Posthumous J Dilla vocal album planned; stream the first single now

A previously-lost vocal album that Dilla completed in the early 2000s will see the light of day.

Pitchfork reports that The Diary is a collection of Dilla’s raps over beats by associates Madlib, Pete Rock, Nottz, House Shoes, Karriem Riggins, and more. The album will be released this spring via his family-run Pay Jay label.

The first single off The Diary, ‘Anthem / Trucks’ is due out on April 15 on 12″ (and is available to pre-order now). Both tracks feature Dilla’s production, and the masters were found on 2-inch tape shortly after his death. Collaborator / engineer Dave Cooley finished the tracks, preserving all of the elements from the original demos. Stream ‘The Anthem’ below and check out the single’s cover art and tracklisting.

Dilla’s catalog has swelled since his death, with no end in sight: just last month, his estate announced plans to release the Music From The Lost Scrolls Vol. 1 EP. Last week, spiritual descendents Kutmah and Shigeto assembled tributes for this year’s Dilla Day.