Who is J Dilla?
As the iconic soul singer, Donny Hathaway poignantly states in his album Donny
Live, James Yewitt Yancey, better known as J Dilla comes from the "pool of black
genius." Grammy nominated J Dilla is one of the most influential Hip‐Hop producers
and composers of all time. His technique and approach to Hip‐Hop musical
production created a groundbreaking catalogue of postmodern compositions, which
changed Hip‐Hop as well as electronic music forever.
A Detroit, Michigan native, J
Dilla continues the musical legacy of legendary recording label Motown and iconic
soul singers like, Marvin Gaye. His mother, Maureen Yancey, was a former opera
singer and his father, was a jazz pianist, thus his passion for an array of musical
genres developed at an early age. Though his music is informed by a diverse set of
genres, jazz, which served as his "lullabies" as a child, is a crucial inspiration and
component to his understanding of music and improvisation. Using the history of
recorded sound J Dilla constructs completely new compositions that reflect
immense complexity but are accessible to everyone.
He "samples" a myriad of artists
that range from The Isley Brothers, Jerry Butler, Bobby Caldwell, and Singers
Unlimited. He even samples audio recordings such as commercials from the 1950's
and 60's composed by Raymond Scotts. A mad scientist, there were no boundaries
for J Dilla, which created art that adhered to integration and cultural pluralism.
Throughout his career he worked with artists such as Erykah Badu, The Pharcyde,
Janet Jackson, and his own group Slum Village. Suffering from Lupus, J Dilla
experienced poor health throughout his entire career, which gives his artwork a
sense of passion and mortality that is breathtaking. He lost his battle with Lupus on
February 2006 leaving behind a breadth of work.
What is the J Dilla Foundation?
His lifelong friend and mother Maureen Yancey developed the J Dilla Foundation in
honor of her son. The Foundation aims, "to keep Dilla's dream alive to help youth—
those who aspire to make good music—and develop their time, talent, and nurture
their skill. We also want to be there financially for those who are talented but don't
have the money or access to the networks they need to help them grow.
