#mpc3000

The Human Drum Machine (2)

So Far To Go - J Dilla, Common, D’Angelo

The late J Dilla (born James Yancy) is considered by many hip-hop consumers and musicians to be one of the most influential producers of the genre. His techniques in creating sample based hip-hop are globally viewed as some of the most creative and intricate in the world of hip-hop beat making. 

“So Far To Go” is a collaboration track by J Dilla, alongside R&B powerhouses Common and D’Angelo. Many attribute the success of this track to J Dilla and his absolute mastery of sampling, or as The New York Times called it — “meticulous but casual style.”

Dilla’s instrument of choice, was notably the AKAI MPC300. Released in 1994, the MPC3000 was a drum machine with the ability to interchange and alter samples loaded in to the machine. Through the MPC3000 alongside Yancy’s prodigious approach, new capabilities of sampling and new styles of hip-hop began to emerge.

An important part of Dilla’s sound, was how he famously worked without the use of quantisation (Quantising meaning to automatically place kicks, snares etc. perfectly and directly on beat). Described by renowned drummer Questlove, a frequent collaborator at the time, “the kick drum sound like it was played [by] a drunk three-year-old.” He later described the ability to nonchalantly incorporate these odd and intricately out of time beats as “the most liberating moment.”

On the track “So far to go”, the main riff melody is a flipped sample from “Don’t say Goodnight, It’s Time for Love” (The Isley Brothers, 1980). The sample can be heard here at 0:40 and throughout:

As was his style, a lot of the track is off kilter. From the drums to the driving melody, almost nothing is set completely on time, this gave the track a more human feel, although it is produced almost entirely electronically.

From amateurs to professionals, many still look to the sampling styles and techniques of J Dilla for inspiration. Using the MPC3000 as an extension of himself, he caused a culture shift and paved the way for a new evolution of music production and hip-hop respectively.