J Dilla 'Ruff Draft: Dilla's Mix'

The title ‘Ruff Draft: Dilla’s Mix’ clarifies what this album attempts: deferral to the vision of a departed genius. As such, the album is presented as a double LP, with the first LP presented exactly as Dilla had intended, using his exact mixes. The second LP presents the could-have-been album, with Dilla’s alternate tracks mixed over the course of two years by Hibbert so as to match Dilla’s original vision, and slotted into sequence. ‘Ruff Draft: Dilla’s Mix’ strives to place within the hip-hop canon another album that Dilla’s growing legion of disciples can indulge in and be inspired by. Prior to ‘Ruff Draft,’ the public knew Dilla’s music mostly through collaborations, productions for others and group efforts, many on major labels. But this project was all him. ‘Ruff Draft: Dilla’s Mix’ is an experimental and genre-expanding outing that marked Dilla’s willing return to the minor leagues, where he refined his approach and became one of the game’s major players. This time around, this particular reissue is a special vocal version of ‘Dilla’s Mix.’ It’s available as a double LP on smoke gray vinyl, with extensive liner notes and unpublished photos.