Dilla time
/ˈdɪlə ˌtaɪm/
Dilla time noun: a groove in which notes are intentionally placed slightly ahead of or behind the grid, creating a loose, unquantized feel that simultaneously blends elements of straight time and swing time.
Noun
Dilla time (uncountable)
- A groove in which notes are intentionally placed slightly ahead of or behind the grid, creating a loose, unquantized feel that simultaneously blends elements of straight time and swing time.
- That time-feel cannot be understood as either straight or swung time. It is not the median or midpoint or gradation between the two. It is the deliberate juxtaposition of multiple expressions of straight and swing time simultaneously, a conscious cultivation of rhythmic friction for maximum...2022, Dan Charnas, Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm, New York: MCD / Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 162
Origin of Dilla time
Coined by American author, radio host and record company executive Dan Charnas in 2022 in his book Dilla Time. Named after American record producer, rapper and composer J Dilla (1974–2006).
Questions about Dilla time
- What does Dilla time mean?
- Dilla time means a groove in which notes are intentionally placed slightly ahead of or behind the grid, creating a loose, unquantized feel that simultaneously blends elements of straight time and swing time.
- What part of speech is Dilla time?
- Dilla time is a noun.
- How do you pronounce Dilla time?
- Dilla time is pronounced /ˈdɪlə ˌtaɪm/.
Words near Dilla time in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: Dilla time (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “Dilla time.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/dilla_time. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.