How J Dilla humanized his MPC3000

J Dilla made his MPC3000 musical.

There’s a halo of reverence around J Dilla, a producer and beatmaker from Detroit who made some of the most fascinating and influential beats in hip hop history. Before his early death in 2006, J Dilla worked with countless artists and producers – from Erykah Badu and Janet Jackson to Busta Rhymes and Madlib – and developed an off-kilter style of rhythm and sampling that transcended the machine he used to create music, the Akai Midi Production Center, otherwise known as the MPC.

Spotify Playlist created by Okayplayer: https://open.spotify.com/user/okayplayer87/playlist/0Xd9a6zJMMYLURcINKVkQd

Brian “Raydar” Ellis’ music: https://soundcloud.com/raydarellis