DX: I know when he was in the hospital he finished up The Shining, but I heard somewhere that it was originally titled 40 Below?
MY: Yes it was…I’m going to put out a project soon and we’re still going to use that title, just not sure in what capacity yet. The Shining was supposed to be called 40 Below but because of the things he went through in the hospital, because of what he saw within himself he changed it. He had been working on that album for a few years but hadn’t completed it. But his heart wasn’t into it to complete it until that last year in the hospital.

DX: After Dilla’s passing there was a huge outcry of support from the music industry, millions of fans, and friends, did that support help you in your healing process?
MY: Oh, it helped me tremendously. I don’t know what I would have done without the love of his friends and people checking on me. They continue to support me, and they carry his torch. It’s a beautiful thing. Everyone still wants to continue to do work with Dilla’s music, and everyone is still doing tributes—there was one in Ann Arbor that Mos Def just did and I think 3,500 people were there, tickets were sold out a week before the show. I know Mos Def also has plans to do some stuff with Dilla soon. It’s like he’s not even gone.
IJ: Yes, yes, my first time going to Europe on the J. Dilla appreciation tour, it was crazy to see how many people my brother touched even overseas. We were in Paris, and nobody spoke a word of English but they knew all the words to every Dilla song. Everywhere I go people show me mad respect and I’ve thankful for that.

DX: Some would say that although your brother rightfully has a huge following, there are some newer fans who have just ‘hopped on the bandwagon’. How do you address that?
IJ: That [opinion] is just for people who want to look at it that way. I was raised to just look at the positive of things. I see it as more people knowing about this musical legacy.

DX: Well it’s good that you can keep that positive outlook…I know a lot of people that thought you were Dilla because you did the “Won’t Do” video [Laughs]
IJ: [Laughs] Yeah, that was mad funny. They either thought it was Dilla in the video, or that it was my song. [Laughs]

DX: As an artist yourself do you feel that people expect your music to sound a certain way because of your brother’s influence?
IJ: It’s hard to say that I don’t sound like him…that’s my brother…that’s like saying I can't look like him. [Laughs] But my brother was known more as a producer... I’m a singer first, then a songwriter, then producer. My brother still had a big influence on me though…We’re just beginning. People think it was over with The Shinning but we just getting started.

DX: Speaking of which what prompted the creation of Ma Dukes Music?
MY: Well so much of Dilla’s music hasn’t been heard. He spent his entire life making music so we have stuff from even before Pharcyde and Slum Village. A lot of the older music he did; people are really dying to get a hold of it. It’s just a beautiful thing to keep him alive. You can step into my home and know that he’s still alive.

DX: Can you speak a little bit about the Dilla foundation?
MY: At this time, we are operating under ‘Ma Dukes’ because with the estate being in probate we can't use the name Dilla, something about not being able to use his likeness. But we’re about to fight, they can’t dare try to take that from me. [Laughs] This is something that I was trying to hold in his honor. But I understand there are certain things that have to happen so rather than to wait, I’m going to operate under Ma Dukes. We can’t wait because there are very talented, artistic children here in Detroit and they need someone to nurture that and hone their skills. But if you come from a household where people don’t appreciate what you do; you’ll never get heard. They need an opportunity. We have very little to offer in Detroit. We have few recreational activities [for youth] in the city. So much is closed down with no money to spend. We want to mentor these children, and appreciate what they’re doing. The only way to appreciate what your true love is, is to keep it going. Also we do the Lupus Walk year-round and in just about every city across the country Dilla always has a group of people walking in his name. That’s how we keep his name alive; we just keep doing what we do.