“An example of striving to be all you can be and working hard to achieve one’s goals in life.”

The mother of the late, great J Dilla – Maureen ‘Ma Dukes’ Yancey – has written a children’s book about her son’s early years.

The book, titled The Life Story of James Dewitt Yancey, has been inspired by the stories from Dilla’s mother, family and siblings and is intended as “an example of striving to be all you can be and working hard to achieve one’s goals in life,” Ma Dukes explained in an interview with Hot 97 on Tuesday (September 27).

The book is out November 22, although available to pre-order now. Proceeds from sales will go to the James Dewitt Yancey Foundation, which seeks to “enhance and develop urban music programs in inner-city academia”. It will also be accompanied by an audio book, narrated by Ma Dukes herself.

Ma Dukes also spoke about The Smithsonian’s recent acquisition of J Dilla’s hallowed MPC, which will be featured as part of the permanent collection at their National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened last weekend.

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