The following is an excerpt from the book Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers, released on November 11th. The 41st Grammy Awards were held on February 24, 1999, and the event was ...

The R&B great passed away in October from pancreatic cancer at the age of 51. The sounds of D’Angelo are timeless and according to longtime collaborator and friend Questlove, they’re going to stay ...

Apologies in advance for disappointing nearly everyone on earth, but we are not yet past the threshold where it’s appropriate to have a take on J.J. McCarthy, who is now—checks notes—three games into ...

The watch company Shinola unveiled two swanky new timepieces today, both in honor of the late legendary producer J Dilla. The news arrives with an accompanying teaser clip narrated by his fellow ...

Released two days before his death at 32 from an incurable disease, Donuts is hip-hop producer J Dilla’s defining influential solo work, a culmination of a lifetime of music obssession that saw him ...

Shinola, a Detroit-based luxury brand, is releasing limited-edition watches and a record bag honoring the late producer J Dilla. Dilla's daughters, Ja'Mya Yancey and TyMonae Whitlow, expressed their ...

J Dilla’s “Welcome 2 Detroit” ain’t just an album; it’s a statement. When it first dropped in 2001, it was a raw, unfiltered love letter to the D and a showcase of Dilla’s next-level production. Two ...

Chicago-bred multi-instrumentalist and producer Luke Titus spent his early days in the city’s jazz and DIY scenes, learning to play drums from J Dilla beats. He’s gone on to share credits with Noname, ...

Super7 are paying tribute to hip hop production great J Dilla with a new action figure. His classic 2006 album Donuts is the inspiration for the new ReAction Figure, which features a 3.75″ articulated ...

At first glance, your favorite songs, those beats you hear, might seem straightforward. Focusing on beat makers or music producers across hip-hop, R&B, pop, and electronic music who have found a way ...

On a special episode of Hard Knock Radio, I had the honor of sitting down with Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey, the mother of legendary producer James “J Dilla” Yancey, in celebration of J Dilla Day. With ...