J Dilla (born James Dewitt Yancey; 7 February 1974 – 10 February 2006) was an American record producer and rapper from Detroit, Michigan who worked in hip hop and neo-soul. He co‑founded the group Slum Village, produced for artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Common and Erykah Badu, and used sample‑based production and off‑beat drum programming, frequently working on an Akai MPC3000.
