Detroit Pistons unveil designs of J. Dilla-inspired retail capsule on 313 Day

DETROIT, MI —  The Detroit Pistons unveiled today the designs of a six-piece retail collection with Grammy Award Nominated and platinum-selling rapper, producer, and songwriter Royce 5’9” celebrating the life and legacy of Detroit-born producer, songwriter and rapper J. Dilla and his impact in music and culture.

The retail capsule features a two-piece in-arena exclusive available only at the Team Store at Little Caesars Arena on March 13 as the Pistons celebrate 313 Day against the Toronto Raptors, as well as four additional designs available at both the Team Store at LCA and Pistons313Shop.com.

The six total pieces – a t-shirt, two hats and three hoodies – each pay homage to J. Dilla, his work and his non-traditional style including reimagined looks to his classic album cover “Donuts,” a nod to the Detroit Stars hat he proudly wore, a unique design which includes two of his iconic musical instruments, the Minimog Voyager Synthesizer and Akai MPC3000 MIDI, over a map of downtown Detroit and the two in- arena exclusive pieces only available at Little Caesars Arena on March 13 that blend the sentiment of Dilla’s debut studio album, “Welcome 2 Detroit” laid over Detroit’s Ambassador Bridge and the iconic J. Dilla Donut shop.

“When designing the capsule for the J. Dilla Pistons partnership, our aim was to honor Dilla’s essence,” Royce 5’9” said. “Our interpretation of the iconic “Donuts” album cover was pivotal to the collection, as the album holds significant historical importance within hip-hop circles.”

For more information about the collection visit Pistons.com/JDilla. To purchase the collection on March 13, visit Pistons313Shop.com or purchase tickets to the Detroit Pistons game as they take on the Toronto Raptors at Pistons.com/Tickets and visit the Team Store at Little Caesars Arena.

More about J. Dilla

James Dewitt Yancey, better known as J. Dilla, was a highly influential and innovative hip-hop producer and rapper from Detroit known for a groundbreaking production style. Characterized by his use of soulful samples, intricate drum patterns and the unique sense of rhythm coined as ‘Dilla Time’ in the New York Times bestselling book of the same name, Dilla gained notoriety as a member of the hip-hop trio Slum Village which led to his collaborations with artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, D’Angelo, The Roots, Common, Busta Rhymes and Erykah Badu. His groundbreaking work on projects like “Ruff Draft,” “Donuts” and his posthumously released solo album “The Diary” solidified his reputation as a singular hip-hop talent. Dilla continued to innovate popular music until his untimely death in 2006, leaving behind a legacy that influenced and continues to influence producers and artists in the hip-hop community – Pharrell Williams, Tyler the Creator, Kanye West – and lauded musicians from all genres including Radiohead and Four Tet. As a testament to his lasting impact on American and global music, Dilla’s custom-made Minamoog Voyager synthesizer, used to create his famous and distinctive beats, and his Akai MIDI Production Center 3000 Limited Edition, a rare piece of equipment, are housed at The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture