Mike Styles, host of Beats of All-Nations Radio, is interviewing Ma Dukes and Slum Village ahead of Dilla Day LA.

SLUM VILLAGE

Chances are, if you are anywhere near the Detroit music scene, you have heard of the influential hip hop trio that makes up Slum Village. The group was founded in the early 90’s by 3 childhood friends: Baatin, T3, rapper and producer Jay Dee a.k.a. J Dilla, who all grew up together in the Conant Gardens neighborhood of Detroit, MI. After leaving Pershing High School, the trio began to forge a path into the Detroit underground hip hop scene and quickly found themselves steadily gaining popularity, where they originally went by the name Ssenepod. Dopeness spelled backwards.

Slum Village continues their journey with their Longest Line Up (12 yrs.), with invigorated energy as T3 and Grammy nominated producer Young RJ hold down the legacy.

MA DUKES

Madukes is the mother of the late James Dewitt Yancey aka J Dilla, and she carries the torch high for her son. Working with Timothy Burnside, she has assisted in the induction of James Dewitt Yancey into the new Smithsonian African American Museum, scheduled to open early 2016.

In May 2006, Ma Dukes established the Jdillafoundation under the guidance of J.Barber and Mannat & Stewart. In 2015 this foundation was given an Extra Credit Award by the HipHop Education Center for Best National Foundation.

It has renamed the foundation with her son’s given name to honor him as an African American man and to give honor as well to his father Beverly Dewitt Yancey. His father was deeply instrumental in his musical journey and instilled the love of multiple genres to this teaching.

Currently, Ma Dukes is working together with the Save the Music Foundation to help spread the word to parents and educators alike of the benefit of the JDilla Tech Grant.

These interviews are in collaboration with Dilla Day, an event celebrating the life and work of J Dilla, the prolific artist and producer whose innovative style revolutionized the music industry. His untimely passing on February 10th, 2006 left a void in the hearts of fans worldwide but his spirit lives on through his timeless art and legacy.