James Yancy, known to the world as J. Dilla, passed away from cardiac arrest three years ago, leaving a legacy and a heck of a catalog of jazz-heavy beats. His oft-imitated style has become the mainstay of current artists that he has influenced, including Kanye West and Pharell Williams.

Most of his successes were from "behind the desk," producing albums and tracks for such giants of hip hop as his mentors A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and Pharcyde. Yancy also produced Janet Jackson's 1997 Grammy-winning single "Got  'til It's Gone" from The Velvet Rope. Although he himself never attained much mainstream recognition, that could all change with the posthumous collection, Dillanthology Vol. 1.

Most of the cuts on the disc are culled from the late '90s when Dilla emerged as an artist. Most of the popular cuts are on this collection including hits like Erykah Badu's "Didn't Cha Know," Common's "The Light," and Pharcyde's "Runnin'" and "Drop." True fans will be familiar with most of the tracks on this album, but latecomers will get a window into a true genius, hopefully sparking a much-deserved renaissance.