The J Dilla Foundation, Detroit, MI

June 1, 2010                                                                       For Immediate Release

J DILLA FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL BENEFIT & LAUNCH PARTY

DETROIT, MI – The J Dilla Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) public charity, announces the anticipated celebration of the re-established organization’s first event and fundraiser  June 12, 2010 at the G.R. N’Namdi Gallery (52 E. Forest) a contemporary art gallery in the newly revitalized Midtown Detroit. The event will be hosted by Detroit’s soulful crooner recording artist Dwele and BET’s Comicview and P.Diddy’s Bad Boys of Comedy comedian “The Great Dr. Bobo Lamb.”  The evening will also have a special a performance by recording artist Illa J and presentations will be made to The J Dilla Foundation’s first grant recipients.

All Proceeds from the benefit will go directly to The J Dilla Foundation. Guests will also be invited to visit the ‘Donation Station’ where additional donations can be made to The J Dilla Foundation, and donors will receive an instant tax deductable receipt. The event will also be available for viewing online where the Foundation will  hold a virtual fundraiser and have exclusive merchandise for purchase. Purchases made during the event, including online, will be personally autographed by Maureen “MaDukes” Yancey.

“We are so excited about this event,” Chairwoman Yancey states, “This is the first event for us, by us, and I’m really looking forward to it being a great success, I’m mostly looking forward to making our first grant presentations and getting our programs kicked off.”  The Foundation’s fundraising effort is anticipated to bring approximately $10,000+ of donated funds, of which will be distributed throughout the organizations programs that support local youth music organizations, and to provide scholarships to musically gifted students. “This will be the first of many events, we hope to be leaders in the efforts to enhance and develop arts programs in urban communities across the nation” says Yancey.

About The J Dilla Foundation:
The J Dilla Foundation, whose mission is to help fund inner-city music programs, and provide scholarships to students attending schools that have progressive music curricula, was co-founded by Maureen “MaDukes” Yancey, mother of acclaimed producer James “Jay Dee aka J Dilla” Yancey.  J Dilla was a Grammy award winning record producer and artist who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip-hop scene in Detroit, Michigan. According to NPR.org, he was one of the music industry’s most influential hip-hop artists, working for big-name acts such as Erykah Badu, Busta Rhymes, Common and Janet Jackson.  J Dilla passed away in 2006 after suffering with Lupus and the rare blood disease TTP. The Foundation was established in his name to carry on his legacy by giving youth the gift of music.

To learn more about The J Dilla Foundation, please visit the web site at http://www.JDillaFoundation.org or contact The J Dilla Foundation at 313-355-8488

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Kindra Parker

VP, Executive Director

The J Dilla Foundation
313.355.8488
kindra@jdillafoundation.org

© 2010 The J Dilla Foundation, Inc. at 18456 Wexford St, Detroit, Michigan 48234

Official Launch & Benefit Press Release

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PRESS RELEASE:
ANNOUNCING REORGANIZED J DILLA ESTATE & PLANS FOR J DILLA FOUNDATION
J-DILLA.COM JANUARY 24, 2010

The family of late music producer James “J Dilla” Yancey is extremely pleased to announce the appointment of West Coast probate attorney Alex Borden as administrator of Yancey’s estate, and also to announce the establishment of the official J Dilla Foundation. The developments mark a new chapter in preserving and enhancing the legacy of the legendary artist and secure a means of future prosperity for his mother, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey, daughters Ja’Mya Yancey and Ty-Monae Whitlow, and brother, John “Illa J” Yancey.

“I’m so excited because it’s like one big organization,” says Maureen Yancey, who has worked tirelessly to ensure that the well-being of her family remains a priority for all involved and her son’s accomplishments are held in a positive and productive light. “We’ve got cutting-edge people all over the country waiting to work and be a part of it. Everybody’s on one accord it seems like the universe is working with us.”

Borden came on board last April following Arthur Erk’s tenure as Executor and has been working closely with the Yancey family in developing creative opportunities for J Dilla’s vast catalog of music. Says Yancey: “It’s awesome to not only have things back on the right track, but to have people who are really in your corner. I’m just blown away by the past few years, and working doubly hard to get things corrected, it drives you. It’s wonderful.”

The Estate will serve as the channel through which the Yancey family will receive financial benefit from the J Dilla/Jay Dee name, merchandise, and recordings; the goal of which is to create a successful, joyous, and profitable enterprise to be controlled by the family once the probate process is complete. All business dealings with the music of James Yancey, Pay Jay Productions, Inc. and the Estate of James Yancey should be directed to the Estate through the newly launched official J Dilla website www.j-dilla.com. The Estate will also manage contracts, copyrights, and other matters relating to the Yancey name and/or Pay Jay Productions, Inc., and welcomes ideas, requests, and licensing opportunities for evaluation and review with the family.

“We’re very happy about it,” says Yancey in regards to her family’s relationship to the new administration. “The entire family knows how Alex’s team works and how they’ve pulled together and stood up for us even before this time, and it’s just been excellent. The communication is wonderful. It’s like family…we’re just one big family.”

In a separate but complementary role to the Estate, the newly established J Dilla Foundation has filed for tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit charitable institution to help fund the development of music in the inner city and provide scholarships to students enrolled at schools with progressive music curricula. Four initiatives will be launched each year and three cities chosen to enhance local music programs, with scholarships awarded to one or more students at the beginning of the fall semester. Target cities for 2010 are Detroit, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. The Foundation will hold fundraisers in each city with each effort anticipated to bring approximately in $10,000+ of donations.

“One of the things Dilla wanted me to do with his legacy was to use it to help others, people with illness, and kids who were musically gifted but had little hope due to poverty,” says Yancey, founder and chair of the Foundation. “The Foundation is to keep Dilla’s dream alive to help youth—those who aspire to make good music—and develop their time, talent, and nurture their skill. We also want to be there financially for those who are talented but don’t have the money or access to the networks they need to help them grow.”

By the time of his death in February of 2006 from complications due to Lupus, Yancey was revered by the music world for his contributions to hip-hop and R&B, emerging from the mid-1990s underground hip-hop scene in Detroit, Michigan to become one of the industry’s most influential artists. “Every year, Dilla and his dream get bigger and bigger,” says Yancey. “Every time I go to a different city and visit with his fans, the dream just grows. It’s something that I can’t even describe, and it’s not going to die.”

Contact:

Estate of J Dilla/James Yancey
www.j-dilla.com

J Dilla Foundation
www.jdillafoundation.org