J Dilla was born James Dewitt Yancey on February 7, 1974 in Detroit, Michig… Read Full Bio ↴J Dilla was born James Dewitt Yancey on February 7, 1974 in Detroit, Michigan, to Maureen and Beverly Yancey. From the onset, music was intrinsic to Jay's life. His mother Maureen was an accomplished singer and lover of classical music and opera. His father Beverly was a gifted vocalist and bass player fond of vocal harmonies and jazz, who played professionally for 25 years before taking a job at Ford. A two-year-old Jay would gurgle along in perfect pitch to the sound of his father practicing on his upright bass until it lulled him to sleep.

Especially aware of the dangers that faced unoccupied youths growing up in their Detroit neighborhood of Conant Gardens, the Yancey's set out to keep their children as busy as possible between cub scouts, music lessons, youth choir, and any other church activities. Nurturing their son's early passion for music, Jay was always enrolled in some kind of music class, excelling on the piano, violin and cello, before moving on to the drums. But it was the lure of the boom-bap which ultimately moved him from the church pews to the studio.

"When I heard Run-D.M.C.'s "Sucker M.C.'s (Krush-Groove 1)" and Whodini's "Big Mouth", it made me curious to how the beats were made. Those songs were the first time I heard the beats that weren't melodic - just drums. Being someone who was taking drum lessons at the time, that made me real curious. That led me into deejaying, which slowly led to me deejaying parties and that eventually led me into production."

A fortuitous meeting with another talented Conant Gardens resident provided Jay with the direction necessary to pursue his dream. "Fortunately I ran into this cat just walking in the street, literally. This guy named Amp Fiddler. He just called us out and from that first day he actually showed all of us how a studio works and things like that. He had a little pre-production studio in his crib. He was like, 'Whenever you want to, come by the crib.' I started going over there messing with beats."Building on the experience he received at Amp's studio, Jay was determined to form a group which reflected the eclectic nature of his influences. "I heard about T3 and Baatin, and they were supposed to be the illest emcees at the time. And I thought I was, so I wanted to challenge them. To make a long story short, we just hooked up after that. The chemistry was right." Their group Slum Village gave Jay the platform to create a sound which was uniquely mid- western in its melding of jazzy, east coast influences with the glossy, bounce of west coast hip-hop.

Via another timely assist from Amp Fiddler, Slum's demo found it's way into the hands of Q-Tip, who immediately recognized a kindred musical spirit in Jay and offered the young producer a management and production contract. "It was like a dream come true, if you could ever, ever hear anybody say that. I just couldn't believe it. I love Tribe and De La and then this guy Tip called my crib! Matter of fact, the first time he called, I wasn't home. I missed the call! I was hurt. I thought that was it! But, he called me the next day. Next thing you know, I'm in New York." within months, Jay found himself producing tracks for a who's who of underground hip-hop: The Pharcyde, Busta Rhymes, De La Soul, Keith Murray, Mad Skillz, and of course A Tribe Called Quest.

"I was just riding the wave. It was still part of the dream to even be there. They even asked me creative questions about the album [Beats, Rhymes, and Life]. It's just unbelievable, man! These are the three ultimate niggas to me. They sat me down and invited me to these meetings and I felt like I was a part of that shit. Whether the album did good or not, it was to me one of the best experiences of my life."

Upon returning to Detroit, Jay found himself as the star of the city's burgeoning hip hop scene. His beats were the conduit for a diverse crop of MC's who gathered around the famed Hip Hop Shop, including Phat Kat, 5 Ela, Proof, Eminem, and a young Elzhi. His extended periods away from home had been difficult on Slum Village, but with Jay back in the fold and a renewed focus they set out to record their first album

"We decided to do that Fantastic album, and we did it in like two weeks. Everything was done. We were selling that shit out of boxes within a couple of weeks." Fan-tas-tic Vol. 1 became an underground classic, relentlessly dubbed and traded by fans in the days prior to file sharing. Innovative and playful, the album featured a string of hip hop classics including "Players", "Look of Love" and the brilliant James Brown adlib mash-up of "I Don't Know".

While his growing number of imitators were content to pick up the scraps of the fledgling neo-soul movement, Jay soon became the nucleus around which a group of like-minded, progressive artists would form, creating some of the best music to emerge from the post Golden-Age of early-nineties hip hop in the process. Dubbed the Soulquarians, Jay's beats would provide the key inspiration for this eclectic group's best work: The Roots' Things Fall Apart, D'Angelo's Voodoo, Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun, Q-Tips's Amplified, and Common's Like Water for Chocolate.

