J Dilla Ruff Draft

Words: Jesse Serwer
Label: Stones Throw
XLR8R Rating: 9/10

With several great songs (and a bonus instrumental disc) added to the original, vinyl-only 2003 version, Ruff Draft feels like yet another miraculous, posthumous gift from the ghostly hands of production master J Dilla. It's best to avoid hyperbole when discussing Dilla beats but it's hard to imagine a better 1-2-3-4-5 punch in his catalog then "Let's Take It Back," "Reckless Driving," "Nothing Like This," "The $," and "Interlude"-brief, emotive blasts that perfectly preview what was to come on his masterful 2006 LP, Donuts. Anyone with any interest in hip-hop or music production needs to get this.