Big Sean, Queen Naija, DSO and other prominent artists Honor J Dilla with Historic Live Performance
Image Credit: Queen Naija (Instagram)
In a city where music is woven into everything, from basement studios to symphony halls, legacy isn’t just remembered, it’s lived.
That was the energy pulsing through Orchestra Hall on June 29, as Big Sean and Queen Naija took the stage with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for a one-of-a-kind tribute to the late, great J Dilla.
The performance, anchored by the live debut of Sean and Naija’s chart-topping duet “Hate Our Love,” was more than a concert; it was a cultural moment rooted in reverence, collaboration and homegrown pride.
From the opening notes to the final ovation, the night honored the legacy of James Dewitt Yancey, known to the world as J Dilla, a Detroit-born producer whose innovative sound shaped the future of hip-hop and neo-soul before his untimely death in 2006.
Though his time was short, Dilla’s impact is permanent. His fingerprints are still heard in the rhythms of today’s music, from studio albums to symphonic arrangements, like the one the DSO premiered that night.
For Big Sean, who helped curate the event as the Pistons’ creative director of innovation, honoring Dilla was both a personal mission and a hometown responsibility.
“Dilla has always been one of my biggest inspirations,” Sean said. “Not just because he was from here, but because of how he created. He was ahead of his time, soulful, experimental, raw. He made it cool to be different. That’s the kind of legacy that sticks with you.”
Sean’s words carried weight, not just because of his platform, but because he’s walked the same Detroit streets, learned from the same musical DNA, and now uses his influence to elevate the very city that raised him.
That spirit of carrying the torch continued with Queen Naija, whose roots also trace back to Detroit. Her chemistry with Sean during their first live performance of “Hate Our Love” backed by the DSO’s sweeping arrangement, was a moment years in the making.
The song, which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart in 2022, has long resonated with fans. But hearing it with strings, horns and a full orchestra behind it gave the record a new kind of life.
The tribute featured performances from some of Detroit’s most promising voices, Skilla Baby, Nasaan and Tee Grizzley. These artists are carving their own lanes while honoring the past. In a city where musical tradition runs deep, their presence was a reminder that legacy isn’t just something you inherit, it’s something you evolve.
The DSO also honored R&B veteran KEM with the Black Music Month Award, recognizing another Detroit icon who’s kept soul music thriving on national stages.
But the heartbeat of the night remained Dilla, a quiet innovator whose work still breathes through MPC pads, jazz chords and soulful drum loops around the world. The DSO’s tribute, which featured a newly arranged symphonic adaptation of one of Dilla’s signature tracks, proved that his genius isn’t confined to genre. It lives beyond beats.
The concert was part of an ongoing collaboration between the Detroit Pistons and the DSO, two institutions that have made it a mission to preserve and promote Detroit’s cultural legacy. Erik Rönmark, president and CEO of the DSO, emphasized the importance of these cross-genre collaborations.
“Detroit has always been a leader in shaping music, from Motown to techno to hip-hop,” Rönmark said. “Honoring that legacy, while bringing new voices into the mix, is how we keep it alive.”
And that’s what the night ultimately was: a celebration of what’s been built, and a charge to keep building. A reminder that Detroit’s legacy is not something to be left in the past, it’s a living, breathing force, carried by artists like Big Sean and Queen Naija, inspired by giants like J Dilla, and kept alive by the city that made them all.
