The passing of James “J. Dilla” Yancey shocked the Hip Hop world two years ago. He was a father, a son, a brother, a friend, a mentor and so much more to so many people. While we knew Dilla through his body of work; others hold dear to them more intimate, personal memories of who he was. Recently, HipHopDX had the honor of speaking with Dilla’s mother, Ms. Maureen Yancey (or as many affectionately call her, “Ma Dukes”) and Dilla’s younger protégé brother John “Illa J” Yancey. We proceeded with the interview cautiously, unsure of how difficult it would be for them to open up about the loss of their loved one, but it quickly became clear that speaking publicly is a part of their never-ending healing process. Ms. Yancey, a glowing ray of positivity, can’t help but laugh as she recalls tales of Dilla’s strength through adversity. Illa J addresses his brother’s talent with undeniable admiration and awe. As the two candidly speak with DX, discover the harrowing depths of the illness that took Dilla from us, his resonant spirit, and the legacy of his greatness.

HipHopDX: What was Dilla like as a child?
Ms. Maureen Yancey: He was always totally into his music…from age two we knew he was a little deejay. He used to spin records in the park for our neighbors…soul R&B, everything.
Illa J: My brother was like my hero. A lot of people ask me what if I feel like I’m living in his shadow, but it’s not even like that. I’m just happy to have had such a great brother.

DX: Ms. Yancey, You’re a former opera singer; did you consciously try to foster his love in music or was that something that came naturally to him?
MY: Um…I think it was a combination of the two. [Music] was our pastime as a family; that’s all we ever did. His dad was a musician, he played Jazz from the Doo Wop days. I studied opera and the classics… I desired to sing rhythm and blues but I couldn’t get as down n’ dirty as I wanted to vocally because the classical training sort of blared through. [Laughs]

DX: When Dilla made the decision to get into the rap industry were you supportive of that? Because although some parents, especially those who are musicians themselves, may be supportive of a child entering the music business, when it comes to rap--
MY: [Laughs] Well, since you put it like that, I have to be truthful. [Laughs] Before Dilla got into [the industry] we used to hear people blasting their [rap] music from their trucks and cars, and we would hear the lyrics and [Dilla’s father] would say, “Oh my God, would you listen to that?” he would always make negative comments. But I’ve always loved everything that [Dilla] did. And I think because I was a singer I know that vocals, although they play a big part, is not the total package. I was already caught up in the music before the lyrics would come along. I knew that [the sometimes profane lyrics] was just a part of what it was. It was just a part of what he did. So I never had a problem with it because I knew that he wasn’t the type of individual to use negative vibes and four-letter words all day long. It was just part of the package. So I accepted it because I knew it wasn’t a large part of his character. His dad was offended by it up until we were listening to a song and we were so caught up in the beat…I told his dad “This has to be Dilla…I know his music just from the sound of it,” and he said “No, it cant be! Listen to the words!” And I listened and realized it was in fact Dilla’s music, and it was full of four letter words. [Laughs] Dilla’s dad liked the song so much he said, “I guess we can’t say anything bad anymore.” I looked at him and said “No, You can’t.” [Laughs] So he was embarrassed [by Dilla’s lyrics] for awhile, but he got used to it quick.

DX: When did Dilla first start showing signs of his illness?
MY: It was either 2000 or 2001 in January. He was coming back from a European tour. I thought that he had come back with a little flu from being away; it wouldn’t have been the first time he had gotten sick after traveling. So I would visit him after a few days and make sure he was okay… get him tea or whatever he needed. So I was [used to him feeling sick after traveling]. But this time it was different; he couldn’t seem to shake it off. When he came to spend the night with me I knew he was very ill. He usually liked his alone time

DX: How long did it take to get a proper diagnosis?
MY: Do you know that we didn’t have a proper diagnosis until the last year [of his life]? We got a proper diagnosis January 2, 2005.

DX: Oh, wow…
MY: I had gone [back to Detroit] to check on the rest of the family. At that point, I had already moved in with Dilla in L.A. Dilla got sick within 24 hours of me leaving and was rushed to the hospital. That’s when I realized I would never leave him, not even for an hour. [Laughs] Before that happened we had thought that he was doing a lot better. Continued on page 2 »