Def Dee Produces Ilajide’s Best Solo EP Yet “Tape Delay” (EP Review)

Detroit, Michigan emcee/producer Ilajide formerly of the Clear Soul Forces enlisting Seattle producer Def Dee to produce his 7th EP in its entirety. In addition to his last 6 EPs, he also a couple beat tapes & 4 full-length albums under his belt. It’s been over 3 years since I covered Code #200 & that was the finest solo LP of his entire career, but Tape Delay had me anticipating it as much if not more.

“Trippin’” is a cloudy boom bap opener to the EP talking about being the coach running the scrimmages now out in Los Angeles whereas “Live from Jump” works in more kicks & snares to make it clear that money is class & he’s taking notes. “More Bling” has this old school flare instrumentally talking about needing more expensive, ostentatious clothing/jewelry just before the funky “Scam Jam” featuring Boog Brown looking at each day as another scam for them to get paid.

To finish the first half of Tape Delay, “Back Up” keeps the funk for a party jam while the beat on “Send ‘Em In” pulls inspiration from J Dilla so Ilajide can talk about counting money in his office. “Don’t Touch My Hair” has a jazzy boom bap flare coming fresh out the salon leading into the groovy “Did What You Do?” saying he’ll do it again. After a “Back Up” remix, the final song “Dippin’” ends the EP by reminding that the players know what he be talkin’ ‘bout.

I’ve been a fan of Def Dee for over a decade when 33⅓ was released in the summer of 2013 following my sophomore year of high school, so for him to produce an entire EP for Ilajide was very exciting for me & it so happens to be the best EP in the former Clear Soul Forces member’s discography on top of joining Code #200 for some of his strongest solo material. Def Dee’s production is versatile whether it be pulling from boom bap, jazz rap, funk music, old school hip hop & cloud rap allowing the Detroit emcee to focus on rippin’ these beats to shreds for roughly 25 minutes.

Score: 8/10