Pay Jay is an unreleased album by was an American record producer

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 J Dilla

J Dilla

James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...

. Originally meant to be his second solo effort following Welcome 2 Detroit

Welcome 2 Detroit

Welcome 2 Detroit is the 2001 debut solo album from Slum Village producer J Dilla . The album followed the group's critically acclaimed Fantastic, Vol. 2, and kicked off BBE's "Beat Generation" series...

, the album was recorded in 2002 and 2003 during his time on MCA Records

MCA Records

MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...

. However, due to internal changes at the label and MCA folding into Geffen Records

Geffen Records

Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...

, the album was shelved. Despite talks of the MCA album finally seeing an official release through Stones Throw Records

Stones Throw Records

Stones Throw Records is an independent hip hop record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was started in 1996 by DJ/Producer Peanut Butter Wolf in part to release the music he made with Charizma who was killed at the age of 20....

 in the future, the masters of the album mysteriously appeared online through illegal downloading and file sharing.

Album Concept and Background

Although Dilla was known as a producer and was expected to produce the album, he instead chose to rap on the album and have majority of the music produced by some of his favorite producers such as Madlib

Madlib

Otis Jackson Jr. in Oxnard, California, known professionally as Madlib, is a Los Angeles-based DJ, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and music producer...

, Pete Rock

Pete Rock

Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...

, Hi-Tek

Hi-Tek

Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American record producer and rapper from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star...

, Supa Dave West, Kanye West

Kanye West

Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

, Nottz

Nottz

Dominick Lamb better known by his stage name, Nottz is a music producer, writer and rapper from Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. He sometimes extends his executive name to Nottz Raw.-History:...

, Waajeed

Waajeed

Waajeed is a Detroit-born music producer, and one half of the hip hop and R&B group Platinum Pied Pipers. He formed the Bling47 record label in 2002,which has released his work and projects by J Dilla and the vocalist Tiombe Lockhart...

, Quebo Kuntry (J.Benjamin) and others. The album is also notable for being his only solo effort where he rhymes on every song.

Album Tracks

1. Diamonds (Produced by Nottz
   Nottz
   Dominick Lamb better known by his stage name, Nottz is a music producer, writer and rapper from Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. He sometimes extends his executive name to Nottz Raw.-History:...
   
   ) 2:53
2. We F'ed Up featuring Frank-N-Dank (Produced by Kanye West
   Kanye West
   Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
   
    4:06
3. Fuck The Police (Produced by Jay Dee) 2:32
4. Remember featuring Bilal (Produced by Pete Rock
   Pete Rock
   Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
   
   ) 3:33
5. Fight Club featuring Boogieman and Nottz (Produced by Waajeed
   Waajeed
   Waajeed is a Detroit-born music producer, and one half of the hip hop and R&B group Platinum Pied Pipers. He formed the Bling47 record label in 2002,which has released his work and projects by J Dilla and the vocalist Tiombe Lockhart...
   
    3:10
6. Creepin' On You (Producer by Hi-Tek) 2:55
7. Trucks Produced by J Dilla 3:58
8. No One Knows (Producer by Supa Dave West) 2:20
9. Drive Me Wild (Producer by ?uestlove
   ?uestlove
   Ahmir Khalib Thompson known professionally as ?uestlove or Questlove , is an American drummer, DJ, music journalist and record producer...
   
    and Karriem Riggins
   Karriem Riggins
   Karriem Riggins is a jazz drummer, hip hop producer, dj, and sometime rapper. He is a former member of the Ray Brown Trio and Mulgrew Miller trio and currently appears in the Diana Krall quartet....
   
   ) 2:28
10. Diary Produced by Bink* 1:19
11. Remember (Remix) featuring – Bilal Produced by Pete Rock
    Pete Rock
    Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...