Maureen ‘Ma Dukes’ Yancy, mother of late hip-hop producer J Dilla, has revealed details of Rebirth of Detroit, an album that draws heavily on previously unreleased material from her son.
Due for release later this year, the aim of the album – curated by Dukes – is to “promote unity within the city’s hip hop” community, and will feature unreleased Dilla material alongside work from Detroit artists who collaborated with him in the past.
She said: "This will bring together artists that have drifted away from one another and haven’t been able to work with each other lately … It’s a healing process for the city…for individuals it’s going to bring back the love passion and the passion for the music and for what hip-hop has to offer… hip-hop is a culture, it’s not a passing fancy. It’s thriving and growing, in a wonderful way. It has a positive message and learning experience for all ages.”
You can watch Dukes’ video statement below.
