J Dilla
Rapper
Record producer who was influential on Detroit's 1990s hip-hop underground scene and who worked with A Tribe Called Quest and Erykah Badu.
He was born into a family of musicians and began singing from a very early age. He began his music career as a producer for the hip hop group known as Slum Village.
He and his rap group Slum Village released Fantastic Vol. 2 and he released Welcome 2 Detroit as the beginning of his solo career in the early 2000s.
His full name is James Yancey. He was survived by his two daughters.
He worked with some of the most respected artists of his time, including Janet Jackson, De La Soul, and Busta Rhymes.