James Dewitt Yancey, known as J Dilla or Jay Dee, was an influential American producer, composer, and rapper from Detroit. Rising in the mid-1990s with Slum Village, he became a key figure in hip hop’s evolution, shaping the sound of artists like The Pharcyde and collaborating with Madlib as Jaylib. As a founding member of the Soulquarians, he pushed musical boundaries throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. His signature style—characterized by soulful loops, inventive sampling, and unquantized, off-kilter drum patterns—set a new standard for beatmaking. J Dilla’s album Donuts, released days before his death in 2006 at age 32, remains a landmark in instrumental hip hop and his influence continues to inspire artists across genres.