2/14/09 Common Speaks On 101 Festival

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Yesterday evening, Hip Hop superstar Common [click to read] spoke with HipHopDX regarding his upcoming appearance at the Hip Hop Music & Arts Festival 101 next Saturday February 21 [click here] at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
Headlining along with Ludacris, Common spoke of his eagerness to work with this festival and its revitalization of the music. "I want to say that first of all, any music and artists festival,...I'm about the art. The art of what we do. The art of Hip Hop. The art of the culture of Hip Hop. I love music. Like you and I were just discussing George Benson or Herbie Hancock, or John Coltrane or Pink Floyd or The Beatles or Radiohead, I love good music. Hip Hop Music & Arts Festival is something that I feel like pays homage and respect to traditionally good art and stuff. The fact that Power 106 has stepped up and really supported my music, and they're on the team, I support [the festival] even more. They've been a supporter of my music, which is different and progressive. It's a blessing."
The Chicago emcee and actor also commended the event for paying respects to deejays, as DJ Sleeper and The Beastie Boys' Mixmaster Mike and on the same bill as the aforementioned rappers, DXnext alum Janelle Monae [click to read] and Keri Hilson. "The deejays that they have present, like Mixmaster Mike, and the artists that they're choosing are progressive artists," said Common. Looking at his own career, he emphasized the importance of deejays. "We just did a deejay show last night, with me, DJ Dummy and my keyboardist. Though we'll be using a band and DJ Dummy during the festival, it's the fact that they're honoring where Hip Hop came from - Hip Hop started right there with a guy on the one and two's. That's what we always gotta honor. The deejays are the ones who rock the parties. They're the ones who spin on the radio. They're the ones who provide us entertainment in our life that sometimes keeps us going."
Lastly, Common responded to an effort made my Stones Throw Records' Egon on National Public Radio earlier this week, to make February "Dilla Month" after fallen producer James "J Dilla" Yancey [click to read]. "It's February. So many emotions come out, things and thoughts. Jay Dee's birthday was the seventh, and then he died on the tenth. I definitely feel we can take this month and take every year and every month to enjoy his music and keep the spirit of what Jay Dee was about alive."
Having recorded hit single "The Light" [click to read] with Yancey, along with numerous other tracks throughout his Like Water For Chocolate, Electric Circus [click to read], Be [click to read] and Finding Forever [click to read] albums, Common spoke about his friend and producer. "Jay Dee was about the music, man. If there's anybody I know that was about the music, it's J Dilla. He loved the music, and it wasn't about that hoopla. Of course he enjoyed life and lived life and wanted to take care of himself and his family, but, man, it was music first for him."
"The Light" appears on the upcoming compilation Dillanthology, coming March 31 on K7! Records.

Source: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.8 ... las-legacy