A proper, no frills, old-school hip-hop night, inspired by and dedicated to the man himself.
Every genre, every movement, every style has their own icon who changed things up to the point where what came before them became almost entirely irrelevant. Rock had Bowie, samba had Gilberto, house had Larry Heard, and hip-hop had J Dilla. Loosening up the tightness of boom-bap, and restoring hip-hop back to its roots in soul music, Dilla slackened the line of hip-hop production, humanising while digitising, and shaping the art of playing a song like an instrument.
Dying tragically young, and producing his magnum opus Donuts while on his actual deathbed, his final work has left a greater impact on hip-hop than any single album by a producer. 20 years later it still sounds like it was released yesterday.
The record, beginning with the outro and ending with the intro, speaks to its title, Donuts, and the circularity of life, an existential concept that Dilla was no doubt mulling over during his countdown to Heaven. With subtle hints like this, Dilla made one of hip-hop's most emotionally tuned records, without giving too much away or falling into cliche. If MF DOOM is your favourite rapper's favourite rapper, Dilla is your favourite producers favourite producer.
At Rich Mix, Dilla's impact and legacy is getting a proper exploration, featuring DJ sets playing some of his own edits, remixes, and much else more. The 370-capacity venue will no doubt feel like a hip-hop night of old, with punters half-drunk waving one hand up and down fanning the selekta. As much as a night out as it is a community event for hip-hop lovers, the Dilla Effect is bringing back the way it was in the used-to-be.