Chapter 1

The Pharcyde – 'Runnin''

It was the first single from Labcabincalifornia, The Pharcyde's follow up album to their debut Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde. I feel that it caught a lot of people off-guard.

It was a different direction for The Pharcyde and I believe that was because of J Dilla. He introduced certain sample techniques, sampling things that no one was really looking at at the time.

To be completely honest, I wasn't feeling The Pharcyde's second album. Their debut album was so good but the second one, I was a bit underwhelmed.

It took me a good year or two to realise the genius of Jay Dee and 'Runnin'' was one of the standout tracks. The Brazilian guitars – taken from a Brazilian folk record from the '70s, I believe – the drums and the Run DMC samples. It was just genius. That was the introduction of Jay Dee to the world of hip hop. – Hau Latukefu

Chapter 2

Slum Village – 'Conant Gardens'

The first time I got to experience Jay Dee as a whole was in his group Slum Village. This was the track that really pulled me into the album.

I kind of took a punt on this album. I had read about this guy who had worked with A Tribe Called Quest and so on. The intro started, it's quite lush, but when 'Conant Gardens' starts it just blew me away.

Everyone talks about J Dilla's production, which of course is valid, but a lot of people don't realise how good he is on the mic as well. His cadence and his voice is just so top notch. – Hau Latukefu

Chapter 3

Q Tip – 'All In'

Q Tip's voice just matches J Dilla's production perfectly. 'All In' is all about being fun. Even starting off the track sounding like he's eating an apple, munching away and talking about how MCs always take themselves too seriously.

The bass line on that song and the lazy drums and the clavinet sample that J Dilla flips on that is just incredible. It's a unique song and I think one of Q Tip's best projects to date.

Traditional A Tribe Called Quest fans weren't really feeling this, because it was a bit more slick and dancey than your usual A Tribe Called Quest record, which was always about being part of the boom-bap generation.

Q Tip jumping out on his own with Jay Dee was like Q Tip being reborn. It gave him the wings to truly do what he does. – Hau Latukefu

Chapter 4

Jaylib – 'Champion Sound'

One of the Dilla vocal tracks that I really love and remember distinctly hearing the first time it was sent back to Madlib when he was working on the Jaylib project.

It stuck out to me because it was much different than what I'd anticipated Dilla choosing for Madlib. Madlib had sent Dilla hundreds of beats of a variety of different styles.

The first track I heard was this grimy Indian loop with Dilla just rapping about trucks and Armor All and tyres and all kinds of Detroit craziness. It was the perfect juxtaposition of Madlib and Dilla.

It was the first song I heard and it's still my favourite song from the Champion Sound album. – Eothen Alapatt

Chapter 5

J Dilla – 'Wild'

One of the tracks that Dilla had recorded for the Ruff Draft album but never put out when he released Ruff Draft as a vinyl EP in 2002. We found it on the master tapes after he died. Listening to Wild at that point was a real vindicating moment.

The song goes all over the place, it's not conventional in any means – not the way that it's produced or the way that Dilla raps. There's the silliness of the sample which is also made deadly serious buy the way Dilla tackles the subject matter.

It is, to me, the perfect Dilla vocal song. I was really, really overwhelmed when I first heard it and I still get goose bumps when I hear it to this day. – Eothen Alapatt