Death Of The Muse: A Dilla Tribute
Posted on 09/17/2008

Inspired by the LA Weekly’s revelatory interview with Ms. Maureen Yancey, mother of deceased producer and hip-hop luminary James Yancy aka J Dilla, Anti-/Epitaph recording artists Solillaquists of Sound have decided to put the power of change into the hands of the people.

Solillaquists of Sound feat. J-Live, Chali 2na, and Ma Dukes "Death of the Muse"

Solilla’s “Death of the Muse,” featuring J-Live, Chali 2na (formerly of Jurassic 5), and Ma Dukes herself will be made available for digital purchase at InSound.com for a minimum donation of $2. In an effort to alleviate the grim financial situation that has been intensified by her declining health, one hundred percent of the proceeds will go directly to Ms. Yancey. In addition to losing her house and taking on an insurmountable number of hospital bills while looking after Dilla in his time of illness, Ms. Yancey was also left with a difficult and estranged relationship with the current executors of her son's estate in the wake of his passing.

“Our new album No More Heroes deals with the theme of heroism in a number of ways,” says Solilla group member/producer DiViNCi. “As a musician, Dilla was my biggest hero, so when we started working on the album a year ago, we intended on dedicating select parts of it to him and donating some of the proceeds to his estate. But as news began to circulate, particularly through the LA Weekly article, it really made it clear that a movement needed to be started to get all of the proceeds directly in the hands of Ms. Yancey.”

‘Death of the Muse’ serves as a tribute to Dilla’s legacy – a call to listeners to appreciate what they’ve got while it’s there, because it can be fleeting. It’s a testament that’s equally applicable to the character of Ms. Yancey. “The dignity and perseverance that she’s exuded during these difficult times is truly its own heroic feat,” DiViNCi continues. “It’s only right to pay homage and lend a hand to her in her time of need.”

The phone call from Solillaquists was a bright moment in what has been a trying time in Ma Dukes’s life. “It swept me off my feet. It was a real mind-blower,” she enthuses. “You never know where your blessings will come from. Sometimes you think that all hope is gone, and then a miracle happens.”

With her own Ma Dukes Foundation currently being set up to raise funds to go towards the youth of Detroit, and SoS group members in the process of launching their own non-profit organization, the Solilla Center 4 Creative Kids in Orlando, both involved parties are focused on putting their energies towards a greater good. “We all have greatness in us that we need to focus on,” Ms. Yancey emphatically states. “I’m going to hang in there as long as I can, and whatever the estate gives me, I’m going to look for the good in things because it always shines through. [The legal battle] is about more than the estate and the attorneys that handle it – it’s about a person and his legacy. And right now I know I have to do the things that Dilla would have wanted me to do, which is to help kids and keep pushing his message of positivity.”

“We’re honored to be helping Ms. Yancey. She’s the type of person that makes you proud to be a human being,” says DiViNCi. “Despite all that she’s been through, she’s a rock of unwavering strength, faith, and humility. That gives us all the more reason to do our part to see that she receives everything she deserves.”

- Sean Kantrowitz

Please visit www.insound.com/madukesdonation to download "Death Of A Muse" and donate to Ma Dukes directly.