Originally intended as a breakbeat record, Jay's first solo album Welcome 2 Detroit provided the first opportunity to display his full range as a producer, MC, and vocalist. Seamlessly blending live instrumentation with programmed beats, W2D reflected his numerous influences and styles- from synth-heavy techno and grimy street anthems to breezy bossa nova. Stepping to the forefront as an MC for the first time, Jay introduced his alias J Dilla, and with it a more confident, street-edge rapper would emerge.

At a professional crossroads after a label deal with MCA collapsed in 2003, Dilla bypassed the mainstream altogether to unleash a flurry of new material: a collaborative album with Madlib entitled Champion Sound, and his own solo project the Ruff Draft EP, a muddy, lo-fi epic of uncompromising rawness. "I did it in four or five days, turned it in and had wax in ten days. If I'm not doing beats for somebody, I make stuff for me to drive around and listen to, and that was one of those projects. I was just doing me. That's why it was called the Ruff Draft EP". "There'd be days when I wouldn't eat at all because I'd be in the basement working all day. Even after being in the hospital so long, I had to fight with the doctors [to go home] because being away from music was starting to get to me."

Dilla relocated to Los Angeles in 2004 to re-energize himself and focus on his career. But by the end of the year, he would again be hospitalized. Undergoing debilitating dialysis treatments 3-4 times a week, Dilla was bedridden for long periods of time causing his hands and legs to swell dramatically, making walking difficult without assistance. He lost 50% of his body weight. During this time he was diagnosed with Lupus, a debilitating blood disease which causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue and for which there is no cure. He was released from the hospital in March 2005, only to be readmitted later that summer. Using equipment set up in his hospital room, Dilla began work on what would become his masterpiece, Donuts, a sprawling, back-to-basics instrumental album filled with emotional, heartfelt testaments to life and mortality that brought him full-circle to his beginnings as young producer chopping up breakbeats.

That Fall, Dilla embarked on a European tour alongside his mother and friends, rapping to sold-out audiences from a wheelchair. It would be his final farewell to the fans who had shown their love and support for so long. Upon completion of the tour and another stay in the hospital, Dilla returned home. He handed off the masters for his still-unfinished solo LP The Shining in time for his upcoming birthday.

On Tuesday, February 7, 2006, his 32nd birthday, Donuts was released. He spent the day at home with friends and family. Three days later on February 10, James Dewitt Yancey passed away in the arms of his loving mother Maureen. He was put to rest the following week, on Valentine's Day. As mourners gathered around his final resting place high in the hills of Los Angeles to say their goodbyes, a lone heart appeared in the cloudless sky above, fitting tribute for the man who above all else lived life to do what he loved. And what he loved, he did better than anybody else. For that, we will be forever thankful. Thank you Jay Dee.

Discography:
Artist/Group Releases (As Producer and/or MC):
1st Down - No Place to Go, 12" single 1993
1st Down - A Day With the Homiez 12", 12" Single 1995 (Pay Day Records)
Slum Village - Fan-Tas-Tic 12" single 1996
Slum Village - Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1 Album, 1996 (Donut Boy Recordings) 1997 (Sudden Impact) 2006 (Barak)
Slum Village - We Be Down, 12" single 1997 (Sudden Impact)
Jay Dee - Jay Dee Unreleased EP 1997 (House Shoes Records)
Slum Village - Somethin' For The People, All I Do (Remix) from "All I Do 12" single 1997 (WB)
J-88 - Look Of Love (Remix) 12" single 1999 (Groove Attack)
Slum Village - Get This Money, 12" single 1999 (Interscope)
Slum Village - Fantastic, Vol. 2, Album 2000 (Goodvibe) 2002 (Capitol) 2010 (Barak)
Slum Village - Fall In Love (Remix), 12" single (2000) (Goodvibe)
Slum Village - Climax/CB4, 12" single 2000 (Goodvibe)
J-88 - Best Kept Secret, EP 2000 (Groove Attack)
Jay Dee - Fuck the Police, 12" single 2001 (Up Above)
Jay Dee - Pause, 12" single 2001 (BBE)
Jay Dee - Welcome 2 Detroit, Album 2001 (BBE)
1st Down - A Day With the Homiez, Album 2002 (RonnieCash.com)
Jay Dee - Instrumental Series Vol. 1: Unreleased, EP 2002 (Bling47.com)
Jay Dee feat. Frank N Dank - Take Dem Clothes Off/Off Ya Chest 12" single 2002 (ABB)
Jay Dee feat. Frank N Dank - Push 12" EP 2002 (Mummy / Groove Attack)
Jaylib - The Message, from "Stones Throw Summer 2002 EP" 2002 (Stones Throw)
Jay Dee - Instrumental Series Vol. 2: Vintage, Album 2003 (Bling 47.com)
Jay Dee - Ruff Draft EP, 2003 (Mummy/Groove Attack)
Jaylib - The Red / The Official,12" single 2003 (Stones Throw)
Jaylib - Champion Sound, 12" single 2003 (Stones Throw)
Jaylib - Champion Sound, Album 2003 (Stones Throw)
Jaylib - Champion Sound Instrumentals 2004 (Stones Throw)
Jaylib - Blaze Up, Raw Shit (Remix), The Mission (Remix) from Stones Throw 101 12" EP 2004 (Stones Throw)
Jaylib - Raw Addict / Ice, 12" single 2003 (Stones Throw)
Jaylib - McNasty Filth, 12"/CD 2004 (Stones Throw)
Jaylib - Popshit, from "Stones Throw 10" EP 2004 (Stones Throw)
J Dilla - Welcome 2 Detroit (Instrumentals) 2005 (BBE)
J Dilla - Donuts EP: J. Rocc's Picks, EP 2005 (Stones Throw)
J Dilla - Signs, 7" single 2006 (Stones Throw)
J Dilla - Donuts, Album 2006 (Stones Throw)
J Dilla - The Shining, Album 2006 (BBE)
J Dilla - The Shining EP, 12" single 2006 (BBE)
J Dilla - The Shining (Instrumentals) 2006 (BBE)
Jaylib - No $ No Toke from "Chrome Children" Album 2006 (Stones Throw)
Jaylib - No $ No Toke, 12" single 2006 (Stones Throw)
J Dilla - Won't Do, EP 2007 (BBE)
J Dilla - Wild, 12" single 2007 (Stones Throw)
J Dilla - Ruff Draft, Album 2007 (Stones Throw)
J Dilla - Dirty Crushin', 7" single 2007 (Stones Throw)
J Dilla - Jay Love Japan, Album 2007 (Operation Unknown)
Jay Dee - Jay Deelicious: The Delicious Vinyl Years CD/LP 2007 (Delicious Vinyl)
J Dilla - Donut Shop EP 2010 (Serato/Stones Throw)

