Musical genre : Jazz

« The 7th of February is an important day for hip-hop. In 1974 J Dilla was born in Detroit, United States, whilst on the same day and the same year Nujabes was born in Tokyo, Japan. Who could have known on that day what a great gift was being handed to music lovers across the globe, with hip-hop still in it’s infancy, two of it’s greatest children had just been born. Not only would their talents remain bound through a shared love for progressive hip-hop, but even their deaths became symbolically linked as they both passed in the month of February. Nujabes left us in 2010, just four years after Dilla. So now this month has become a time to honour and celebrate for all true hip-hop fans. With this in mind, I dedicate this Food For Thought to the legacy and music of J Dilla and Nujabes. »

More about them on The Word Is Bond

瀬葉 淳 (Seba Jun)

Born: February 7, 1974, in Japan.
Died: February 26, 2010, in Tokyo, Japan (aged 36).

Nujabes was one of the most prolific contributors to the background music and soundtracks of Samurai Champloo, an anime which blends a feudal Japan setting with modern anachronisms, especially in regard to hip hop culture.

A distinguishing feature of Nujabes’ sound is his incorporation of Jazz samples in his tunes. For an example, the track “The Final View” on his album Metaphorical Music features the Jazz Standard “Love Theme From Spartacus” by Pianist Barry Harris, as played by Saxophonist Yusef Lateef, sampled over the track. Nujabes incorporates Lateef’s head melody on oboe, cuts of his solos, and background piano comping in his piece. (via Wikipedia)

J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey

Born: February 7, 1974, in Detroit, USA.
Died: February 10, 2006 (aged 32).

James Dewitt Yancey, better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan. According to his obituary at NPR.org, he “was one of the music industry’s most influential hip-hop artists, working for big-name acts like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes and Common.” (via Wikipedia)