SETTING THE FOUNDATION

Detroit’s J Dilla, aka James D Yancey, was among hip hop’s most revered producers. He presaged not only the ‘90s’ sophisticated backpack hip hop, but also changed the direction of neo-soul. Dilla paved the way for Kanye West. The influence of his spare beat-laden soul can be heard in electronica (or IDM) and even Radiohead’s art-rock. Animal Collective have namechecked him. But, three days after his 32nd birthday, Dilla died. He’d had a debilitating blood disease and Lupus. His mother, Maureen Yancey, who formerly ran a day care centre, is determined to build on his legacy.
Dilla co-founded the jazz-hop Slum Village in high school, helming 2000’s classic Fantastic, Vol. 2. Meanwhile, mentored by Amp Fiddler, he established himself as a premier league beatmaker. His big break was to work with The Pharcyde. He cut beats for everyone from A Tribe Called Quest to Common to Busta Rhymes. Dilla was responsible for Janet Jackson’s Got ‘Til It’s Gone (credited to Jam & Lewis). Daft Punk were Dilla fans – he remixed Aerodynamic. Dilla also disseminated solo projects, like Welcome 2 Detroit, and collaborated with California’s Madlib as Jaylib. And he was in The Soulquarians collective along with ?uestlove and D’Angelo.
The Grammy-winner, who’d relocated to Los Angeles in 2004, never flossed about his achievements. “You’d have to almost squeeze stuff out him,” Maureen Yancey recalls. “Usually, I found out about good things that happened to Dilla from other people. He never talked about it. He was always lowkey. He didn’t wanna make anything special of it.”
Dilla left behind two daughters. Yancey was straddled with his medical bills, while facing her own health problems (she’s a Lupus sufferer, too). Indeed, she didn’t realise the extent of her own illness until returning to Detroit. “I was in a heck of a shape.” At one point she couldn’t walk.
Questions were raised about the handling of Dilla’s complicated estate. Yancey told Vibe last year that, despite being a beneficiary of Dilla’s will, communications between her and its executor had broken down. The family had received no money. Its executor seemed unsympathetic. Forbidden from using her son’s name or likeness, Yancey, assisted by Dilla’s hero Pete Rock, issued a collection of his early – and later – music as Jay Stay Paid. However, she was unable to start a charity – The J Dilla Foundation. It was, Yancey says, “ridiculous” – and stressful. She relied on the assistance of fans. Yancey’s insurance was no longer covering her. “We had some very rough times, even before the recession – this was a recession for the family, because Dilla supported most of the family.”
Happily, those legal matters are now being resolved, the estate under new administration as of January. “We have a brand new estate – I’m so excited.”
In 2010 the Australian Dilla benefit (and tribute) first held in Sydney will likewise go to Melbourne and New Zealand, with monies directed to the resurrected Foundation (Dilla’s friend DJ HouseShoes will guest). Dilla was always willing to help others. “My eyes were opened as to how many people he reached out to who I didn’t know,” Yancey says. The Foundation will assist musically-gifted children from underprivileged backgrounds.

WHAT: THE GENIUS OF J DILLA AT RUBY RABBIT
WHEN: FRIDAY 12 FEBRUARY