J Dilla died on February 10, 2006. Three days after his 32nd birthday. He had released Donuts on that birthday — from a hospital bed, while hooked up to machines, while his body was failing him in ways medicine couldn’t fully explain.
That’s not dedication. That’s devotion. There’s a difference. Dedication is showing up when it’s hard. Devotion is showing up when the alternative is giving up on who you are — and choosing, every single time, to be yourself instead.