The Shining [Parental Advisory]

Rating

Album: The Shining
#	Song Title		Time
	Disc 1
1)	Geek Down (Feat. Busta Rhymes)	More Info...	0:02
2)	E=Mc2 (Feat. Common)	More Info...	0:03
3)	Love Jones	More Info...	0:01
4)	Love (Feat. Pharoahe Monch)	More Info...	0:03
5)	Baby (Feat. Madlib & Guilty Simpson)	More Info...	0:03
6)	So Far to Go (Feat. Common & D'Angelo)	More Info...	0:05
7)	Jungle Love (Feat. MED & Guilty Simpson)	More Info...	0:02
8)	Over the Breaks	More Info...	0:02
9)	Body Movin' (Feat. J. Rocc & Karriem Riggins)	More Info...	0:02
10)	Dime Piece (Feat. Dwele) (Remix)	More Info...	0:03
11)	Love Movin' (Feat. Black Thought)	More Info...	0:03
12)	Won't Do	More Info...	0:04

Album: The Shining
#	Song Title		Time
	Disc 1
1)	Geek Down (Feat. Busta Rhymes)	More Info...	0:02
2)	E=Mc2 (Feat. Common)	More Info...	0:03
3)	Love Jones	More Info...	0:01
4)	Love (Feat. Pharoahe Monch)	More Info...	0:03
5)	Baby (Feat. Madlib & Guilty Simpson)	More Info...	0:03
6)	So Far to Go (Feat. Common & D'Angelo)	More Info...	0:05
7)	Jungle Love (Feat. MED & Guilty Simpson)	More Info...	0:02
8)	Over the Breaks	More Info...	0:02
9)	Body Movin' (Feat. J. Rocc & Karriem Riggins)	More Info...	0:02
10)	Dime Piece (Feat. Dwele) (Remix)	More Info...	0:03
11)	Love Movin' (Feat. Black Thought)	More Info...	0:03
12)	Won't Do	More Info...	0:04

Performer Notes

Black Thought, Common, Madlib, Busta Rhymes, and Pharoahe Monch all make appearances on beloved producer J Dilla's (a.k.a. Jay Dee a.k.a. James Yancy) posthumous release, THE SHINING. Don't get it twisted, though: despite the thick guest list, Dilla is the star on every track, with MCs playing hype-man while his production wizardry rocks the party. Every song is a testament to the late Mr. Yancy's extraordinary talents, with hard chunky beats and occasional samples from the titular film blending into softer electro and Nu Jazz. THE SHINING is a triumph but also a bittersweet reminder that not only hip-hop but music as a whole has lost a true artist.

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.90) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[L]ush and layered: 'So Far to Go' could be a classic soul ballad....Dilla uses background hiss, vocal effects and the stark, hushed movie clips to inject a sense of foreboding."

Spin (p.103) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[The] album sports the trademark soul loops, crackling drums, and underwater ambience of his best past work..."

Spin (p.57) - Ranked #35 in Spin's "The 40 Best Albums of 2006" -- "[I]t's a remarkably cohesive, entrancing farewell."

Entertainment Weekly (p.87) - "His warm, intimate style is highlighted throughout, especially on 'So Far To Go,' a gorgeous ballad featuring floating coos from fellow enigmatic genius D'Angelo." -- Grade: A-

The Wire (p.55) - "[T]he most astonishing thing about THE SHINING isn't so much its bright and celebratory tone as its modesty....Its elegiac tone is profoundly affecting and you can feel the silence when the music stops."

CMJ (p.6) - "THE SHINING's live instrumentation lends a relaxed R&B lilt that accentuates the human warmth Yancey brought to every project."

Vibe (p.138) - "His scattered styles are woven together seamlessly....SHINING brims with clear-cut and fully resolved ideas."

XXL (Magazine) (p.176) - "[The album] commemorates his musical genius by juxtaposing lush loops with formidable flows."