendary Pete Rock, I had a feeling that this could be the posthumous release that we had been waiting for. After all, since Dilla's tragic death in 2006, his legacy has been growing exponentially, spawning hundreds of imitators and seemingly entire scenes -- it would make sense that a new Dilla record should show the baying crowds who's boss, if you will. Sadly, Jay $tay Paid isn't the definitive collection fans have been hoping for, but then it's hard to imagine how it could be -- Dilla is gone; without him there to dot the 'i's and cross the 't's it's fruitless to think that any release would truly encapsulate his genius.

Jay $tay Paid is actually a bumped up, glossier version of the killer Instrumental Series that came out on Bling47 back in '02. Mining the masses of beat tapes Dilla made, the Slum Village-associated label presented the producer's depth and skill on these classic releases, and this skill is more than evident on Jay $tay Paid. The biggest difference, of course, is the inclusion of guest raps from some of Dilla's old sparring partners. Regular collaborator and friend Frank Nitty (of Frank n' Dank) appears (on album highlight "See That Boy Fly"), as do Dilla's little bro Illa J, the omnipresent DOOM, Phat Kat and M.O.P's Lil' Fame among others, but this is for the most part an instrumental effort. Short tracks have been woven together by Pete Rock (who was apparently a huge influence on the young Dilla) to create a mixtape-styled listening experience, giving it a similar flow and vibe to Dilla's seminal Donuts. Basses bounce and beats skitter, and through a mammoth 28 tracks, it's easy to hear the wide scope of the man's sound and the breadth of his musical interest. As a tribute, Jay $tay Paid is far more successful and much closer to the producer's unique vision than 2006's rush-released and ultimately disappointing The Shining.

Even with the input from Rock, Jay $tay Paid still retains Dilla's unique sparkle and attention to detail, to the point where Rock's work is almost inaudible. The producers might have had complementary styles to begin with but the album sounds like Dilla through and through, which is a credit to Pete Rock. This is a respectfully treated release, and though there are bound to be plenty more posthumous records from Dilla left to emerge over the next few years, it's unlikely that there will be one more lovingly produced. Those expecting Fantastic Vol.3 will be disappointed, but those of you looking for a bumper crop of top-drawer unheard beats from one of the most gifted producers of our generation will be in for quite a treat.

-John Twells (June 4, 2009)