How much was J Dilla worth?
| Net Worth: | -$1 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Rapper |
| Date of Birth: | February 7, 1974 |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | Unknown |
About J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey, known by J Dilla and Jay Dee, (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006) was an American record producer and rapper with an estimated net worth of $10 million. J Dilla emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene as a member of Slum Village. Yancey worked as a record producer for acts including A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, Common, De La Soul, and The Pharcyde.
The first record Jay Dee ever bought was “Open Sesame” by Kool & the Gang. Prior to Slum Village, Jay Dee (aka J Dilla) and Proof (of D12) formed a rap group known as Funky Cowboy.
“Sometimes, fixation can be a good thing and sometimes it can be bad. There&’d be days when I wouldn’t eat at all, because I’d be in the basement working all day.” (URB interview, March 2004).
J Dilla’s father was the one who pointed him in the direction of music. Even though he had wanted to hang out with friends, music was what was given the most importance around the house. He participated in marching bands, and was required to play an instrument. With such an early start, Dilla was able to hone his skills and perfect his art.
JD’s production clientèle included De La Soul, Talib Kweli, The Pharcyde, Common, D’Angelo, and his own group Slum Village. J Dilla was also part of A Tribe Called Quest’s production crew known as The Ummah, alongside Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed. Together, The Ummah produced Tribe’s The Love Movement LP.
Jay Dee co-founded Slum Village along with high school friends Baatin and T-3 in the early 90s. Their first full-length project was the critically acclaimed Fantastic Vol. 1. They followed it up with Fantastic vol. 2, The Trinity, and Detroit Deli. Jay Dee handled majority of the production, occasionally featuring as an MC. However, the producer/rapper played a limited role in Detroit Deli, and was absent for the group’s most recent self-titled entry Slum Village.
In 2003, he joined forces with like-minded producer/rapper Madlib. The duo released Champion Sound under the moniker JayLib. One half of the album features Madlib rhyming over Dilla’s production & the other half is vice versa. Jay Dee later followed it up with his own solo project Welcome 2 Detroit.
Dilla was the main artist on BBE records. He inspired the label’s Beat Generation series. He was later signed by Stones Throw where he recorded Champion Sound with Madlib, and completed work on Donuts, and the yet-to-be-released The Shining. Although, Pharrell Williams (of The Neptunes) declared Dilla his favorite producer in a 2003 BET interview, Jay Dee never achieved commercial success on either record labels. He remained an underground favorite instead.
Despite his success as an artist, Dilla had suffered for three years with an incurable blood disease, and was also diagnosed with lupus. Dilla pushed on and continued to both produce and perform, he even toured Europe in a wheelchair (2005). He produced the sheer majority of Push Comes To Shove for label-mate MED and contributed to Common’s career-reviving BE album. His instrumental set titled Donuts because of his love for donuts was released on his 32nd birthday (February 7, 2006). Three days later, Jay Dee died of complications from lupus.
Mostly hospital bound, the costs of his treatment eventually left him in debt. After his medical insurance was dropped following a late payment, his mother, Maureen Yancey, recalled paying $500,000 a month. At the time of his death, J Dilla’s net worth was -$1 million.
