Common Remembers J Dilla's Decision To Rhyme On "Thelonius" | VIBE 

Dilla's verse on this song is what introduced me to Slum Village. Immediately went to Tower Records before noon the next day and there was one copy left in the store. I was lucky. Got home, put it in the disc changer, and the rest was history. RIP to the greatest to ever do it. 21 years later...it's still crankin'.

Common really embodies the humble Chicago dude. You know he is a gentle giant. He doesn't have to act like an asshole, just a genuine cool ass dude. He will always be one of my favorite rappers and the way he carries himself as a person only reinforces his greatness.

Thelonius is definitely one of my favorite tracks of all time.

my favorite line from Dilla on Thelonius " You Funny duke, cause really you think you can do me. when you roll a 500 thats really a 320."

Damn common speaking with so much respect... he really was so honored to be on that record. Thanks for sharing much love

It's now on the eve of 2021, this album is still an absolute time capsule..

The basslines on Fantastic Vol.2 makes other producers get shook

Nothing beats Common & Slum Village rhyming over that Dilla swing.

Dilla stories needs to be a thing A thing viewable on RU-vid by humans

Like water for chocolate one of the greatest hip hop albums btw. Props to common.

“I stay on your mind like great sex, you ain’t on my mind I’m thinkin bout paychecks” Dilla killed that shit! I always liked when he rapped.

The numbers crooked, look like King Kong shook it.

Jay Dee came out on top on Thelonius. Bars for days

Dilla basslines always off the charts dope

Dilla floats on that beat. He delivers his verses as if they were “off the top”. The beat even more special especially if you’re a crate digger and you know the sample. Who would’ve thought to take that part of that song? Two bars (the most) and he cooks up a banger. RIP Dilla Dawg and George Duke.

Every time I listen to this majestic album. I find new intricate details.

Yo, the whole time Common was speaking about Thelonious being on Fantastic Vol.2, I'm like what?! I had no idea that track was on there, luckily I have Like Water For Chocolate anyway, but it's 2022 and I'm just finding this out! And yes, Dilla had a Capadonna Winter Warz moment on that one.

Dilla's rhymes & flow are EVERY BIT as slick and legendary as his beats. Totally agree on Fantastic V2, too. Favourite hip hop album of all time 🏆

Now I have to go listen to Thelonius😂🤣

Like Water For Chocolate is one of them timeless classic gem albums. I kopped that joint the week it dropped way back in 2000. I was bumping that album all over NYC back then. Common's BEST album, and one of the best albums in music, ever.

Whoever disliked this beautiful piece is complete garbage 🗑

Common remains one of the most criminally underrated artists of all time. Nobody gives the man his flowers. Lyrics, production choice, discography, flow, voice, features....what else do we need?

I remember Common told a story about "Thelonius" at one of his concerts I attended. He literally paused the show and was telling a story about Dilla and the song "Thelonius". As his story was coming to an end you could hear the bass line from the song start coming in and everybody already knew what he was gonna perform next. That whole concert was like a DIlla tribute. Greatest concert Ive ever been too. Jay Electronica opened for him that night, and he was also going over Dilla beats. It was amazing.

Dilla spazzed on this one. & y’all know how he do on everything else. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

What JD did with that MPC 3000 destroys what most cats do on “better” equipment. I pump the brakes for any Dilla story.

The production quality on Fantastic Vol 2 is MJ Thriller level.

Jay Dee thelonious verse is one of the greatest verses of all time imo, came in hard with it 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

so jealous of the guy who got to interview common for this. i love hearing common talk about dilla

Thelonious is the track....Fantaatic Vol 2...still in heavy rotaton....Like Water 4 Chocolate....classic album!

Just imagine being in Dilla's basement with him, Common, T3, & Baatin. Just to watch. I bet that studio session was krazy! Mannn!

Dilla was the anchor!!!! When I heard common joint… I was sold on the Slum!!! Slum Vill all day! My favorite on the daily!!!!

"Fantastic vol 2" ...one of the greatest albums in hiphop history

Dilla had the best verse...his flow was 🔥🚒

Dilla was/is a blessing to hip hop. Too good for this earth yo. R.I.P. 😢

The song came together organically the way Slum Village record they’re albums… That’s what made it soo dope. It naturally evolved into the hard joint that it became

This is so legendary. I love hearing back stories.

When I hear Dilla rhyme in that mellow tone, always reminds me of Rakim. 😁

My girlfriend at the time bought Like Water For Chocolate the week it dropped. Not sure exactly why, but I put this track on a mixtape right away. Bumped this joint for a long time before even knowing who was really on it. Still in rotation!

Slum Fantastic Vol 2 is legendary 🔥🎶🎵

Dillas voice is the coolest swaggiest voice ever I could hear him all day

Still the most underrated and still the 🐐. Much respect to common as well!

