Illa J is J Dilla’s younger brother. The 21-year old is working relentlessly to keep the Yancey flag flying, even though the mantle seem to be firmly grasped in Black Milk’s palm. And did I mention that he’s nice on the mic? Yup, good music flows in the family. His debut album, Yancey Boys, arrives on November 4, 2008.

For an album constructed around leftover Jay Dee beats from the 90s, Yancey Boys is fresh. There’s an inescapable urge to compare Illa J to Dilla Dawg, but that’s doing the latter a disservice. Dilla was more of a lighthearted rapper who treated every rhyme like a dance partner; Illa sounds more structured and occasionally choppy, by contrast. At any rate, the music is undeniably exciting and overwhelmingly nostalgic. Only time will tell how well (if at all) Illa J will be able to uphold Dilla’s legacy.

Illa J and Guilty Simpson on the Set of “R U Listening”

Illa J - “We Here”
Illa J started working on Yancey Boys after Delicious Vinyl CEO Michael “Mike Floss” Ross handed him his secret stash of Jay Dee tracks. Says Mike Floss: “From ‘95 through ‘98 Jay Dee was my go-to guy for hot beats and remixes. He was always making beats, always. So there was a select amount of tracks that he composed for me during that time, tracks as good as anything he’d done, only they never got used. When I finally met Illa J last year, I gave him a CD containing those unreleased beats.”

Illa J (feat. Guilty Simpson) - “R U Listening”
Illa J trades bars with Guilty Simpson on his 2nd single. “For over a decade these beats have been waiting in the vault for this moment,” says Delicious Vinyl’s Mike Floss. “It’s like Jay Dee made these tracks with an extrasensory purpose, so that Illa J could rap and sing over them when the time was right.”

Illa J - Yancey Boys Tracklist

1. Timeless
2. We Here
3. R U Listenin’ feat. Guilty Simpson
4. Alien Family
5. Strugglin
6. Showtime
7. Swagger
8. Mr. Shakes (skit)
9. DFTF feat. Affion Crockett
10. All Good
11. Sounds Like Love feat. Debit Nova
12. Everytime
13. Illasoul
14. Air Signs

Street Date: November 4, 2008