Finale – Paid Homage (J Dilla Tribute)

“I’m struggling ’cause losing you was some cruel and confusing ish…”

This bonus track off of Finale’s A Pipe Dream & A Promise is a haunting remembrance of his producer and friend, J. Dilla. The beat stays true to the art that was Dilla’s production, featuring his trademark samples of jazzy rhythms, electric piano melodies, and a flowing backup vocal that give the beat its own human quality. Over this, Finale tells us the tale of a man from Detroit, a boy named James Yancey, who rose to local fame by making music for his city and his people.

The story progresses to the time when Finale and J. Dilla met, and from here it was a bond that not even Dilla’s passing could break. Though it is clear he misses his friend, Finale finds the good in it all, telling us, “STOP: Don’t mourn him, think of it like your man on tour, and God knew to set him free and he repped the D…” A Pipe Dream & A Promise contains several songs that send a shout to Dilla, and this track wraps up the album like the postscript of a long, inspired letter that reads: P.S. I will never forget J Dilla. Rest in peace.