MC (Not Producer):
Tami Hert - If You Were Mine (Detroit Demolition Mix) from "If You Were Mine" 12" single 1997 (550 Music)
v/a - Fight Club, feat. Dilla, Nottz & Boogie from "Best Kept Secret Mix" CD 2003 (Bling47.com)
Dabrye - Game Over 12" single 2004 (Ghostly International)
Wale Oyejide - There's A War Going On 12" single 2004 (Shaman Work)
Wale Oyejide - There's A War Going On from "One Day, Everything Changed" CD/LP 2004 (Shaman Work)
Slum Village - Reunion from "Detroit Deli" CD/LP 2004 (Barak/Capitol)
Pete Rock - Niggaz Know from "Soul Survivor II" CD/LP 2004 (Rapster /BBE)
v/a - Do Your Thang, Stupid from "BR Gunna Presents Dirty District Vol. 2" CD 2004 (Barak)
Phat Kat - Door from "The Undeniable LP" (New Version) CD/LP 2004 (Barak)
Lawless Element - Love, 12" single 2005 (Babygrande)
Lawless Element - Love, from "Soundvision: In Stereo" Album 2005 (Babygrande)
Platinum Pied Pipers - Act Like You Know, 12" single 2005 (Ubiquity)
Platinum Pied Pipers - Shotgun, Act Like You Know, from "Triple P" Album 2005 (Ubiquity)
Sa-Ra - Thrilla, 12" single 2005 (Sound In Color)
Sa-Ra - Thrilla, from "The Hollywood Recordings" 2007 (Babygrande)
Diamond - We Gangstas, from "Diamond Mine" Album 2005
Platinum Pied Pipers - Shotgun (Remix) from 12"single 2005 (Ubiquity)
J Dilla - The $ (Madlib Remix), Make 'Em NV (Madlib Remix) from Hella International 12" single 2007 (Stones Throw)

Production Credits (By Year):
1994-1995
Da Enna C - NOW from "Throw Ya Hands In Da Air" 12" single 1994 (Up Top)
Little Indian - One Little Indian 12" single 1995 (Premeditated)
Poe - Fingertips from "Hello" CD/LP 1995 (WEA/Atlantic)

