J-dilla.com is the official website for the heirs & estate of James Yancey/J Dilla, representing his name, merchandise, and recordings.

We are particularly proud to present J Dilla biography written by Ronnie Reese. With respect to the many pieces on the artist’s life, ranging from press releases to feature articles, this is the first biography of J Dilla to be officially commissioned and published.

James DeWitt Yancey "came across like an angel on earth,” singer and songwriter Steve "Spacek” White told Fader magazine in 2006. Most people tend to speak of him this way. His contributions to music were indeed felt as angelic, no matter the alias—John Doe, MC Silk, Jay Dee, or J Dilla. But the James Yancey legacy is wide-ranging. What he contributed to the lives of others was duly as significant.

He was an artist to those who worked with him, but also a son, a father, a mentor, and a friend, with interests beyond music. When he began dating a girl who worked at Dutch Girl Doughnuts, it was the best of both worlds. "He would bring home at least two dozen doughnuts every night after he had already eaten one [dozen],” says his mother, Maureen Yancey. The chances of him bringing home two girls were just as great as him toting his favorite confection. "One won’t do and two is not enough for me,” wasn’t just the chorus to one of his songs. "He was honest, though,” Maureen says with a laugh. "He never lied to a girl. He ... Read more »