Reissue: March 20, 2007
In 2001, Jay Dee aka J Dilla released his solo debut, Welcome 2 Detroit, preceding Fantastic, Vol. 2 with his group Slum Village. The first volume of the Beat Generation series from BBE, the album was a showcase of Detroit's talent, full of 16 tracks with appearances from Elzhi, Frank-n-Dank, Phat Kat, Dwele, Hodge Podge & Lacks.
The same year, Dilla left Slum Village to pursue a solo career, and released its first single "F*** the Police", which was inspired by his own situations with the Detroit Police. In 2002, he secured a deal with MCA and started work on a second album titled Pay Jay. Although Dilla was known for his production rather than his rapping, he decided to get on the mic, and get beats from different producers. The album never saw the light of day, and was shelved due to internal changes at the label.
Due to his frustration, he released the EP, Ruff Draft in February 2003, which was recorded in under a week. While it remains one of Dilla's lesser-known works, the EP includes some of his most abstract and experimental work, toying with different sounds. It features 10 tracks, with no features, and like his planned sophomore effort, showcased Dilla's rapping skills. In 2007, Stones Throw released a remastered reissue of the EP, which featured 4 bonus tracks: the alternate version of the Intro and "Shouts", and 2 previously-unreleased tracks.
Anyway, we don't know how much it sold or whether it got critical acclaim, let's just get into it!
1. Intro
Just an opening skit, that sees Dilla informing listeners that this is for the "real niggas". Nothing really.
2. Let's Take It Back
A lot more electronic and hardcore, as J Dilla provides an opening verse. He introduces the song in the same style of Q-Tip's "Verses from the Abstract", and goes straight in, giving us bars such as "I'm lettin you know, I'm like The Professional/Makin my hits, collectin my dough". The beat is just funky as hell, and got me bumping my head. I wish it was longer and that Dilla did a second verse. This was just too good!!!!
3. Reckless Driving
A freakin' head bumper. It's funny cos it took me a few listens to get used to this track, I thought the beat was lacking. But it's now one of my favourites on the project. The beat is just wavey, the type you can bang in your trunk. Dilla's flow is just on point, and his lyricism is tight. Gets me bumping my head non-stop. Such a standout!
4. Nothing Like This
A lil different from most of the tracks here, This time, Dilla sings and he doesn't disappoint. The sound is more sombre but weird, and Dilla's vocals are distorted, which gives the song such a wavey, chill and strange vibe. It's so crazy and weird but dope AF!!! The production is just amazing, on some next-level shit. What even made the song even better is that THE SAMPLE WAS FAWKIN REVERSED!!!!!!!! SHIT! The video is beautiful, made a nigga shed a tear. One of Dilla's best tracks. It's tracks like these that make me love Dilla. So beautiful, so lovely!
5. The $
A lot hardcore and very gritty. After an intro of scratches, Dilla goes in and snaps like DAMN!! The beat is just ill, and the flow is on point. Hook is catchy, as expected, and the whole song is just a head bumper as usual. The ending is a bit chill and experimental too, before the song abruptly stops. Great track.
6. Interlude
The title says it all...
7. Make'em NV
BANGER!!! The sample is just too much, God damn! Dilla comes through with some more heat, while a headbumping instrumental is provided. The M.O.P. soundbite is way too suiting, and make this song so better. As usual, Dilla's flow is tight and A1, and the content and lyricism is dope AF. The whole song just gets me vibing and in the mood. Love this song.
8. Interlude
Another one! *DJ Khaled voice*
9. Crushin' (Yeeeeaah!)
A chill and freaky song, which is censored, unlike the other tracks, probably due to the dirty content. But God damn, this is so damn funky. I can vibe to this shit. The content is on point, and the lyrics on here are basic but sweet. It's just the flow and delivery that makes it so good! The beat is just too chill and wavey, and everything about this track is amazing. This the type of shit you can play in the Summer, and just vibe to while on Holiday! One of my favourites on the EP.
10. Shouts
Dilla basically just does a shoutro, shouting out his friends and people that he fux wit. I like this, but that beat though... I need that instrumental. Them African drums are on freakin' point!
The following are previously-unreleased bonus tracks that were on the 2007 reissue:
11. Intro (Alt.)
A different version of the Ruff Draft intro. This time, it features an instrumental, and Dilla sounds a lot more energetic and eager to get into the project, unlike the original one. If only he used this one.
