Illa J

If you found yourself rolling your eyes the first time you chanced upon Dilla sibling John Yancey's choice of artistic name, count yourself as one of many. For the promotional duration of this current project though, the budding singer/MC may just be forgiven, as Yancey Boys plays more as a revelatory tribute piece than a self-serving attempt at career advancement, barely. Built exclusively on unreleased mid-'90s era beats from the legendary producer, the record is a trip back in time to a period that should still be pretty fresh in everyone's minds, and as the tracks still sound crisp and work well with the new vocals, this is actually an interesting way of presenting old material. Illa J's laidback wordplay and reserved melodies work as a respectful, unassuming complement to Dilla's trademarked thick, murky keys, loose snares and generally smooth sonic underpinnings, delivering a taste of the producer's past that is well worth a listen.