New J Dilla CD Made Free to the Public

Jay Dee has been resurrected again. This time, by indie giants Shaman Work Recordings and DJ 2-Tone Jones. The work dubbed A Brief Education on the Musical Genius of Jay Dee is the latest disc devoted to Dilla's intrinsic craftsmanship before he succumbed to his long-drawn battle with lupus on February 10, 2006. The compilation disc chronicles Jay Dee's vast production on memorable tunes like De La Soul's "Stakes is High," Slum Village's "Do You" and "Jealousy," Busta Rhymes' "So Hardcore," and the Pharcyde's "Runnin'," which appears in two different versions.

Now, before you start cringing and griping about labels exploiting deceased rappers, hear this: the tribute CD is free of charge. Better still, it's been okayed by Jay Dee's mom Maureen Yancey. While no monetary obligation is required, Shaman is asking for voluntary donations to the J Dilla Foundation to be made via jdilla.org or rensoul.com. You can obtain your own free copy of A Brief Education on the Musical Genius of Jay Dee, by visiting Shaman Work's official website, rensoul.com, digitalgravel.com, essdub.com, or by sending an email to updates@shamanwork.com. According to Shaman Work Recordings, plans are also in place to make the CDs available in physical retail stores.