R.I.P. J Dilla

Apparently, one the producers that I like, J.Dilla, died last month. And I didn’t even know about it. In case you wanna read:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9305932/j_dilla_dead_at_thirtytwo?rnd=1144334501060&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1212

Just so you know, he is the man behind a couple of rapper Common’s big album, Be and Like Water for Chocolate. He also produced for Eryka Badu, A Tribe Called Quest, etc. But my real favorite is the work he did when he got his group Slum Village. And there is the album he did with another favorite producer of mine, Madlib -- their group was called Jaylib (Jay Dee + Madlib), and the two created some real quality hiphop last year that reminded some of Mos Def's stuff. In fact the album was called The Champion Sound (great shit). Plus a bunch of works J Dilla did, which you can find out from that article or from google.

This reminds of other hip hop artists, or talented people in general, who died early. In the Hip Hop scene, you got Tupac and Biggie died last decade; there was also Big L, Jam Master Jay, Aaliyah, and a bunch of others that I might have heard of – or not. Then outside Hip Hop there was Bruce Lee, the man I respect the most; Kurt Cobain, whose songs moved me when I was like… huh... 13; and there is Marvin Gaye, John Coltrane, one of my high school teachers who taught me handball….

You know pharrell is right: Nobody Ever Really Dies (aka N.E.R.D.) I mean, these people left behind them a legacy that is not to be forgotten, no matter what they are. Of course, artists got their works left behind that can’t really be forgotten easily – no matter good or bad they have touched someone. But even people, once they are gone, there will be people who remember them, or whatever reason.

This got me into thinking about life, you know, and how I take the fact that I am gonna die too. “You only scared of die if you ain’t living right, man”, says Talib Kweli. It’s true, to a certain extent. But are we living right, and that we will not regret even if we die? Or am I?

You know, if you read existentialist stuff like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus (although he didn’t want to be called existentialist, The Outsider is indeed an existentialist classic), you will get the idea that if death is only one of those ways that realize one’s existence. Even suicide, after all, isn’t so problematic at all. The reason for this is not because everyone leaves behind legacy, but rather a view of life that is pessimistically based on free will. Of course, it isn’t my point here to give a definition of existentialism, for I can’t – the first thing I was told in the class for existentialism was that it got no proper definition. Or, not one that is brief and satisfactory. But my point here is this: not everyone lives a life with the idea of an existentialist – thought some people might think like so unintentionally. So for most people, we are just trying to live a life that is gonna be good for us and hopefully other people. But what do we gotta do, really, to make our lives right?

As a first year med student in training, I get to see cases of deaths, and learn how to deal its procedure of reporting, the coroner, an autopsy, or the family’s request and possible concerns. But what about the concept of death, is that gonna be taught? Can it even be taught? Certainly we might get some ideas about it from the Christian Fellowship at med school (with people who I respect as well coz they are doing a good job, at least they will stimulate people to think about discussion like this), but is that it, and he school is just gonna sit back and sort of let us deal with it ourselves? I mean, I don’t see a point in doing ethics class without dealing with the concept of death, when a lot of times we gotta talk about death in ethics presentations and PBL cases/tutorials. In fact, what’s the point of teaching you all the diseases that can kill you without telling you what death is? I don’t wanna experience it, but dude, tell me what death might mean/signify/implicate. I know there might not be an answer, and people will have their own stands on this one, but why not at least mention what those are? It’s like in Judo or any martial arts class, you get to be thrown or punched before you get to throw or punch somebody. So before we learn about the biological mechanism that gives rise to life and the diseases that can kill you, why not discuss the concept of life and death?

I got my own views on death, though I am not exactly sure if that is what works best for me. But whatever that is, this is what I think: use your common sense to live your life, man. Only with your common sense you are justified to say shit like “this is my life” or “I’m gonna be true to myself and live my life the way I want”…

Got common sense?