FX
Record producer J Dilla had a huge impact on the hip-hop community before his life was tragically cut short by a rare blood disease and lupus. Now his story is coming to TV with “The Legacy of J Dilla,” which premieres Friday, April 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX.
If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the show on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both come with a free trial.
Those are the two best live stream options if you’re cutting cable, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways to watch “The Legacy of J Dilla” streaming live online:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of FX and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a seven-day free trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch “The Legacy of J Dilla” live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch most shows on-demand within three days (and sometimes longer) of their conclusion, even if you don’t record them.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” FX is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch “The Legacy of J Dilla” live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
If you can’t watch live, DirecTV Stream also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of FX and 40-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” bundle. This option doesn’t come with a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with FX, and you can get your first month half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch “The Legacy of J Dilla” live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of FX and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no added cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch “The Legacy of J Dilla” live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV comes with both its extensive on-demand library (which will include new episodes the day after they air) and 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of FX and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo. This doesn’t include a free trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch “The Legacy of J Dilla” live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
‘The Legacy of J Dilla’ Preview
Record producer J Dilla (real name James Dewitt Yancey) was a rising star in the hip-hop community and he downplayed the seriousness of his health conditions, but in 2005 he toured Europe in a wheelchair and eventually revealed that he suffered from lupus and a rare blood disease called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, which leads to blood clots forming throughout the body. He died in 2006 at the age of 32.
His story is now being told as part of the “New York Times Presents” series of films that air on FX and Hulu. It is being adapted from Dan Charnas’ book “Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm” and is described as “part biography, part musicology, and part musical meditation” in the FX press release.
In a New York Times article about the documentary, the newspaper describes his legacy as “a life and career that has left an indelible mark on music as well as the fraught negotiations over his legacy between his family and executors of his estate.”
“He used everything at his disposal and he did it better than all of us,” says DJ Jazzy Jeff in the documentary.
The official description of the piece in the press release reads, “In his short lifetime, J Dilla was a musician, producer and visionary who profoundly influenced rap and hip-hop. Given how prolific he was in his 32 years, why didn’t his accolades come sooner?”
“I’m a Detroiter, and I’m a fighter,” his mother Maureen Yancey says in the film. “I will stay in there, and I will fight. I won’t let anybody put my son down, what I do for him down, because I’m here to lift up his music, his legacy.”
The first season of “The New York Times Presents” touched on the subjects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the killing of Breonna Taylor, the Australian bushfires, the Twitter bitcoin scam, Britney Spears’ conservatorship and a follow-up after the judge removed her father from her conservatorship, the Juul controversies, the Janet Jackson-Justin Timberlake Super Bowl halftime show and the execution of Nathaniel Woods in Alabama, among other topics. The second season has so far covered Elon Musk, the rise of disinformation as it pertains to COVID, and the life of notorious Los Angeles private detective and “fixer” Anthony Pellicano.
“The Legacy of J Dilla” premieres Friday, April 7 at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times on FX.
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How to Watch J Dilla Documentary Online for Free