Today marks the birthday of James Yancey, better known as J Dilla, one of the most influential hip-hop artists of this century. Just days after his 32nd birthday, back in 2006, the Detroit-based DJ and producer passed away, leaving an enduring legacy for others to follow. Above the nine albums he produced in his lifetime, at least as many posthumous works have been released, and the number of tributes and dedications by artists of various stature, from Common and Erykah Badu to Flying Lotus and Black Milk, is too long to list. Among them, and named for a song by The Robert Glasper Experiment, is Dillalude, an Icelandic tribute project featuring DJ Benni B-Ruff, trumpeter Ari Bragi Kárason, keyboardist Steingrímur Teague (Moses Hightower), and drummer Magnús Tryggvason (Moses Hightower, ADHD, amiina, etc.). Enjoy this heartfelt celebration of Jay Dee's life and music as Dillalude perform live at Kex Hostel in Reykjavik during KEXP's broadcast from Iceland Airwaves last November.
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Midd…
Even within its own darkness, Moonlight shines bright. LA rocker Hanni El Khatib improves upon his Dan Auerbach-helmed second album with his latest, and self-produced, LP. This time, Hanni El Khatib pulls just about everything he can find off the shelf to add to his garage-rock riffs, including psy…
Portland composer and vocalist Natasha Kmeto dropped by and dropped jaws with her magnificent multitasking performance for KEXP's Audioasis. Surreal and vocally symphonic, Kmeto's songs stretch the boundaries of both contemporary pop, IDM and EDM with percussively intriguing compositions that slide…
When Sólstafir plays for KEXP, the gods take notice. Two years ago, during KEXP's broadcast at Iceland Airwaves, hurricane-level gales swept across Reykjavik as the hard rocking band brewed up their own storm inside Kex Hostel. Last month, on their first tour of the West Coast, heavy winds followed…
