New J Dilla EP ‘Diamonds & Ice’ Announced, Lead Single Streaming Now

Another set of previously unreleased J Dilla tracks is set to be released on Aug. 27 in the form of the 'Diamonds & Ice' EP, though this one's a little different from what you might expect. The focus this time is on the late artist's vocals.

While Dilla is primarily known for his incredible and highly influential work as a producer, many of his fans will be quick to note that he was a rather sharp on the mic, too. This was evident, of course, during his solo career and his time in Slum Village along with on the Jaylib album with Madlib.

And back in the early 2000s, Dilla was supposed to release a rapping-heavy album, 'Pay Jay,' that was unfortunately shelved and inevitably bootlegged. It's finally seeing a proper release in the form of 'The Diary,' though there's no release date for it yet. What we do know about the project, however, is that it will feature the two sort of title tracks on 'Diamonds & Ice.'

We're getting our first listen of 'Diamonds' today, and it's a summer-ready jam produced by Nottz. His bouncy, infectious beat is the perfect setting for Dilla's rhymes, which might sound familiar to some of you. But this is the first time it's been properly mixed and released, so try to let it breathe in its own right.

You can listen to 'Diamonds' below and view the track listing and artwork for the EP below. It drops Aug. 27.

A1 Diamonds (The Shining Pt. 1) (Prod. Nottz)
A2 Diamonds (The Shining Pt. 1) (alternate)
A3 Diamonds (The Shining Pt. 1) (instrumental)
B1 Ice (The Shining Pt. 2) (Prod. Madlib)
B2 Ice (The Shining Pt. 2) (Ruff Draft version)
B3 Ice (The Shining Pt. 2) (instrumental)
B4 The D (Prod. Madlib)