It is important to differentiate between theory and actuality. Theoretically, Illa J had one of the most intriguing and appealing records of the year. His recent debut release, Yancey Boys, paired the singer/emcee up with long lost instrumentals from his older brother, who just so happens to be the late J Dilla.
Dilla was working with the Pharcyde for their 1995 album Labcabincalifornia, but many of the leftover tracks ended up collecting dust. The legendary producer had some old, unused beats sitting around at the Delicious Vinyl establishment. Enter Illa J. The artist relocated from Detroit to California, took those beats, and started working on Yancey Boys. The big question was whether the conceptually strong album could materialize into a solid finished product.
“Timeless” is the album’s first track, and features a contemplative Illa J crooning over Dilla’s smooth piano loops and deep baselines. The lead single, “We Here,” is a celebratory track also featuring Illa J’s first rap of the album, and he manages to impress with strong wordplay and diction. The second single off Yancey Boys is “R U Listening,” featuring Guilty Simpson. The Detroit spitters successfully represent for the 313, and all of the Motor City, on the album’s best track.
However, the album begins an unfortunate decline after that opening trio of songs. The problem is that Illa J’s songwriting has no build-up, no progression. His lyrics can be likened to a dog running in circles, chasing its own tail. There may be occasional illusions of progress, but in the end, it's just not going anywhere.
Take the chorus on “Swagger,” for instance. Illa J sings, “Yes I’m a singer slash rapper / And I does my thing / And yes I swing my bling / It ain’t related to the music / And yes bees they sting / But I love smelling good, yes I do, ‘cause that’s what I do.” These nonsensical lyrics plague the remainder of the album. Not to mention an additional guest appearance from Affion Crockett (Word?).
Not too much time should be dedicated to dissecting the production on Yancey Boys. This is Illa J’s album. But, for as underappreciated as J Dilla was while still alive, he was sure ahead of his time. These beats were crafted in the mid-nineties, yes they sound as polished and contemporary as anything coming out today. J Dilla’s work is, as expected, simply superb.
Yancey Boys is a great album to bump on a summer afternoon; the kind of situation where you aren’t too invested in the lyrics, and can just vibe to the musical backdrop. Would this have been a predominantly listenable album without J Dilla’s production? Likely not. The foremost issue with Yancey Boys is not that Illa J lacks talent. He surely has the capacity to be a gifted and versatile artist. Despite that, it is clear that he has not utilized his many faculties to the fullest extent. Yet, if given time, he may evolve to be a prominent singer/rapper in the music business. So, even though Yancey Boys was not as tremendous an album as it was theoretically, Illa J is an artist to check back on in the future.
Rating: 5/10
Bonus: Illa J performing at Fat Beats.
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