J DILLA

Miki Vale, Ben Herron and Thomas Holmes discuss the life and legacy of J DILLA. They will also explore how J DILLA  influenced music in general.

Miki Vale’s passion and love for music developed from various facets and experiences in her life. She developed into a strong writer because of her love for writing poetry in school. Her older brother Zoltan, a DJ, had a vast record collection and mix tapes that introduced Miki to “golden era” Hip Hop artists as MC Lyte, Special Ed, Gangstarr, Nice & Smooth, and Public Enemy. Drawing from these true school inspirations and imagery from everyday life, Miki Vale creates a unique soundscape in her songwriting: one part Hip Hop, one part old soul, two parts evolved artist and revolutionary MC. Her melodic flow illustrates a mental picture with each line and breathes new life into Hip Hop as we know it.

Ben Herron- born in San Diego to a blue- collar family, I had a challenging but fulfilling childhood rooted in unconditional love. My childhood was full of stories that have been the undercurrent of my writing and social advocacy. This also laid the foundation for my interest in social work and academic prosperity. I always knew and believed that one way I could not only transcend certain negative circumstances was through education. This would also allow me to be apart of the solution in regards to mending some of the issues that plagued my community and the world alike.