1996
5-Elementz - Whutchawant, Feed Back, Rockshows, Party Groove, Janet Jacme, E.G.O., Don't Stop, Searchin from "The Album Time Forgot" cassette 1996 (That Was Entertainment)
A Tribe Called Quest - 1nce Again, Get A Hold, Keeping It Moving, Stressed Out, Word Play from "Beat, Rhymes, & Life" CD/LP 1996 (Jive Records)
Busta Rhymes - Keep It Movin', Still Shinin' from "The Coming" CD/LP 1996 (Elektra)
Busta Rhymes - Woo-Hah!! (Jay-Dee Bounce Remix), Woo-Hah!! (Jay-Dee Other Shit Remix) 12" single 1996 (Elektra)
Busta Rhymes - It's a Party (Ummah Remix), Ill Vibe (Ummah Remix) 12" single 1996 (Elektra)
De La Soul - Stakes Is High from "Stakes Is High" CD/LP 1996 (Tommy Boy)
De La Soul - Stakes Is High (Remix) from Itzsoweezee 12" single 1996 (Tommy Boy)
Mad Skillz - It's Going Down, The Jam from "From Where???" 1996 (Big Beat)
Kieth Murray - The Rhyme (Remix), Dangerous Ground from "Enigma" 1996 (Jive)
Natives Of Da Underground - Pack Da Hous/Brotha's Juss Don't Know/Whatcha Gonna Do? 12" single 1996 (ALR)
Phife Dawg - Game Day from "NFL Jams" 1996 (Castle)
Proof - Da Science from "Detroit Hip Hop Volume 1" 1996 Modern Tribe
Proof - Vibe Session from "Anywhere" 12" single 1996 (Hip Hop Shop)
Tha Pharcyde - Runnin', Bullshit, Splatittorium, Somethin' That Means Somethin', Drop, Y? from "Labcabincalifornia" CD/LP 1996 (Delicious Vinyl)

1997
5-Elementz - Sun Flower from "Yester Years" 12" EP 1997 (That Was Entertainment)
A Tribe Called Quest - Get A Hold, Mardi Gras At Midnight from "Jam" EP 1997 (Jive Records)
Brand New Heavies - Sometimes (Ummah Remix) from "Sometimes" 12" single 1997 (Delicious Vinyl)
Busta Rhymes - So Hardcore from "When Disaster Strikes" CD/LP 1997 (Elektra)
Mint Condition - Let Me Be The One (Ummah Remix), 12" single (1997) Perspective
Crustation - Purple (ATCQ Edit) 12" single 1997 (Zomba)
Janet Jackson - Got Til It's Gone (Ummah Jay Dee Revenge Mix) 12" single 1997 (Virgin)
Somethin' For The People - All I Do (Remix) from "All I Do" 12" single 1997 (WB)
T Da Pimp - Why You Lookin Hard?/We Knowwe Rockit 12" single 1997 (Penmp)
Tha Pharcyde - She Said (Remix) 12" single 1997 (Delicious Vinyl)
Tha Pharcyde - Runnin (Remix), Y? (Remix) from "Drop" 12" single 1997 (Delicious Vinyl)
Truz - True Dawgs/Routes To Hell 12" single 1997 (Ad Fam)

1998
A Tribe Called Quest - 4 Moms, Against The World, Busta's Lament, Da Booty, Find A Way, His Name Is Mutty Ranks, Start It Up, Steppin' It Up from "The Love Movement" CD/LP 1998 (Jive Records)
A Tribe Called Quest - That Shit from "Funkmaster Flex Vol. 3" 1998 (Loud Records)
Bizarre - Butterfly from Attack of the Wierdos 12" EP 1998 (Federation)
Mood - Secrets Of The Sand (Remix) from "Snake Backs" 12" single 1998 (Blunt)
N'Dea Davenport - Bullshittin (Remix) from "N'Dea Davenport" CD/LP 1998 (V2) (mixed by Jay Dee)

1999
5 Ela - You Ain't Fresh, Ain't No Love from 5-E Pt. 3 1999 (That Was Entertainment)
Brand New Heavies - Saturday Night (Jay Dee Remix) from "Saturday Night" 12" single 1999 (Delicious Vinyl)
Heavy D - Listen from "Heavy" CD/LP 1999 (Universal)
Macy Gray - I Try (Remix) 12" single 1999 (Epic)
Nine Yards - Always Find A Way (Remix) 12" single 1999 (Virgin)
Phat Kat - Dedication To The Suckers 12" single 1999 (House Shoes Recordings)
Phife Dawg - Bend Ova/Thought U Wuz Nic 12" single 1999 (Groove Attack)
Que D - Underestimated, Supa Shit, Kilo, Cash Flow, Michelle, Rock Box, Don't Stop from "Quite Delicious" cassette 1999 and "Que D Limited Edition" CD 2003 (Royal Flyness)
Q-Tip - 11 tracks from "Amplified" CD/LP 1999 (Arista)
Q-Tip - 11 tracks from "Amplified" (Instrumental Version) (1999) (Arista - Promo)
The Roots - Dynamite from Things Fall Apart CD/LP 1999 (MCA)
The Roots - New Year's @ Jay Dee's from "You Got Me" CD single 1999 (MCA)
Zooco - Butterfly from "Glow-Mellow-Flow" CD/LP 1999? (Columbia Japan)

