J Dilla’s premature passing at the age of 32 left a massive hole in the hip-hop community, but it was a blip on the radar compared to the void felt by his mother. Affectionately referred to as “Ma Dukes,” Dilla’s mother has been instrumental in keeping his memory alive. Along with countless hip hop artists who continually show respect to the fallen producer, she has carried a torch for her late son in a way that is nothing short of miraculous. Albuquerque, New Mexico-based emcee Wake Self found it fitting to pay tribute to her on his new track, “Still Love Her.” Managing to get Ma Dukes to deliver the intro, she encourages listeners of the Wake Self track to “educate yourself/be about it.”

“When I met her, I felt like a super fan, but she’s such a sweet lady. She makes you feel like you’re part of her family,” Wake says. “Also, thanks to Enoch and DJ Earth 1ne for introducing us. I had an idea for the song and everything just fell into place. It was an honor to start the song off with her.”

Wake’s homage to hip hop doesn’t stop there. The creatively shot video takes several classic hip hop album covers and puts Wake at the center of every recreation. From Nas’ Illmatic to Dr. Dre’s The Chronic to De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising to Big Daddy Kane’s Long Live the Kane, Wake paints a portrait only a true hip hop fan could conjure up. He cleverly pieces together names of the artists and albums that made him fall in love with the culture in every verse.

“This video symbolizes all the years I’ve loved hip hop and the deep amount of appreciation I have for the culture,” he says. “This is me telling the older generation, ‘Hey we get it.’ I’m young, but I understand why hip hop is so beautiful and raw at the same time.”

“Still Love Her” encourages the breakdancers, writers, DJs, emcees, beatboxers, supporters, bloggers, filmmakers, fans and showgoers of the world to keep going. Wake’s vision of unity and unconditional support of hip hop culture is noticeably absent in today’s musical climate. If anything, the track is a call-to-action. 

“We need to help push the culture forward and we definitely have to start by acknowledging the history and learning from the past,” he says. “We’re an incredible culture that connects the whole world and I think it’s time to change the landscape of music again.”

The post New Music: Wake Self – “Still Love Her” Feat. Ma Dukes appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.