James Dewitt Yancey, better known as J Dilla, was a record producer, rapper, mixing engineer, and multi-instrumentalist that emerged in the 90’s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan. Dilla passed away at the age of 32 suffering from lupus and TTP which is a rare life threatening blood disorder.

Even though his career was short, Dilla is considered one of the greatest in his craft. Many people who had worked with him have said he uses his Akai Music Workstation like it was a part of him. He was so connected to the music he made that it gave people goosebumps as he worked.

He was able to work with some of the largest names in hip hop such as Kanye West, MF DOOM, Pete Rock, and Madlib before his passing. His treatment involved a medicine that caused him to lose alot of weight, and this led him to announce his medical condition publically in 2004.

In the last years of his life, Dilla made his magnum opus “Donuts.” He also had completed 75% of another project “The Shining” with his free time during his hospital treatment.

The impact of J Dilla’s performing, sampling, and unquantized drum rhythms have made a mark in hip hop culture over the past 30 years inspiring legends of today such as A Tribe Called Quest, Erykah Badu, Common, and Kanye West.

The National Museum of African American History has a display of Dilla’s Personal MPC3000 he used in the hospital and a memoir in his honor. Needless to say, J Dilla will forever be important to music culture for the rest of time.