2000
Black Star - Little Brother from "The Hurricane (Soundtrack)" CD/LP 2000 (MCA)
Brand New Heavies - Sometimes (Remix), Saturday Night (Remix) from "Trunk Funk Classics" CD/LP 2000 (Delicious Vinyl)
Busta Rhymes - Enjoy Da Ride, Live It Up, Show Me What You Got from "Anarchy" CD/LP 2000 (Elektra)
Common - 10 tracks from "Like Water For Chocolate" CD/LP 2000 (MCA)
Common - 10 tracks from "Like Water For Chocolate Instrumentals" 2000 (MCA)
Common - The Light, 12" single 2000 (MCA—UK)
Common - The Light (Remix) from "Bamboozled (Soundtrack)" 2000 (Motown)
De La Soul - Thru Ya City from "Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump" CD/LP 2000 (Tommy Boy)
Erykah Badu - Cleva, My Life, Didn't Cha Know, Kiss Me On My Neck from "Mama's Gun CD/LP 2000 (Motown)
Erykah Badu - Didn't Cha Know, single 2001 (Motown)
Erykah Badu - Cleva, 12" single 2001 (Motown—Promo)
Frank N Dank - Me & My Man/Love (A Thing Of The Past) 12" single 2000 (McNasty)
Frank N Dank - Everybody Get Up/Give It Up Pt. 2 12" single 2000 (McNasty)
Guru - Certified from "Guru's Jazzmatazz Street Soul" CD/LP 2000 (Virgin)
Innerzone Orchestra - People Make The World Go Round (J-88 Mix) - 12" single 2000 (Planet E)
Phife Dawg - Bend Ova, 4 Horseman from "Ventilation: Da LP" CD/LP 2000 (Groove Attack)
Phife Dawg - Ya Heard Me from "Definition of Ill Compilation" 2000 bootleg
Royce Da 5'9" - Let's Grow from "Lyricist Lounge Volume 2" CD/LP 2000 (Rawkus)
Spacek - Eve (Remix) 12" single 2000 (Blue)

2001
Bahamadia- One-4-Teen (Remix) from "Summer Sampler" CD 2001 (Goodvibe)
Bilal - Reminisce from "1st Born Second LP" CD/LP 2001 (Interscope)
Busta Rhymes - Genesis, Make It Hurt from "Genesis" CD/LP 2001 (Elektra)
Chino XL - Don't Say A Word from "I Told You So" CD/LP 2001 (Metro Records)
De La Soul - Peer Pressure (Intro & Outro Monologues by Jay Dee) from AOI: Bionix CD/LP 2001 (Tommy Boy)
Lucy Pearl - Without You (Remix) 12" single 2001 (Pookie/Virgin)
Mos Def - Can U C The Pride In The Panther? (Remix) 12" Single 2001 (Interscope)
Que D - In Yo Face from "Still Bangin" 12" single 2001 (Up Above) and "Que D Limited Edition" CD 2003 (Royal Flyness)
Toshi Kubota - Nothin But Your Love (Remix) 12" single 2001 (Epic)

2002
Big Tone - Party Crasher (mixed by Jay Dee) from Party Crasher 12" Antidote 2002 (Antidote)
Busta Rhymes - It Ain't Safe No More, What Up, and Turn Me Up Some from "It Ain't Safe No More..." CD/LP 2002 (Elektra)
Common - various production & instrumental credits from "Electric Circus" CD/LP 2002 (MCA)
DJ Jazzy Jeff - Are You Ready (with Slum Village) from "The Magnificent" 12" EP 2002 (BBE)
Frank N Dank - Push, EP 2002 (Mummy/Groove Attack)
Phat Kat - Dedication To The Suckers, Don't Nobody Care About Us, Microphone Master, Big Booties, World Premier from "Dedication To The Suckers" LP/CD 2002 (RonnieCash.com)
Slum Village - Hoes, Let's, One from "Trinity" CD/LP 2002 (Capitol)
Talib Kweli - Where Do We Go, Stand To The Side from "Quality" CD/LP 2002 (Rawkus)

