Dilla Stories

Excerpt from "Frank N Dank & J Dilla's European Vacation" DVD in stores now

Jay Dee, Frank Nitty (of Frank N Dank), Dave NY and DJ Rhettmatic discuss some of Dilla's encounters with Q-Tip, The Notorious B.I.G, Lil' Kim, Skillz and The Pharcyde.

TRIVIA ABOUT THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G'S VERSE AND JAY DEE'S BEAT

The verse:

In 1996, Biggie recorded his verse over Jay Dee's beat. The "freestyle" surfaced on mixtapes as "The Ugliest," most notably on DJ Head's 'W.E.G.O.' In 1999, the verse was commercially used on a track called "Dangerous MC's" for Biggie's posthumous third album 'Born Again.' The song featured Busta Rhymes, Mark Curry and Snoop Dogg and was produced by Nottz.

The beat:

J Dilla's beat was never commercially released. However, Busta Rhymes recycled it for his own songs. It was first used in 2001 for "Modern Day Gangsters" featuring Flipmode Squad (Baby Sham and Roc Marciano). It appeared on DJ Kay Slay's 'Streetsweepers Present The Predator' mixtape. In 2005, "Modern Day Gangstas" was remixed for 'Surrender: The Mixtape.' The remix featured Biggie's verse from "The Ugliest," Busta Rhymes' verse from the original version and new lyrics by Labba. Baby Sham performed the chorus on both versions.

"THE UGLIEST" (LYRICS):

Diamonds on my neck, chrome drop top
Chillin' on the scene, smokin' pounds of green
Oooh wee!
You see the ugliest
Money hungriest Brooklyn Lochness
Nine millimeter cock test
Whan fi' test?
And the winner is... not that thinner kid
Bandanas, tattoos
My fists never bruise
Land still cruise
Frank White paid his dues
Ask who's the raw, bet they say "Poppa very"
Look forward to me like commissary
All of a sudden, now every
Body Big Willie
Done did it, come widdit
Get your head splitted or get your neck slitted
Admit it, you overdid it
Your shid-dit just ain't got that "LAOWWW"
Gold tooth shine like "TA-DOWWW"
Biggie Smalls' illest
And how, phrase raise your eyebrow
By now you figure, "He talkin' bout that nigga"
But your weak-ass assumptions lead lead to dumpin'
I.V. to pumpin', you're feeling somethin'
Catch my drift or catch my four-fifth lift
At least six inches above project fences
Turn meat turn to minces, jumps turn to flinches
When I rain (reign) I drenches, cleared your park benches
Missed you by inches, your talk is senseless
Ac-tor needs chiroprac-tor for cracked jaw
Yes, I rocked your chatterbox
Dangerous, you're not
I gets down
Twist your body round and round
Upside down