Wajeed, Platinum Pied Pipers

The reason I started to make music was Dilla. We would go out, get records and talk music theory. It's impossible to be around him without trying to get your weight up.

There was an MPC 2000 [drum machine] in his basement. He religiously used the MPC 3000. Well, ?uestlove broke a disc inside the 2000. Dilla said, "If you can get it out, you can take it to crib and keep it." I got it out, made three tracks that weekend, left them there to see what he would say. He called me like, "Goddamn, dog! You made that shit!?" For him to say that meant a lot.

His brilliance was never realized on a pop level the way a lot of other people were. He was so far ahead of his time. I think he should be remembered as one of the most brilliant producers on this planet.