2003
ASD (Afrob & Samy Deluxe) - Komm Schon from "Wer Hatte Das Gedacht?" CD/LP 2003 (Eimsbush)
ASD (Afrob & Samy Deluxe) - Wenn Ihr Fuhlt... from "Hey Du" 12" EP 2003 (Eimsbush)
Common - Come Close "Remix" (Closer) 12" single 2003 (MCA)
De La Soul - Much More/Shoomp 12" single 2003 (AOI)
Fourtet - As Serious As Your Life (Remix) 12" single 2003 Domino
Frank N Dank - 48 Hours CD 2003 (Bootleg)
Frank N Dank - Ma Dukes, 12" single 2003 (ABB)
Vivian Green - Fanatic (Remix) 12" Single 2003 (Sony)
Phat Kat - Dedication 2004, Destiny and Big Booties from "The Undeniable LP: Detroit Edition" CD/LP 2003 (Barak Records)
Phat Kat - Dedication/Destiny, 12" single 2003 (Barak Records)
Que D - Supa Shit 12" single 2003 (Royal Flyness)
Royce Da 5'9" - Life Goes On from "Build & Destroy: Lost Sessions Part 1" 2003 (Trouble Records)
Subtitle - Mark Luv Mixtape Song from "Greatest Hi$$" CD 2003 (Marks03 Recordings)
T-Love - When You're Older, Who Smoked Sunshine, Chiquita, Long Way Back from "The Long Way Back" 2003 (Pickininny)

2004
5 Ela - Scenario 2004 from "The EP" 2004 (5 Elements)
Amp Fiddler - You Play Me, Waltz Of A Ghetto Fly from "Waltz Of A Ghetto Fly" CD/LP 2004 (Genuine/PIAS)
Amp Fiddler - I Believe In You (Jaylib Mix) CD/12" single 2004 (Genuine/PIAS)
Brother Jack McDuff - Oblighetto (J Dilla Remix) from "Blue Note Revisted" CD/LP 2004 (Blue Note)
De La Soul - Verbal Clap, Much More from "Grind Date" Album 2004 (Sanctuary)
DJ Cam - Love Junkee (Remix) 12" single 2003 (Inflamable) and "Liquid Hip Hop CD/LP 2004 (Inflamable)
Elzhi - Love It Here, Days & Nights, Concrete Eyes, Friends from Libido Speedo Presents..."Elzhi: Witness My Growth The Mixtape '97-'04" 2CD (Libido Sounds)
Frank-N-Dank - Let's Go, Okay, MCA from "Xtended Play" CD/LP 2004 (Needillworks)
Jaylib - Popshit from "Stones Throw 100" 12" (Stones Throw)
Lawless Element - The Shining 12" single 2004 (RMR/Fat Beats)
Lawless Element - The Shining, from "Soundvision: In Stereo" 2005 (Babygrande)
Oh No - Move from "The Disrupt" CD/LP 2004 (Stones Throw)
Proof of D12 - Bring It 2 Me from "I Miss The Hip Hop Shop" CD/LP 2004 (Iron Fist)
Prozack - Leisure Rules, from "Death, Taxes, and Prozack" Album 2004 (Outofwork Records)
Slum Village - Do You from "Detroit Deli" CD/LP 2004 (Barak/Capitol)

2005
Common - Love Is, It's Your World (Pt 1 & 2) from "Be" Album and "Be Instrumentals" 2005 (Good Music/Geffen)
Common - The Movement from "NBA 2K6 - The Tracks" Album 2005 (Decon)
Copywrite - Clap, That's A Wrap, Alright from "Cruise Control Vol. 1" CD
Dwele - Keep On from "Some Kinda" Album 2005 (Virgin)
Dwight Trible & The Life Force Trio - Antiquity from "Love Is The Answer" Album 2005 (Ninja Tune)
MED - Push and So Real from "Push Comes to Shove" Album and "Push Comes to Shove (Instrumentals)" Album 2005 (Stones Throw)
Moka Only - One Time from "The Desired Effect" Album 2005 (Nettwerk)
Oh No - Move Part 2 feat. J Dilla & Roc C 12" single 2005 (Stones Throw)
Slum Village - Who Are We from "Prequel to a Classic" Album 2005 (Barak Records)
Spacek - Dollar, 12" single 2005 (Sound In Color)
Spacek - Dollar from "Space Shift" Album 2005 (Sound In Color)
Talib Kweli - Roll Off Me from "Right About Now" Album 2005 (Koch)

2006-2009
Note: Credits in this section were created during the artist's lifetime.

