Dilla Time: Dan Charnas and Fred Hosken, in conversation

The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, The Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm is a rich biography of James Yancey, a man who was the bedrock of a highly influential hip-hop sound and whose life and artistry has been sanctified and mythologized since his tragically premature death in 2006.Charnas sets the record straight in Dilla Time, providing a balanced account of a complex artist that is supported by rigorous and diligent interviews, told by someone who was a part of the scene and who cares deeply about the music.Intrinsically interwoven throughout this life story is an engagement with the sound and craft of Dilla's music.As an analyst of Dilla's music myself, I was very grateful when Dan accepted my invitation to have a conversation about the book with a focus on getting inside the music, hearing how someone close to the art and the people who made the art understands it.Fred Hosken: Could you introduce us to J Dilla and why