Benz and a Backpack

No words for this one…

I wasn’t sure I would ever tell anyone this story, but I feel like it needs to be heard, because muthafukas need to really understand the power of music. I might even be posting it in the wrong forum, but I don’t give a fuck.

It starts over a year ago, on Feb 10th, 2006. I was in Fribourg, Switzerland w/ SV & we were eating pre-show dinner in the back of the venue. The European tour mgrs phone rings. Nobody pays too much attention, we just keep eatin’ & talkin’ shit. Howi (the EU tm) gives T3 the phone, & says “It’s Tim” (SV’s mgr). T3 listens for a minute, then gets a totally blank look on his face. Totally absent of any type of emotion. He hands the phone back to Howi & looks @ all of us (me, El, & Dez) w/ a blank expression, not saying a word, his mouth forming a small “O”. Finally I spoke. “What, nigguh? Who the fuck got killed THIS time?” He turned around to look @ me. & said, “Dilla just died”. Nobody said a fucking word for a few seconds. Then Dez said, “Man, I gotta smoke.” T3 went in the back to use the computer, Elzhi sat @ the table looking numb, & I went in the back to check on T3. Mind you, this is approximately 30-45 minutes before the FIRST date on this EU tour, I think it was about 12-15 dates. Howi asked me did we still want to do the show-no brainer-”YES”. There’s no way Dilla’s death was going to silence his music in any way, shape, form, or fashion.

The show must go on.

We walk on to the stage, the venue is packed. Dez is on the tables, I’m punchin’ the buttons on the replay. I hit the first joint-”GIANT” from the self-titled lp. 3 & El come out, killing it. Next up is “SET IT”. @ the end of the joint, 3 tells me to hold up. He addresses the crowd, & informs them that J.Dilla has passed form. The majority of these kids don’t even speak English. As I peered out into the crowd, I saw people wearing, “J.DILLA CHANGED MY LIFE” shirts & other types of Dilla & Slum memorabilia, some shit that I hadn’t seen in the states in YEARS. T3 asked for a moment of silence, & some dude yelled out in broken English, “J.DILLA IS A GOD!” The crowd screamed it’s approval, T3 said “Hit it”, & the show went on. The ride back to the hotel was quiet, nobody said much of shit. Everybody alone w/ his own thoughts, thinking about a fallen friend.

The tour instantly became a Dilla tribute tour of sorts.

Read the rest at HexHatesU.

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