+ + [[ R.I.P. J-Dilla "Jay Dee" ]] + + Options

[yo pusha]

Hip-Hop producer/MC Jay Dee, also known as J Dilla, has reported passed away earlier today (February 10) in a hospital in Los Angeles, due to liver complications.

The beatmaker (born James Yancey) has been sick for an unspecified amount of time. Last year at this time SOHH.com learned that Dilla was hospitalized after rumors were spreading that he was in a coma.

Dilla, who was a founding member of Slum Village and a member of A Tribe Called Quest's production team The Ummah, is best known for producing tracks for Busta Rhymes, Common, De La Soul, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and The Pharcyde.

Dilla has more recently worked with Ghostface Killah, Kanye West on Com's critically acclaimed album Be, as well as Champion Sound with fellow quirky producer Madlib.

Besides Donuts, Jay's latest album which was released earlier this week, he also released another solo LP, Welcome To Detroit, in 2001, and has another album dropping later this year on Stones Throw Records.

Longtime fan Pharrell of The Neptunes, has gone on record calling Dilla one of his "favorite producers of all time."

Jay Dee will be sorely missed. SOHH will be sure to provide you with more information as it becomes available.

I guess the good die young. This is very sad, Jay Dee was a legend and his beats will remain timeless classics. I just downloaded Donuts today, and I have to hear this. What a shame. Truly one of the best producers ever. RIP.

Common - The Light

CODE

http://rapidshare.de/files/12985193/Common_-_The_Light.mp3.html

Common ft. Mos Def - Questions

CODE

http://rapidshare.de/files/12985469/Common_ft_Mos_Def_-_The_Questions.mp3.html

Feel free to share your favorite Jay Dee tracks. Peace.

[yo pusha]

I've never heard of him though.. how old was he when he passed away?

He was 32.

"He was the best ever, and very underappreciated," Maynor said. "Dilla was very reserved, quiet, all he wanted to do was make beats, make music. It wasn't about the glitz and glory. He wasn't doing it for the spotlight at all. He's a dinosaur who will be missed."

As J Dilla, the rapper released an album titled Donuts just last week and was scheduled to release another one, The Shining, in April.

In December, Jay toured Europe performing in a wheelchair, due to problems with his knees, Maynor said. When his manager suggested he postpone the trek, the producer said it was something he had to do. "Maybe he knew something we didn't," Maynor said.

"He was a trendsetter, the soul sound [in hip-hop] is really Jay Dee," RJ Rice, founder of Slum's label, Barak Records, said. "I don't know if he'll ever get credit for it or not, most people just copied him."

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1524171/2...?headlines=true

Begun simply enough as a production beat tape, "Donuts" evolved into a project as unusual as the environment in which it was created. It's a hip-hop album without MC's. An album of electronic music that at times sounds like a 70s soul mixtape. Its abrupt transitions and numerous interludes might make you think you're rapidly turning the radio dial in some strange city where every station is programmed by a certain Detroit hip-hop producer. "Donuts" is J Dilla doing what he does best – crafting hip-hop, soul and electronic music into his own sound.

And a few have asked, “What's up with the title?” Easy explanation. Dilla likes donuts.

In 2005, rumors spread that the rapper/producer had died suddenly. Those rumors were debunked by J-Dilla's label, Stones Throw, but verified the producer did spend considerable time in the hospital. Stone’s Throw wasn’t at liberty to confirm the death of the rapper, but Slum Village group member T-3 confirmed the unfortunate event on his MySpace web page.

“I’m f**ked up, my n***a just passed away,” T3 posted on the website. Friends and fans posted their condolences on T3’s site.