J Dilla or Jay Dee (real name: James Dewitt Yancey) was born in 1974. He was a hip-hop producer and DJ, raised in Detroit (Michigan) but moved to Los Angeles (California) to live with his mother after being diagnosed with the immune-system disease Lupus in 2003.

Dilla had formed the trio Slum Village and made his name with Common, A Tribe Called Quest, and as Jaylib in which he collaborated with Madlib. He was also a member of the production team The Ummah with Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

His last album released during his lifetime, "Donuts", was released on Stones Throw on 7th Feb 2006, Dilla's 32nd birthday, and the first one in years he didn't spend in hospital. Three days later, on February 10th 2006, he died at his home in Los Angeles. His obituary in The New York Times of February 14 2006 states, 'The cause was cardiac arrest, according to his mother, Maureen Yancey '.

The founding of the J Dilla Foundation was announced in May 2006 by his mother Maureen Yancey, to honour her son's legacy and to help raise awareness and funding for Lupus research by organizing continued events to aid underprivileged children gain quality arts training, primarily in the field of music.