12. Wild
Always thought the beat was messy, but damn, it gets me vibing. Dilla samples a kid singing a song, and he flips it so good. The beat is dope AF, and the flow and lyricism impresses me so much, coming with bars such as "Get wild on the Rampage, "Wild for the Night"/Get it lifted like Winona Ryder". Another headbumping joint!
13. Take Notice (feat. Guilty Simpson)
Guilty Simpson jumps on this cut, which was actually the beat playing on the first interlude on the original release. It takes almost a minute to start (cos Dilla talks too much, hehe) before Guilty & Dilla come in with straight bars. Guilty starts off sick, coming with lines such as "I'm jumping in the game head first and make the TEC jerk/To cancel your network" and "You feminine cats catch a bad one/My gun gon' be there poking that ass with Magnums". Dilla comes through and he freakin' snaps, with bars like "Cats preparing for they last days like it's J2K, but they way too late/Wrap up a piece/Ready to feast, maybe they'll save you a plate". The two both deliver straight heat, but I gotta give the crown to Guilty, he killed that shit and had the better lines. Dilla still did his thing though.
14. Shouts (Alt.)
An alternate version of the shoutro. There's no African drum instrumental, and Dilla shouts out a few more people than the outro, saying "rock on" in the style of Q-Tip on "The Chase, Pt. II". The instrumental is a lot more funkier and isn't too headbumping like the original. I like it though, it's dope, and Dilla still keeps the flow intact.
Final Thoughts
Ruff Draft is such a solid project. From start to finish, it's just straight up heat. The production is A1 and is on point, and the bars are just HOT!!! The title is simple. Most of the tracks are short, being at 2 minutes, feeling very unfinished and like a demo. It sounds more rough, raw and rugged. It's one thing that pisses me off. The tracks on this EP are just too good, and gets me vibing, but feel very incomplete.
One thing you also notice is the sound. After the opening intro from Dilla, as he tells us how the project is gonna be like, we get "Let's Take It Back", which sounds raw and hardcore, but has a funky electronic-infused instrumental. Dilla starts to experiment and toy with new sounds, trying something new with every song. The versatility on this project is just on point. An example of this is "Nothing Like This", where he reverses a sample and distorts his vocals, giving such a strange and rough vibe. Or "Crushin (Yeeeaah!)", which is more of a funky song you can vibe to in your whip, when the sun is up. "Make'em NV" is also another one, a pretty hardcore song, which takes a soundbite from M.O.P., as Dilla spits about shaking the haters off and flexing on them. "Shouts" is also dope. While it's a shoutro, the instrumental is just amazing, fawkin bangs!
The lyricism is on point, an example of how not only Dilla was such a great guy on the boards, but one of the best producers on the mic. "Let's Take It Back" features lines like "I'm lettin you know, I'm like The Professional/Makin my hits, collectin my dough". We get fire bars like "Let's do it, worldwide, show that shine/Get the cash, and flash like Kodak blind 'em" on "Make'em NV". "Crushin (Yeeeeaah!)" is such a great song, and while it's more of a Summer jam for the ladies, we still gets some heat lines like "My dick stay half-baked so bitch you know what I wrote/I have... and I don't wanna talk to no Sampson". Most of the lyrics on the EP are so great that I just squint while vibing out to the tracks.
The bonus tracks on the reissue are just as good as the original tracks. The alternative "Intro" is great, and while Dilla doesn't rap, he sounds a lot more energetic as he introduces it, and eager to get into the EP. "Wild" is just a banger, and is the type of shit you could've played in the club back in '02/'03. I could've imagined it being a single, if released earlier and having a video. "Take Notice" is the only track with a guest appearance, a raw electronic banger, which sees Dilla & Guilty go back and forth with straight bars. No hook, just bars! And the alternative "Shouts" outro is great, he doesn't sound as energetic as the original shoutro, but he still keeps the flow intact while having a dope ass instrumental.
If only the EP was longer though. Most of the tracks are just so short and sound so incomplete. "Let's Take It Back" could've easily had a second verse, I get it was supposed to introduce the project along with the opening skit, but damn, it was just too good and it ended too quickly. And "Make'em NV" could've had an extended version, with a third verse. But that's what makes Ruff Draft what it is: a great EP full of dope ass tracks that sound unfinished. Buy this shit. It's a must have for Dilla fans and doesn't disappoint at all. Not only is the production good, but the lyricism is top-notch. If only Dilla was here to provide us new shit.
The Furious 5ive
Nothing Like This
Crushin (Yeeeaah!)
Make'em NV
Let's Take It Back
Reckless Driving
Honourable Mentions
Take Notice
The $
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