A founding member of Slum Village, he juggled MC and producer duties in the second phase of his career. SV's Fantastic, Vol. 2, Dilla's Ruff Draft, and his collaboration with Madlib, Champion Sound - coupled with his work with Erykah Badu, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli - elevated the Detroit sound man to cult figure.

J Dilla, aka Jay Dee (James Yancey), is a beat maker and rapper from Conant Gardens in Detroit. He was a founder of the iconic trio Slum Village, as well as a producer for other mainstream artists like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, The Roots, The Pharcyde, Madlib and Common.

The discography of American hip hop recording artist J Dilla, consists of nine studio albums and eight extended plays.

Badu and Dilla's musical kinship is well documented - as part of the Soulquarian collective, the two worked together, including on one of her signature hits (and one of Dilla's greatest productions), "Didn't Cha Know" from her landmark 2000 album, Mama's Gun.

His friendship with producer Joseph “Amp” Fiddler created a fruitful mentorship from which Dilla mastered digital production and created his signature sampling style. From there, his talent could be seen on albums like The Pharcyde's 1995 Labcabincalifornia, which are still revered today.

J Dilla is one of, if not, the greatest Hip Hop producer/s of all time. He was a massively influential artist who sadly passed away aged 32 in 2006 after a long battle with Lupus. Jay Dee's ability to create intricate and timeless beats and melodies in such a simplistic yet complex way separated him from the rest.

Production style: J Dilla's production style was known for its soulful, sample-based sound. He would chop up samples from a wide range of sources, including jazz, funk and soul records and recontextualize them in his beats.

hip hop James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, drummer, rapper and songwriter. He emerged in the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan, as a member of the group Slum Village.

South American Samples The same goes for how Dilla refinedly sampled South-American artists like Gato Barbieri, Baden Powell, Luiz Bonfá, and Sérgio Mendes. “I fell in love with Brazilian music the day I listened to a Sérgio Mendes album,” Dilla said in the liner notes to Welcome 2 Detroit.

J Dilla is one of, if not, the greatest Hip Hop producer/s of all time. He was a massively influential artist who sadly passed away aged 32 in 2006 after a long battle with Lupus. Jay Dee's ability to create intricate and timeless beats and melodies in such a simplistic yet complex way separated him from the rest.

The history of music production technology is traced back to the late 19th century when inventors began experimenting with ways to capture and reproduce sound. Some say the birth of music recording began in France with Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, who invented the phonautograph in 1857.

Worldwide

J Dilla is one of, if not, the greatest Hip Hop producer/s of all time. He was a massively influential artist who sadly passed away aged 32 in 2006 after a long battle with Lupus. Jay Dee's ability to create intricate and timeless beats and melodies in such a simplistic yet complex way separated him from the rest.

Meaning “small winged one,” Dilla is a feminine name of Latin origin. A version of the name Alida, Dilla feels light and airy, perfect for reaching great heights. While this name has mostly flown under the radar, you might recognize it from the American record producer and rapper, J Dilla.

Collaborations: J Dilla worked with a wide range of artists throughout his career, including Slum Village, The Pharcyde, Common, Erykah Badu and The Roots to name a few. His collaborations helped to introduce his sound to a wider audience and have had a lasting impact on the music of those artists.