Ghostface Killah - Beauty Jackson and Whip You with a Strap from "Fishscale" Album 2006 (Def Jam)
Busta Rhymes - You Can't Hold a Torch from "The Big Bang" Album 2006 (Aftermath)
Visionaries - All Right from "We are the Ones (We've Been Waiting For)" Album 2006 (Up Above)
Guilty Simpson - Clap Your Hands from "Chrome Children" Album 2006 (Stones Throw)
A.G. - Hip Hop Quotable, 12" single 2006 (Look)
A.G. - Hip Hop Quoteable from "Get Dirty Radio" Album 2006 (Look)
Guilty Simpson - Man's World, 12" single 2007 (No Label)
Phat Kat - Cold Steel, 12" single 2007 (Look)
Phat Kat - 5 songs from "Carte Blanche" Album 2007 (Look)
Guilty Simpson - I Must Love You from "Ode to the Ghetto" Album 2008 (Stones Throw)
Guilty Simpson - Stress, 12" single (2009) (No Label)

Posthumous Production Credits
The Roots - Can't Stop This from "Game Theory" Album 2006 (Island/Def Jam)
Madlib - Take It Back from "Chrome Children" Album 2006 (Stones Throw)
Q-Tip - Move and Feva from "The Renaissance" Album 2008 (Universal/Motown)
Illa J - We Here, 12" single 2008 (Delicious Vinyl)
Illa J - Yancey Boys, Album and Yancey Boys (Instrumentals) 2008 (Delicious Vinyl)
Akrobatik - Put Ya Stamp On It from "Absolute Value" Album 2008 (Fat Beats)
MF DOOM - Gazillion Ear and Lightworks from "Born Like This" Album 2009 (Lex)
Mos Def - History from "The Ecstatic" Album 2009 (Downtown)
Raekwon - House of Flying Daggers, Arson Jones and 10 Bricks from "Only Built for Cuban Linx 2" Album(2009 (EMI)
Erykah Badu - Love, from "New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh" Album 2010 (Motown)
Slum Village - Lock It Down, We'll Show You from "Villa Manifesto" Album 2010 (E1)

Diamonds
J Dilla Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bling bling
Keep me on shine while I make the ching ching
You so precious, like a burst of joy
I heard your boy Jacob got the best shit
You so hot you make me hot
Boy, and he's got you 'round the whole watch, boy
And so expensive
But well worth it

I heard it's a Dilla that rents some
It's so ugly when the ice lit
You with me, the feeling is priceless
You so beautiful when you in the row
It's something awful, what you do to the prose
You ain't guess then you ain't listenin'
I'm flossin' with my girl's best friend
Shinin' with my girl's best friend
I'm blindin' with my girl's best friend

When I raise 'em in the sky
Shine so bright, it'll blind your eye
Diamonds are a girl's best friend
Rollin' with you until the end
When I raise 'em in the sky
Shine so bright, it'll blind your eye
Diamonds are a girl's best friend
Rollin' with you until the end

Bling bling
You with the whole team, get the pearls on the ding ding
They see the shine, they eat it up
They see the flow, but they can't see the time
You so sparkly
If you ain't a part of me
It's like the Rockets with no Barkley
You so hard, I'm getting 'em there with no prob
I mean the women give me gold stars
You so special
You multifaceted, you can cut glass with it
It's so brilliant
Go spend a little dough, look like you sold millions
Plus you everlastin'
And drastically important when sportin' your ghetto fashion
You ain't guess then you ain't listenin'
If you stay glistenin', shake your wrist then
Just shine with your girl's best friend
Ride and blind 'em with your girl's best friend
Wildin' with your girl's best friend
It's D.I. and your girl's best friend

When I raise 'em in the sky
Shine so bright, it'll blind your eye
Diamonds are a girl's best friend
Rollin' with you until the end
When I raise 'em in the sky
Shine so bright, it'll blind your eye
Diamonds are a girl's best friend
Rollin' with you until the end

When I raise 'em in the sky
Shine so bright, it'll blind your eye

Diamonds are a girl's best friend
Rollin' wit you until the end

Overall Meaning

The song "Diamonds" by J Dilla is a hip-hop track that celebrates the expensive and prestigious status symbol of diamond jewelry. The lyrics speak of the allure and beauty of diamonds, with the repeated refrain of "Diamonds are a girl's best friend." The song describes the feeling of owning and wearing diamonds as priceless, by stating that "when I raise 'em in the sky, shine so bright, it'll blind your eye."

The lyrics also mention the brand Jacob & Co., known for their luxury diamond pieces, further emphasizing the importance of brands and prestige in this culture. The theme of "bling" and "shining" is prominent throughout the song, with the lyrics saying "bling bling, keep me on shine while I make the ching ching." The song also highlights the bond between a man and his woman's best friend, as the singer claims to be "flossin' with my girl's best friend, shinin' with my girl's best friend, blindin' with my girl's best friend."

Line by Line Meaning

Bling bling
The sound of the shiny and expensive jewelry makes an impression and signifies wealth and status.

Keep me on shine while I make the ching ching
Wearing expensive jewelry keeps me looking good, while I make money (ching ching) from my endeavors.

You so precious, like a burst of joy
The person being addressed is precious and brings joy and happiness to the singer.

