FILM: "STILL SHINING"---THE DILLA PROJECT

FEBRUARY IS DILLA MONTH!  FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, FEBRUARY IS THE TIME WHEN HIP HOP HEADS FROM ALL OVER CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JAMES YANCEY, KNOWN THE WORLD OVER AS J. DILLA.  THE GENIUS BEHIND HIS MUSICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS LIVES ON IN COUNTLESS PRODUCTIONS, SPANNING UNDERGROUND HIP HOP, NEO-SOUL, AND POP MUSIC.  FILMED AT THE TIME OF DEATH, THIS PROJECT IS THE BRAINCHILD OF BRIAN "B.KYLE" ATKINS, MY OKAYPLAYER BRETHREN AND BUDDING FILMMAKER, AMONG OTHER THINGS.  THIS VIDEO PROJECT FEATURES COMMENTARY FROM THE YANCEY MATRIARCH, MAUREEN YANCEY, COMMON, QUESTLOVE, DWELE, AND A MULTITUDE OF OTHERS.  IT IS A NICE VIEW INTO THE ARTISTRY AND CREATIVITY BEHIND DILLA, WHO SUCCUMBED AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 32 TO LUPUS AND THE BLOOD DISEASE TTP.  LOOK AT THIS PROJECT, AND THEN DO THE KNOWLEDGE ON HIS LIFE AND LEGACY.  SPECIAL THANKS GOES TO B.KYLE, OKAYPLAYER, GIFTED FILMS, VIMEO, MS. YANCEY, AND THE J. DILLA FOUNDATION.  DILLA LIVES ON IN OUR HEARTS AND MUSIC!


"J.Dilla: Still Shining" from B.Kyle on Vimeo.


LINKS:

Gifted Films
The J. Dilla Project
J. Dilla Foundation
Okayplayer

THE LEGENDARY: A FILM ABOUT THE ROOTS

THE ROOTS AT RAMS HEAD LIVE--PHOTO BY WISDOM

Tuba Gooding, Jr.  Frank Knuckles.  Owen Biddle.  Captain Kirk.  Kamal.  Black Thought.  Questlove.  Four-time Grammy Award winners.  Hardest working music outfit in all of music, not just hip hop.  The Legendary.  An appropriate moniker for a band I hold near and dear to my 41 year-old heart.   Giving us true notes since 1987.  I have been a faithful listener, fan, and extended family member of The Roots from the beginning, taking it back to the days of The Square Roots and Organix, their first actual release that fetches a pretty penny from collectors and music lovers alike.  I am very proud to own EVERY album released by The Roots:  Organix, Do You Want More?!!!??!, Illadelph Halflife, my personal favorite Things Fall Apart, Phrenology, The Tipping Point, Game Theory, Rising Down, How I Got Over, and the John Legend collaborative album that garnered three Grammy Awards Wake Up!  I am so very proud of this Illadelph collective, not only for being EXTREMELY dope, but for adding a touch of class and decorum to the hip hop landscape.  Without The Roots, the genre we know as hip hop would be an even sadder state of affairs.  With that bold statement in mind, take a look at this Okayplayer TV jawn (that's Philly speak for joint, if you didn't know) known as "The Legendary:  A Film About The Roots".  Cam Be was director and editor for this glimpse into the sometimes hectic touring schedule of The Roots.  Jeff Baraka served as interviewer and co-producer for this project.  I've been fortunate enough to have seen this dynamic hip hop group more times than I have fingers, so I know the energy and showmanship they bring to the table.  This film touches on that, but of course doesn't replace the live and in-person element.  What you do have is a mini-documentary that will pique the interests of fans and non-fans alike, I'm sure.  Thanks again to Okayplayer TV, Vimeo, The Roots, Jeff Baraka, and Cam Be for allowing this slice of hip hop to be shared by the masses.  Enjoy this "Legendary" teaser!


The Legendary: A Film About The Roots from Cam Be on Vimeo.