I was looking at a hip hop magazine. It had the advertisement of "Like water for 🍫 (2000)" in it. It was originally supposed to come out in 1999. But listening 🎧 to Common tell this story about Jay Dilla's recording and 💭 process to approaching songs particularly doing "Thelonius" I now understand part of the reason why the release date 📅 got pushed back. It came out in March of 2000 instead. Sometimes you have to still fine tune some songs until you get it right! Like I commented on other people's pages that "Like water for 🍫" is one of my favorite Common albums. I hope Common makes more music! He's insanely talented artist. Rip to the musical architect J Dilla!!

Thelonious might be Dilla's best beat, and one of his best verses! It's a masterpiece all around, just a song that makes you feel good. RIP to the GOAT

Fantastic V2!! Only album I played for 6 months straight. Copped it after playin Like Water for Chocolate endlessly. Love Dilla

How do you tell this story without breaking? Baatin & Dilla...wow! That dilla sound is Godly

Climax is my fave song

God Bless Dilla’s Family and the Whole Detroit!

Because of that collab, when I picked up Vol. 2, I discovered Common and Mos Def for the first time.

I was looping this album as soon as I arrived in college. Never let it go, then cd got scratched up. The bass, drums the Slum Village flow was just on point. Here in Toronto it was flowing well the types of hip hop we were releasing too.

Thelonious is one of my favorite tracks on the album... top 3.

People say goat like it is anything these days But J Dillla is the Goat.

Dilla had one dopest verses ever on that joint

Im still finding intricacies that Dilla laced within the production of Fantastic Volume II. Hands down top 3 Dilla works for me...might even be my favorite.

Oh man that artwork is so fly.

Thelonius belongs in a museum.

Fantastic Vol 2 definitely one of the best albums made

That album was Common’s best

More J Dilla stories please =)

Facts. He told us this story word for word 5 years ago at a show in Orange County.

"I'm from where ni👀as bang gats when they celebrate That's how they play, don't let it be a holiday Thelonious ni👀as, if you testin us we get you laid back Show you the definition of a payback" 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🗣📶🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Man listen Like water for chocolate and one day it’ll all make sense Best albums ever

Oh yea!!! My joint!!!💗💗💃 This made my day! RIP my fellow Aquarius!🤗💐

easily one of the most iconic hip hop hooks

Love these Stories! Rest in power J Dilla an Baatin.

Thing about Baatin and T3... and slum in general...they had a different flow for each beat

one of the 5 best songs ive ever heard in my life

Damn, Slum Village, I haven't listened to them in ages, and they were one of my favs.

"Droppin' A Line In Ya Mind Like A Fish Hook" (Guip) Baatin Elevated That Whooo!!!! Simple Yet So Clever!!!!

My favorite song off that album(s). My favorite verse off that song!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INTERVIEW!!! It helped me find these albums I didn’t know existed

These two are like my all time fav

They cut my favorite part of each verse...like “how’d they know?”

This whole album straight fire! Dilla man...

Best MC to Come of Chicago..dude can freestyle and write ..

Man SV took over that record.

I still play this song over and over

I remember hearing Thelonius in 2003 and it was so ill to me. My friends at the time would listen to that joint and rhyme the verses. The Mase and nipples pierced lines had us like 😂

Dope Dilla face sticker on my back windshield rollin' around Detroit showing respect like I'm spose to. Dilla will always be Motown's finest! Rest In Beats

Dilla had the best verse on the song. Dilla was mad underrated on the mic...

The ABSOLUTE 1st time I've seen "0 dislikes" on a respectable vid. Amazing!!!!! Good job people!!!!

Dilla deserves a movie. hope some one makes a movie about his life.

“What was that story that you were going to say but were gonna hold off on?” Yea man. That’s it right there.

What a track "Thelonius" grooves like a groove of grooves, just excellent. Water for Chocolate my fave Common album, again, excellent ! 🎵🎶🔥

Definitely one of the best albums ever recorded. I bought the bootleg "Its Fantastic" on vinyl. Then bought the CD later that year. Great time in Hip Hop and Midwest history. 💯👊🏾

This is my favorite hip hop album of all time!!! LW4C is one of the best albums ever made!!

J. Dilla actually tapped in and used his melanin to a T.

Takes me back to 2000....My fav on the album...next was the cut with Ceelo

One of the most beautiful tracks I ever listened to

baatin absolutely killed this track as well. Dilla got my fav verse tho

Such and incredible song. Bought the album LWFC 3 times.

I love hearing J-Dilla stories my favorite producer.

Water for chocolate and Fantastic are timeless classics Im more of a newer listener like five years in but I bump both all the time omg this is why I love hip hop

What a story! Rip Dilla

That song still go hard

The song on both albums just made sense....it was like we here and over there

Beautiful memories. Bought both albums. Legendary joints

Thank's for this Com. One of my favorite tracks just got better because I can visualize being there now.

VIBE still putting out content?? im here for it

Dan Lish might just have the best hip hop art I’ve ever seen

bass all in ya chest w thelonius