Happy Birthday: James "J-Dilla" Yancey

Happy Birthday to Detroit native James "J-Dilla" Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), the producer, rapper, and DJ, who most would agree, had the greatest hands to touch an Akai MPC. Many of us who are familiar with him already know his legacy. Being one of the most influential in Hip-Hop history, that same legacy will have Dilla enshrined in the Smithsonian as part of the collection at the National Museum of African American History & Culture. Dilla’s custom-made Mini Moog Voyager synthesizer and Akai MPC 3000 Limited Edition have been donated to the museum by his mother, Maureen Yancey. They will be part of the “Musical Crossroads” exhibit when the museum opens in 2016.

The following is a rare interview of J-Dilla and Dank of Frank n' Dank minutes after they touched down in Finland. Dilla gave a rundown of upcoming projects and shouts out to people who were a part of those projects. A little humor was tossed in between.


Some of you may have heard about the massive DJ set J-Dilla did with Dank on the mic in Malmoe, Sweden at the Inkonst arts center. If you haven't, here's the full set for you to enjoy.

J-Dilla + Dank Live at Inkonst, Jan. 25, 2003 by Djkoolemdee on Mixcloud

Pete Rock: Dilla Tribute 2014

The legendary Pete Rock, one of Hip-Hop's most prolific producers has paid homage again to late producer J-Dilla by mixing up tunes from the latter's body of work on Sirius XM's Backspin station a few months ago.

Phife Dawg: Dear Dilla

"Dear Dilla" is the first single taken from Phife Dawg's (of A Tribe Called Quest) forthcoming MUTTYmorPHosis album that's due out real soon. The track is produced by DJ Rasta Root, who also mans the decks for scratches.

J-Dilla: Sum Spooky Sh*t

For those that caught my Dilla Jackson mixtape, I used this beat from J-Dilla's Beat Tape '05 to remix the end dialog by Vincent Price from Michael Jackson's "Thriller". This beat was also used for Q-Tip's "Fever" song.

Happy Birthday: J-Dilla

Another cycle has come for the date of birth of one of the greatest Hip-Hop and Soul producers of all time, the legendary James Dewitt Yancey a.k.a. "J-Dilla/Jay Dee" of Detroit. In case you hadn't grabbed it before, here's the Dilla Jackson Mixtape I co-produced in 2009 in tribute. Listen and download below.

J-Dilla: The Rebirth of Detroit (Limited Edition CD)

BLACK MUSIC MONTH 2012



June 12th is the day that J-Dilla's The Rebirth of Detroit will officially drop. I'm excited and ready to get my copy of this limited edition CD and vinyl that's already available for pre-order via Official J-Dilla Merch. Let's make this day huge by purchasing copies and keep Twitter on fire by tweeting about the album. Ma Dukes and the family will appreciate it.

REBIRTH OF DETROIT (OFFICIAL TRAILER) from OfficialJDilla on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday: J-Dilla (James DeWitt Yancey)

James DeWitt "J-Dilla/Jay Dee" Yancey
(February 7, 1974 - February 10, 2006)
As many J-Dilla fans consider the month of February as "The Month of The Man", we take this time to celebrate the day that Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey gave birth to the G.O.A.T. I tell many people that J-Dilla is the dopest cat they probably never heard of because I still hear quite a few people say that they either never knew that he produced so many songs they like or they never heard of him at all. Either way, we as true fans salute the greatest to ever touch the pads of the Akai MPC. Rest In Peaceful Power Bro! We miss you.

Donate to the J-Dilla Foundation

DJ Kool Emdee: Dilla Jackson Mixtape

This is a remix project I put together in 2009 as a tribute to both J-Dilla and Michael Jackson after being inspired by "Time: Donut of the Heart" that contains the sample of "All I Do Is Think of You" by The Jackson 5 from J-Dilla's Donuts beat CD. This mix is FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES ONLY and is in no way intended to infringe on copyrights or any illegal activity. If there is any violation or a request to take this down by either family, please contact me by email and it shall be removed.

Happy Birthday: Ma Dukes (Mareen Yancey)

Let's RAISE IT UP for Mrs. Maureen Yancey a.k.a. "Ma Dukes" and wish her a very happy birthday. Mrs. Yancey is a former opera singer and the mother of the late great Detroit producer James "J-Dilla" Yancey.

In 2006, Mrs. Yancey founded the J-Dilla Project with Uncle Herm to help keep the legacy of J-Dilla alive, display his passion for music and also to raise funds to continue lupus research and provide quality arts training through music for underprivileged children.

A word from Ma Dukes on the J-Dilla Project:

"I wanted to set it up to help others but also to be a nucleus for the fans who wanted to do tributes and honor Dilla. It would be a place for artists to be able to show their support. . It's a community, those artists coming out of the underground. You can see this when you travel around the world and see how large his fan base really was. People are still discovering the extent of Dilla's influence."





The J-Dilla Project Website

Remembering J-Dilla

It's been 5 years ago today that revolutionary Detroit producer/rapper J-Dilla passed away. Last night we did a tribute set to Dilla and had a damn good time in celebrating his genius. I also took the time to put together another tribute mix that features tracks from some of his beat tapes, as well as from Donuts and Jay Stay Paid. If you like this mix, you're more than welcome to download it for FREE. Enjoy!

J-Dilla....Rest In Beats!

Happy Birthday: J-Dilla

Today is the 37th birthday of the late great J-Dilla/Jay Dee born James Dewitt Yancey in Detroit, Michigan. In tribute of the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time), director B. Kyle of Gifted Films Inc. created Still Shining in 2006 that features footage of J-Dilla in the basement at work, as well as testaments from family, friends and fans. I nearly shed a few tears while watching. Right now, kick back, relax and check out this great tribute.

J-Dilla: Still Shining

So Far To Go: J-Dilla Tribute Art Contest Winner (Joe Buck)

Joe Buck has been announced as the winner of the So Far To Go: J-Dilla Tribute Art Contest that was held the second half of 2010. Prints are now on sale and proceeds benefit the J-Dilla Foundation. Limited edition prints are also on sale, autographed by Mrs. Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey, J-Dilla's mother.

"My goal with this design is to fully capture the magnitude of the body of work Dilla left behind. This is my painstaking attempt to document everything I could find by way of his life and discography. A true workaholic who loved Hip Hop, Life and Music."

- Joe Buck

So Far To Go: J-Dilla Tribute Art Contest

The J-Dilla Foundation, La Famiglia and 323 East are currently hosting an art contest for artists who have done pieces with the legendary late producer James "J-Dilla/Jay Dee" Yancy as the subject. You can go to the Art4Dilla website to vote for contestants who's works span four pages. Submissions deadline is December 30, 2010. Please take the time to support the foundation and listen to the tribute mix I did. Enjoy!

J-Dilla Foundation