Shinola releases product line inspired by J Dilla

The late Detroit hip-hop producer J Dilla was beloved for his unique sense of rhythm and time feel (explored deeply in Dan Charnas’s aptly named recent biography Dilla Time), so perhaps it’s no surprise that he would be honored by Shinola with a new line of luxury watches.

The Detroit-based luxury watchmaker announced on Monday a partnership with the J Dilla Estate that includes a line of products inspired by the influential beatmaker, who was born James Dewitt Yancey and died in 2006 at age 32.

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The capsule includes two limited-edition watches. The Shinola x J Dilla Chronograph retails for $1095 and features a cassette tape dial representing Dilla’s early forays into beatmaking, while the Shinola x J Dilla Skeleton sells for $2,250 and sports a design evocative of an analog sound signal.

The product line is rounded out by a Shinola x J Dilla Record Bag for $895, a nod to Dilla’s reputation as a crate digger who could find the perfect samples from old jazz records.

The collection is part of Shinola’s Great American Series, “which honors American icons that have shaped, influenced, and changed American culture,” the company says.

Dilla was known for his innovative use the Akai MPC drum machine, which was introduced to him by musical mentor and Conant Gardens neighbor Amp Fiddler. Dilla’s signature “woozy” sound would go on to have a major impact on hip-hop, neo-soul, and jazz.

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“J Dilla’s impact isn’t just heard, it’s a foundational heartbeat of modern music,” Shinola said in a statement. “Since 2014 his personal MPC has been housed in the Smithsonian, as a testament to a legacy that included collaborating with icons like Erykah Badu, Janet Jackson, Common, and A Tribe Called Quest.”

Detroit rapper Big Sean teased the new collection in a video announcement in March.

The Shinola x J Dilla collection is available starting Thursday from shinola.com and in stores including company’s Motor City flagship at 441 W. Canfield St., Detroit.

What we saw at the Detroit release party for Shinola’s new J Dilla collection

This article appears in May 7-13, 2025.