J Dilla: Behind the Beat Poster

Back in 2005, photographer Raph Rashid was hoping to complete a book of hip-hop home studios by getting pics of J Dilla at work in Los Angeles. Unknown to all but a small circle of people at the time, J Dilla had been in and out of the hospital all year dealing with increasingly serious health problems. It was in summer, during a brief period when Dilla was home, working on his album The Shining, looking and feeling good, when Raph came to take this picture, published with others later that year in his book Behind the Beat: Hip-Hop Home Studios.

I just copped one, now I recommend that you do the same.

J Dilla - Still Shining Promo Trailer

Gifted Films Inc presents a Okayplayer OG Brian ‘B.Kyle’ Atkins project, J. Dilla: Still Shining. The comprehensive remembrance piece on the late great James ‘J. Dilla’ Yancey will be available February 7th @ TheJDillaProject.com.

The doc will feature unseen personal photos, and rare concert performance footage. Along with all of that, the project also will feature exclusive testimonials from friends and frequent collaborators like Erykah Badu, Dwele, Pete Rock, Bilal, ?uestlove, Busta Rhymes, Phat Kat, Common, Q-Tip, Houseshoes, and more. – Okayplayer.

RARE J Dilla Soundcheck footage Video