From my collection…
J Dilla expresses his frustration with local authorities through one of his straight up funkiest tracks of his career! (audio stream below)
This is probably Dilla’s most controversial track, and after one listen, it’s pretty easy to understand why. According to an old Stones Throw video that came out around the reissue of Ruff Draft, the track came out of the frustration he was having with getting harassment from local law enforcement. And it really does sound like Dilla (Jay Dee at the time) was venting his frustration because this is easily the angriest he’s ever sounded on a record, especially with that opening countdown (listen, you’ll hear what I mean).
And yet for all the anger on this track, it’s also one of Dilla’s funkiest. As Rich Medina said in Fuck The Police Bling 47 video, “No doubt, I heard Fuck The Police and I was like, ‘Where the fuck are those drums from?'”. The drums are definitely the standout on this one, and interestingly, they’re kept largely intact from the original source material. But then again, one Dilla’s greatest strengths was his ability to make subtle changes to a sample without making you realise that he had changed it around at all.
Another interesting thing about this track is that’s a single only; it never came out on any album. Thankfully it’s been reissued throughout the years (I think I have the second press) and last year it was reissued on a ridiculous, oversized police badge picture disc. Pick this one up if you can find it.
image source: kaydeerecords.com
