James Yancey, more popularly known as J. Dilla, is dead. It’s not news, as he died over two years ago, but the hip-hop world still feels the pain. J. Dilla was a renowned producer and was one of the pioneers of the neo-soul movement in hip-hop. After working with Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village and Pharcyde, Dilla died at the young age of 32.

Now that the dust has settled on the news of Dilla’s death, the debt and financial issues he left behind are now plaguing his legacy. Dilla was a brand in himself, as his production and unique soul-inspired sound was something most hip-hoppers were simply unaccustomed to. Now that his brand lives on and rappers attempt to showcase their skills on a Dilla beat, his estate lawyer is becoming troubled.

Arthur Erk, his estate lawyer, explained the issue with bootlegs to L.A. Weekly: “…we’ve had to expend estate cash to shut stuff down. If we don’t, it cheapens the value of his brand. We’re trying to protect his legacy and his heirs.”

Recent examples of these bootlegs are Dillagence, a free mixtape by Mick Boogie and Busta Rhymes that uses previously unreleased Dilla beats, and the leak of Pay Jay, a previously unreleased album that was supposed to be distributed by MCA Records.

Although Erk took out a page in Billboard magazine exclaiming that he must approve anyone’s use of Dilla’s music and creative property, he simply explains, “We’re not sure how many Dilla beats are floating around.”

Though a positive and hopeful attempt, Erk’s ad will most likely prove to be no more than a pass-over page in the new issue of Billboard. Just as video once killed the radio star, the Internet seems to be doing the same to the underground star.