I heard your boy Jacob got the best shit
Jacob, the person being referred to, is known for having the best and most expensive jewelry.

You so hot you make me hot
The attraction to the person being addressed is so intense that it makes the artist feel hot and bothered.

Boy, and he's got you 'round the whole watch, boy
The person addressed is wearing a watch that is so expensive that it goes around the whole wrist.

And so expensive
The jewelry being referenced is very expensive and costs a lot of money.

But well worth it
Despite the high cost, the jewelry is worth the investment as it brings joy and happiness to the wearer and those around them.

I heard it's a Dilla that rents some
There is a rumor that the person named Dilla is someone who rents out expensive jewelry to others.

It's so ugly when the ice lit
The jewelry looks unattractive when the diamonds are lit in certain lighting conditions.

You with me, the feeling is priceless
Being with the person being addressed brings an immeasurable amount of happiness and satisfaction to the singer.

You so beautiful when you in the row
The person being addressed looks especially beautiful when they are wearing their expensive jewelry.

It's something awful, what you do to the prose
The person being addressed has a profound effect on the way people express themselves through their writing or speech.

You ain't guess then you ain't listenin'
If you can't guess the true meaning behind the singer's words, then you are not paying close enough attention.

I'm flossin' with my girl's best friend
The singer is showing off their expensive jewelry, which happens to belong to their partner's best friend.

Shinin' with my girl's best friend
The jewelry is shining brightly and catching people's attention while the artist is out with their partner's best friend.

I'm blindin' with my girl's best friend
The jewelry is so shiny and bright that it is almost blinding to those who see it.

When I raise 'em in the sky
When the singer raises their hands, which have the expensive jewelry on them, up in the air.

Shine so bright, it'll blind your eye
The jewelry is so bright and shiny that it could temporarily cause blindness if someone were to look directly at it.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend
The saying that diamonds are a girl's best friend refers to the idea that women love and value expensive and shiny jewelry.

Rollin' with you until the end
Spending time with the person being addressed, with their expensive jewelry, until the end (of time).

You with the whole team, get the pearls on the ding ding
The person being addressed is with the entire group and it is time to show off their pearls and get people's attention.

They see the shine, they eat it up
People are drawn to and love the shiny and expensive nature of the jewelry being worn by the person being addressed.

They see the flow, but they can't see the time
People can see the jewelry and the way it looks, but they don't understand the amount of time and effort that goes into acquiring and maintaining it.

You so sparkly
The expensive jewelry being worn by the person being addressed is so shiny and sparkly that it catches the eyes of others and draws attention.

If you ain't a part of me
If you are not with the singer or associated with them, you won't understand or appreciate the value and worth of the jewelry.

It's like the Rockets with no Barkley
An analogy that implies that if the singer and the person being addressed are not together, then it is like a basketball team (Rockets) that is missing its star player (Barkley) and therefore not as valuable or successful.

You so hard, I'm gettin' 'em there with no prob
The jewelry being referenced is so amazing and valuable that it is easy for the artist to attract others and become successful.

I mean the women give me gold stars
The artist is so attractive and successful because of the expensive jewelry they are wearing that women are giving them accolades and praise.

You so special
The jewelry being referred to is very unique and has special qualities that make it more valuable and attractive.

You multifaceted, you can cut glass with it
The jewelry being referenced is not only shiny and valuable, but it also has other practical uses such as cutting glass, making it even more special and valuable.

It's so brilliant
The jewelry being referenced is not only valuable, but it is also very impressive and attractive due to its brilliance (shininess).

Go spend a little dough, look like you sold millions
If you spend a little bit of money on expensive jewelry, you will look like you have made millions of dollars and have great wealth and status.

Plus you everlastin'
The jewelry being referenced is not only valuable and attractive, but it is also everlasting and will last forever.

And drastically important when sportin' your ghetto fashion
Wearing expensive and flashy jewelry is very important when trying to make a statement and show off your style in a certain urban or ghetto environment.

If you stay glistenin', shake your wrist then
If you continue to wear and show off your expensive jewelry, then you should shake your wrist to make it sparkle even more and show people what you have.

Just shine with your girl's best friend
Continue to show off your expensive jewelry, even if it belongs to your partner's best friend.

Ride and blind 'em with your girl's best friend
Keep showing off and blinding people with the expensive jewelry, even if it isn't actually yours to begin with.

Wildin' with your girl's best friend
Having a crazy and wild time while showing off the expensive jewelry that belongs to your partner's best friend.

It's D.I. and your girl's best friend
The artist is bragging about their wealth and success, using expensive jewelry that belongs to their partner's best friend to do so.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES DEWITT YANCEY, DASH CROFTS, JIM SEALS, KENNETH WRAY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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