What at first seems like a series of non sequiturs slowly reveal an underlying structure: Welcome 2 Detroit is actually two or three different kinds of styles woven together.

But it is, of course, only the intro, its main job to pave the way for what follows-another introduction. There are organ flourishes that disappear on Welcome 2 Detroitevidence that Jay Dee filtered, freaked and Frankensteined bits of the source material to get the perfect fluid-sounding bed for his first 50 seconds of fame. Jay Dee dug deeper and ranged much further afield than any of his contemporaries-all the way to Asia Minor, in fact-to isolate a few bars of gold that could speak perfectly to the heart of the inner city experience. The simple loop not only echoes through all those references in the space of a single bar, it conjures the clash and swell of the larger forces-the riots, the assembly lines, the church choirs-that shaped them. Play those two notes again: Maybe they were lifted from some lesser-known Funkadelic spin-off, a more psychedelic side project from Motown session guitarist Dennis Coffey or his Sussex labelmate Rodriguezor maybe even a bluesier passage from Detroit proto-punks MC5 or the Stooges. That initial double tap, followed by a more intricate resolution of the musical phrase in a bass and drum shuffle, admirably served to condense the history of Dilla, Detroit, and beyond. It was a lot to get across, especially for an artist known chiefly to those listeners who cared enough to read productions credits in the liner notes-which is why it packed so much into its very first bar. Welcome 2 Detroit - Jay Dee - Welcome 2 Detroit What Dilla ultimately delivered to the label was not even close to a beat tape, which was what he was ostensibly commissioned to create. After donating his talents to artists, it was time for Dilla alone to step into the spotlight. Though he had several creative phases yet to come, Dilla was, in many ways, operating at the very peak of his game at the turn of the millennium. Male model managementĪfter nearly a decade of DIY releases, high-profile remixes, and productions credited to Jay Dee, slowly a renown bordering on reverence was built for one James DeWitt Yancey. The opening two notes of Welcome 2 Detroita dramatic double hit of modulated bass guitar and dusted organ, represent the culmination of a vast musical history. Today, we revisit a piece of Detroit history that rippled through all of hip-hop. Each Sunday, Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible.

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