Book Details
Date Read: September 12, 2022
Publication Date: February 2022
Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Format: Audio Book
Page Count: 480
Listening Time: 14 hours 52 minutes
Print Publisher: MCD, Picador
Audio Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Dilla Time Book Review
Dilla Time by Dan Charnas chronicles the life and impact of J Dilla, James DeWitt Yancey, who even if you do not recognize his name, you have likely listened to music that has been influenced by his style as a producer. I picked this book up after hearing about it from a friend (hey Sarah!) and fell in love with it because of the way it made me feel connected to my husband’s music and hometown (hey babe! I borrowed your shirt for this post).
This is a long and thorough book in a genre I rarely dip into, so please know that I have little comparison points for a musical biography book. What I do know is that I was hooked on it, from the beginning to the end, and this was so much more than a book about a producer.
It was a history lesson in music, the city of Detroit, and J Dilla’s life. The story takes its time and pulls from over 150 interviews that the author has conducted in his career, and it tells the full-sided story of a person. It shows the reader how that person’s style has shown up in music but also goes back to the music before him and pays homage to his influences.
It gets into soul, Motown, funk, techno, disco, jazz, hip hop and explains the origins of human beats meeting machine beats, layering in the way various artists responded and adapted. It was fascinating and educational in a way that felt relevant in so much of the music I grew up on and enjoy today.
If you appreciate musical biographies or enjoy books that trace current events back through past lived experiences in a deep and meaningful way, give this a try. I strongly recommend choosing the audio edition – the sample beats to explain the musical theory were incredibly helpful in following along.
Content warnings: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Terminal illness
