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Page 1 of 2 Editor's Note:
This interview was conducted by Andres during the 'J Dilla Changed My Life Tour' stop in Oslo, Norway. Don't hesitate to read Andres' account of the show.
Illa Jay, can you just give an introduction to yourself?
Illa Jay, Detroit Michigan. I represent the Yancey Boy legacy, the Dilla legacy. On the real, I’m keeping this legacy going, and that’s just the real.
Do you feel it’s important to do so?
Yeah, I feel like it’s real important. Just for the fact that people need to know the truth, like a lotta people back home, just on the real they don’t know the deal and when you come out here, they know the deal. I’m not saying this necessarily because he’s my blood, just on real shit, he’s the king of that shit, of the beats. They need to recognize
How long have you been doing music? I guess in general and professionally.
In general music’s been around since I was born. My mom’s and my pop’s are both jazz vocalists. Also my dad played upright bass, he produces and writes songs. My mom she studied opera and also was a jazz vocalist. A lotta people in my family are songwriters and musicians and music composers, so it’s always been around. Then my brother came in and took it to another level.
Damn, I didn’t realize your family was that musical; I mean obviously I know about your brother…
Yeah, it’s literally in the blood. As far as me making it myself though, a year ago this time is when I started honestly making music, as far as making my own. I had always wanted to do it, but at a younger age other people’s other opinions are real important to you and being that my brother was so successful, that was a lot of pressure for me. But as I got older, I was like, ‘Man, fuck other people.’ Honestly, people are always gonna have something to say, you can’t impress everybody with your music. At the end of the day, they not paying my bills, and also at the end of the day, music, not only is it natural and is in my blood, but it’s something that I love and I have a strong passion for, that will always be there. I would rather be broke and genuinely happy than stacking and miserable. This music shit to me, honestly, it’s not really about the hustle shit. I love music that much that I would literally dedicate my whole life to my music, I love it, it’s my gift and Imma use it to the fullest, and that’s just the real.
Damn.
[Laughs]
Where you always doing both (producing and MC'ing)
Well, actually I recorded a joint with my brother when I was like 13 so I’d always been writing, but I would say I really got serious as far as the rhymes in, I’d say, about sophomore year of high school. Last year around this time I recorded my first music, I play bass guitar, I recorded my bass guitar and I had a little keyboard at that time, recording stuff. As far as making my first beats though, it was at my boy House Shoes crib in L.A. I moved to L.A. too but he moved out there before I did. I would stay at Common’s house, but on the weekends I would go by Shoes house, and he would let me just take over the MP, I started making like 15, 20 beats a day. The first two days, I made like 60 beats that weekend from Saturday to Sunday. It was just there in me, he showed me the basics and shit, but I just got on there and bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. I ain’t go to sleep, I just kept making shit. It went from there on.
You know people are gonna make that comparison between you and your brother. How do you deal with that?
I just respond to that like, J Dilla was J Dilla, there will never be another Jay Dilla. Bam, Illa Jay is Illa Jay, but don’t get it twisted, I got so much influence from my brother, it’s hard not to especially when at my disposal I got like a million Dilla beats so of course there’s gonna be a lot of influenced, but there was only one James DeWitt Yancey, Jay Dilla, Jay Dee, Dill Withers, and there will only be one. That’s how I answer that.
Have you released anything? Has anything got out yet?
No, not yet. On this tour, I made an EP for this tour; like seven joints that I’m selling on the tour. It’s pretty much some raw shit.
Self-produced?
Yeah, my brother did one track. Just straight up choppin’ up stuff, all the beats on that, with the exception of my brother’s beat. It speaks for itself. I’m working on my album right now. When I get back, I go on tour with Phat Kat and Slum Village, the Carte Blanche Tour. I probably won't get back from that till like June, but after that is when I’m really working on the album. I’m messing with Exile on the beats, Nottz, off course there’s gonna be a couple of Dilla joints. As far as MC’s, it's gonna be Phat Kat, Guilty, you know I gotta fuck with Black Milk. I might fuck with Black Thought.
Oh shit. Is it just in the beginning stages right now?
Yeah, I’m pretty much in the recording phase right now. Just banging out joints and then after I do so many then that’s when I get into the picking phase and putting them together. I’m just recording now.
How would you describe your sound?
I would say, um, of course it’s gonna be influenced by, like I said, my brother. You can’t help that. It’s just like real… I dunno, it’s hard to explain. I change up all time, like even with my beat CD’s.
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