J Dilla Remembered In Detroit With Official Street Sign & Holiday
Written by djfrosty on February 10, 2025
Source: Gregory Bojorquez / Getty
Across the nation, February is Black History Month. But in Detroit, it’s Dilla Month.
The celebrations for the acclaimed producer James “J Dilla” Yancey were louder than ever this year—just one year shy of the 20th anniversary of his passing.
February 7th was officially recognized as “J Dilla Day” in Detroit and a street sign was installed on the street where the icon grew up.
“Words cannot describe how grateful we are for this declaration,” said his youngest daughter, Ja’Mya Yancey, per Detroit’s Channel 955. “For years, he has been celebrated for the entire month of February all over the city, country and the world. My sister [Ty-Monae Whitlow] and I continue to try to uplift and honor his name and legacy, and this is such a monumental step to help us continue on the work he left behind.”
Dan Charnas, the author of the celebrated book Dilla Time, also came to celebrate the honor on Instagram.
“A great morning in Detroit. A lot of people worked very hard to get to this moment, the first real official recognition of the work and legacy of James Dewitt Yancey from the City of Detroit,” Charnas wrote.
“Much respect and admiration to his daughters [Ja’Mya Yancey] and [Ty-Monae Whitelow]. To [Joylette Hunter] who did the heavy lifting, and to [Detroit councilwoman Mary Sheffield] who shepherded this process. To the folks at the James Dewitt Yancey Estate, and to [Questlove], [Common], [Pete Rock], [Karriem Riggins] and [Jessica Care Moore]. If you nurtured or worked with Dilla, you helped to get this done, too.”
Additionally, Dilla’s mother Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey and the James Dewitt Yancey Estate hosted a Dilla Day concert on Feb. 8 and performers included Slum Village, Guilty Simpson and more. The proceeds from the event went to the victims of the Eaton wildfires.
James DeWitt Yancey better known as J. Dilla passed away on February 10, from a rare blood disorder called TTP a form of lupus.
He is one of several creatives who have been honored with street namings this year including his mentor, Amp Fiddler.