Sometimes Hip Hop doesn't forget. 2006 watched one of the most under-appreciated musical visionaries pass in J Dilla. In his wake, albums like Donuts and The Shining lived on to give Dilla the name recognition that he never seemed out for, but so dearly deserved. In addition to those releases, longtime collaborators like Busta Rhymes, Common and The Roots carried out the name and work while Ghostface and Pharoahe Monch also extended a microphone and a loving hand.

Almost two years after the loss of James Yancey, the biggest star he ever worked with is still committed to the recognition of his favorite producer. With the foresight of one of the most creative deejays in the field, Mick Boogie, Busta Rhymes excavated his archives of unreleased tracks for Dillagence, a mixtape-collection of collaborations previously unheard. In an exclusive with HipHopDX, Busta Rhymes and  Mick Boogie discuss the importance of Dilla as well as how one of the most significant mixtapes in recent years should reach the masses.

HipHopDX: Why Dilligence now? Its almost been two years, firstly, tell me about the timing and significance of Dilla to you?
Busta Rhymes: I felt there was enough time passing by, and not enough people were saluting the God.  There hasn’t been enough due diligence being done, nahmean?
Mick Boogie: Well, I've wanted to do something Dilla-related for a while, but didn't know what. Busta and I have had a good working relationship for a minute. And Busta was really one of the first people fucking with Dilla, dating back to The Coming. So I suggested we collaborate on some sort of Dilla tribute...and that's when he explained how he had all these songs he and Dilla did that never came out. We felt giving them to the fans would be a great way to show the love Busta had for Dilla, as well as let people know Busta is coming back out this winter. So we decided...why wait? Let's put this out as soon as possible.

DX: As a producer, producing the mixtape had to be a special experience for you... besides just shedding light on the tracks, what sorts of hands on things did you do?
MB: I mean, I'm doing a little A&Ring. I'm sending him some shit to spit on for the intro that DJ Spinna produced [called] "Dillagence," and looping some other track for him to spit on, but this isn't a Mick Boogie creative opus. I'm just putting it together and handling the marketing.

DX: How or why did you link up with Mick Boogie for this project?
BR: I linked up with Mick by picking up the phone and calling him. [Laughs] Mick Boogie came up with this idea of us doing this tribute to the Dilla. Mick is a real Hip Hop historian, and he brought this concept to the table, and I felt like the timing to rep the late, great J Dilla was right. I felt it was necessary to meet Mick halfway on this project and we can put out that shit… work our magic and get it out to the people.  Something beautiful for Hip Hop.

DX: Busta, you, Common and Ghostface really helped put Dilla on the biggest stages of his career. Going forward, it seems you continue to put his name out there.
BR: I continue to put his name out there, because unfortunately a lot of people never got to understand the late, great J Dilla.  You have to understand… Dilla has been apart of every one of my solo albums, from the beginning.  He wasn’t just a producer, he was the best producer.

DX: Mick, tell me about the first time you heard the diligence of Dilla... what that experience was like, and what it meant as a mid-wester?
MB: I was a big fan of The Ummah growing up...but didn't realize Dilla was from [the midwest]. There were no blogs and websites in the '90s. I remember him doing remixes for The Pharcyde and me loving them... then The Ummah...then Slum Village came out, and it was over. Fantastic Vol. 2 was one of the first ever downloads I ever found on the internet. I remember all the kids in the [college] dorm being excited about it.

DX: Dilla, at times, was known for his mildness... Busta Rhymes is loud and energetic. how would you describe their chemistry... both on the tape and off?
MB: Busta can answer that better... but him and Dilla were mad cool.  And it's funny 'cause Dilla was known as being mellow, but some of his aggressive beats are his best.  And Busta is known for being [this] rah-rah, dungeon dragon, but some of his best shit is smooth, [such as] "Put Your Hands," or "I Know What You Want."

DX: Busta?
BR: My chemistry with Dilla from The Coming all the way to “You Cant Hold The Torch,” I don’t even think words can do it justice.  It’s more of a feeling…it’s a vibe.   It’s an energy.  Without getting too deep, Dilla was always the one producer who could find that pocket that the average producer was never able to find. Continued on page 2 »