Finale – Paid Homage (J Dilla Tribute)

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

DOWNLOAD: Finale – “Paid Homage” (J Dilla Tribute)

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.