J Dilla (1974 - 2006)

James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by his stage name J Dilla or Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan. He began his career as a member of the group Slum Village, and was also a driving force in the production trio The Ummah. Yancey started his career under the name Jay Dee (based on his initials) but used the name J Dilla from 2001 onward. Many critics believe J Dilla's work to have had a major influence on his peers and that he embodied the neo soul sound, playing a defining yet understated role during the sub-genre's rise (roughly from the mid-90s to the early 2000s).[wikipedia]