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Ma Dukes Talks 'Dillatronic' & The Eternal Brilliance Of J Dilla

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY.

With the all-of-a-sudden onset of Dillatronic, the hip-hop world is once again reeling at the arrival of fresh J Dilla. And while, yes, many of the joints heard on the LP's earlybird stream have been circulating the hip-hop file-sharing fringes for some time, to see them all released in one concise and official package is a certified win for the Yancey family. Now, Ma Dukes, the matriarch of that particular clan, has opened up with Complex on her son's musical legacy.

Speaking of Dillatronic specifically, Ma Dukes stressed that "It’s a little bit of everything that he likes, you know, it’s a mix of everything. There’s something special for everybody in it." She also stressed that she's "thrilled with every beat," while acknowledging that much of the material might come across as a surprise for even the most die-hard of Dilla fans. Later in the interview, Ma reminisces on her son's earliest signs of musical brilliance, recalling that "He had perfect pitch and harmony at a couple months old; he couldn’t talk, of course, it was just something that he did. It didn't matter how intricate a song or sound was, he remembered."

Other savory topics covered in the piece include the likelihood of even more posthumous Dilla releases, the young Yancey's appreciation for opera and the moment Ma Dukes finally decided to encourage her son as he devoted his entire life's purpose to making music. Ms. Yancey's full interview is a certified must-read for Okayplayers everywhere; we strongly suggest you head over to Complex and read on up.