Over the course of a massive discography of artist productions, remixes, and solo material, J Dilla, born James Yancey, has had a greater influence on the modern hip hop sound than almost any other producer.
Raised in Detroit by musician parents - his mother an opera singer and his father a jazz bassist - Yancey developed an enthusiasm for hip hop, and for DJing at a young age. In high school, he formed the seminal group Slum Village with two of his schoolmates. By the mid 90s, he had become not just an artist in his own right but an accomplished producer, producing tracks and remixes for artists like Janet Jackson, The Pharcyde, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and many more, going by the name Jay Dee.
In 2000, Slum Village finally released their first major label album, with Yancey offering both his musical production talents and MCing skills. He continued his prolific string of productions, however, producing Common's classic Like Water For Chocolate, and collaborating with fellow MC/ producer Madlib, as well as releasing albums of his own, now as J Dilla. Throughout, his productions pointed towards a new path for hip hop - exploring experimental beat structures and approaches at the same time they dipped into the past and mined old soul and funk records in a sample-based approach reminiscient of the genre's early days.
The outpouring of love and support from the hip hop community and beyond showed and continues to show the extent of J Dilla's influence and legacy.
Sadly, it was only after his sudden death in 2006 that J Dilla became truly well known to a mainstream audience. Just days after releasing his masterful solo LP, Donuts, Yancey passed away from a rare blood disease.
However, the outpouring of love and support from the hip hop community and beyond showed and continues to show the extent of J Dilla's influence and legacy. Everyone from mainstream hip hop producers, to experimental beatmakers such as Flying Lotus, have been heavily influenced by J Dilla's unique sound.
