J Dilla Street Gets Unveiled Ahead of the Late Producer's Birthday

J Dilla’s legacy lives on.

Nearly two decades after his death, the celebrated music producer, born James Dewitt, was honored with his very own street sign in Detroit.

The dedication was announced in October after the Detroit City Council voted to commemorate five hometown heroes with secondary street signs. The other honorees were Vincent Chin, Earl Cureton, Yancey, Horace Sheffield Jr., and Joseph Anthony “Amp” Fiddler.

According to Billboard, the latter was a singer-songwriter and producer who gave J Dilla his first drum machine.

The J Dilla street sign was unveiled on Thursday, a day before J Dilla’s birthday. The sign now sits at the corner of Nevada and Charest Street, which is close to his childhood home.

Producer Sango and Fake Shore Drive's Andrew Barber were among those who celebrated the tribute online.

J Dilla’s daughters Ja’Mya Yancey and Ty-Monae Whitlow attended the unveiling in East Detroit and shared a few words on their dad’s legacy.

“This is long overdue for my father,” Yancey told the crowd, according to FOX 2. “He left it up to us, his family, to continue to make sure that his genius was not left behind or forgotten … And that’s exactly what we are doing, have been doing, and will continue to do.”

Yancey and Whitlow played a big role in securing an honorary street sign for their father: They went through the neighborhood collecting signatures for the required petition.

“We were out here, on foot, getting signatures from people,” Yancey recalled. “It was so good to see that people were like, ‘Oh yeah! I know exactly who you’re talking about. We’ll support it!’ He put his stamp on the map, everyone knows his stamp’s on the map, and now it’s official. It’s on the street!”

In addition to the street sign, city officials designated Feb. 7 as J Dilla Day.

J Dilla died at age 32 on Feb. 10, 2006 at his Los Angeles home. According to Billboard, his death was due to complications with lupus.