Jaylib

Like indie duo the Postal Service or transatlantic hip-hoppers Danger Doom, Jaylib was a collaboration by two geographically distant but musically simpatico folks, brought about by trading tapes and CDs back and forth through the mail. The collaboration began in 2000 when California turntablist J-Rocc (Jason Jackson) gave a disc of unreleased beats by producer/DJ J Dilla (James DeWitt Yancey) to producer and multi-instrumentalist Madlib (Otis Jackson, Jr.), whose reworking of one track later appeared on a mixtape. Continuing the cross-country collaboration on a casual basis between other projects -- such as J Dilla's production of Common's Electric Circus album and Madlib's jazz instrumental project Yesterdays New Quintet -- the pair finally completed and released Champion Sound in 2003. Sadly, J Dilla's health began to deteriorate shortly thereafter, and the DJ and producer died of complications from lupus on February 10, 2006. Madlib went on to collaborate with MF Doom for the higher-profile project Madvillain. Shortly after J Dilla's death, Stones Throw released Outtakes, the first official release of the pair's initial collaborations from 2000. ~ Stewart Mason