Long Live DILLA...

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's illness and medication caused dramatic weight loss in 2003 onwards, forcing him to publicly confirm speculation about his health in 2004. Despite a slower output of major releases and production credits in 2004 and 2005, his cult status remained strong within his core audience, as evident by unauthorized circulation of his underground "beat tapes" (instrumental, and raw working materials), mostly through internet file sharing. Articles in publications Urb (March 2004) and XXL (June 2005) confirmed rumors of ill health and hospitalization during this period, but these were downplayed by Jay himself. The seriousness of his condition became public in November 2005 when J Dilla toured Europe performing from a wheelchair. It was later revealed that he suffered from TTP, a rare blood disease, and possibly Lupus.

J Dilla died on February 10, 2006, three days after his 32nd birthday at his home in Los Angeles, California. According to his mother, Maureen Yancey, the cause was cardiac arrest. His last album, Donuts was released 3 days earlier, on February 7, 2006.

In February 2007, a year after his death, J Dilla posthumously received the Plug Award's Artist of the Year as well as the award for Record Producer of the Year.

In March 2007, Ruff Draft was re-released as a double CD, double LP set. The reissue contains previously unreleased material from the Ruff Draft sessions and instrumentals. Most notably, it was also released in a cassette tape format, paying homage to Dilla's dirty, grimy sound (he was known for recording over unmastered, untracked instrumentals).

J Dilla's and Madlib's collaboration album Champion Sound was re-released in June 2007 by Stones Throw Records as a 2CD Deluxe Edition with instrumentals and b-sides. He also has three tracks on the 2K Sports NBA 2K8 Soundtrack.

In 2007 "Modern Day Gangstaz", a song featuring The Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes and Labba, which originally turned up on a mixtape in the late 90s, eventually surfaced in full form.

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 J Dilla productions. The compilation was made free for download from the web. (wikipedia)
J Dilla Myspace