James Dewitt Yancey a.k.a. Jay Dee or J Dilla can be regarded as one of the most influential hip hop producers of the new millennium. Discovered by Amp Fiddler he started his first collaborations in the early 90s together with Phat Kat forming the first hip hop outfit from Detroit to be signed to a major label. In the years to follow Jay Dee also had major influence in forming the groups Slum Village and The Ummah which he quit in 2002 in order to pursue a solo career. Besides releasing his solo efforts on BBE and Stones Throw he started recording with producer Madlib, which also lead to his move to Los Angeles in 2004. Having suffered from a rare auto-immune disease for years, James Dewitt Yancey passed away in 2006 only three days after his 32nd birthday.