James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974--February 10, 2006), better known as J Dilla, or Jay Dee, was an acclaimed Hip-Hop producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground Hip-Hop scene in Detroit, Michigan. He began his career as a member of the group Slum Village, and was also a driving force in the production trio The Ummah. Yancey started his career under the name "Jay Dee" (based on his initials) but used the name "J Dilla" from 2001 on. Many critics believe J Dilla's work to have had a major influence on his peers, and that he embodied the neo soul sound, playing a defining yet understated role during the sub-genre's rise (roughly from the mid-90s to the early 2000s). J Dilla was often dubbed "your favorite producer's favorite producer", and was highly regarded by mainstream artists and producers such as Common, Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest, Just Blaze, Busta Rhymes, Pharrell Williams,and ?uestlove. Posthumous Releases and Legacy Aside from Donuts, Dilla completed or nearly completed two more full length releases, during his illness. The first, The Shining, was released on August 8, 2006 by BBE Records. Final production of the album was handled posthumously by Karriem Riggins, whom Dilla had asked to help with the album. According to Riggins, The Shining was "75% completed when Dilla died." Rest in Beats J Dee On November 27, 2007, Busta Rhymes and Mick Boogie released Dillagence, a mixtape of older, and newer previously unreleased tracks featuring the MC over <b>...</b>
Detroit
