James Dewitt Yancey, better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, rapper, and composer. He emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan, as a member of the group Slum Village. He was also a founding member of the Soulquarians, a musical collective active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He and Madlib collaborated as the duo Jaylib, releasing the album Champion Sound. Yancey's final album was Donuts, which was released three days before his death. He was also known for producing The Pharcyde album Labcabincalifornia.
