Donuts (album)
Donuts | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 7, 2006 | |||
Recorded | Summer 2005 | |||
Studio | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles) | |||
Genre |
| |||
Length | 43:24 | |||
Label | Stones Throw | |||
Producer | J Dilla | |||
J Dilla chronology | ||||
| ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
Donuts is the second
The album was recorded in 2005, largely during J Dilla's extended stay at
Donuts received widespread critical acclaim for its dense, eclectic sampling and its perceived
Background
In 2002, J Dilla had been diagnosed with thrombotic
In his last interview, which was granted to Scratch Magazine in November 2005, Dilla briefly spoke about the creation of the album:
It’s just a
MCs. That’s basically what it is, ya know? Me flipping records that people really don’t know how to rap on but they want to rap on. There’s a bunch of that.[12]
In the December 2006 issue of The Fader, J Dilla's mother Maureen Yancey, a former opera singer, spoke of watching her son's daily routine during the making of Donuts:
I knew he was working on a series of beat CDs before he came to Los Angeles. Donuts was a special project that he hadn't named yet. This was the tail end of his "Dill Withers" phase, while he was living in Clinton Township, Michigan. You see, musically he went into different phases. He'd start on a project, go back, go buy more records and then go back to working on the project again.
I saw him all day, everyday. I would go there for breakfast, go back to Detroit to check on the daycare business I was running, and then back to his house for lunch and dinner. He was on a special diet and he was a funny eater anyway. He had to take 15 different medications, we would split them up between meals, and every other day we would binge on a brownie sundae from Big Boys. That was his treat.
I didn't know about the actual album Donuts until I came to Los Angeles to stay indefinitely. I got a glimpse of the music during one of the hospital stays, around his 31st birthday, when [friend and producer] House Shoes came out from Detroit to visit him. I would sneak in and listen to the work in progress while he was in dialysis. He got furious when he found out I was listening to his music! He didn't want me to listen to anything until it was a finished product.
He was working in the hospital. He tried to go over each beat and make sure that it was something different and make sure that there was nothing that he wanted to change. "Lightworks", oh yes, that was something! That's one of the special ones. It was so different. It blended classical music (way out there classical), commercial and underground at the same time.[13]
Composition
Donuts is an instrumental hip hop album;[14] the only lyrics on it are short phrases and gasps taken from various records.[15] Donuts contains 31 tracks,[16] which was J Dilla's age at the time of recording.[17] Most songs are quite short, running at lengths of 1–1.5 minutes each,[18] and vary in style and tone.[15] Clash called the album "a conversation between two completely different producers".[19] The original press release for the album compared it to scanning radio stations in an unfamiliar city.[20]
The track order is also unusual: the album begins with an outro and ends with the intro.
Recording
In 2005, J Dilla underwent treatment at
Throughout the year his condition worsened. His legs swelled, making it difficult to walk. At times his hands swelled so much he could barely move them. If the pain was too intense, his mother would massage his fingertips, so he could continue working on the album. Occasionally he would wake up in the middle of the night and ask his mother to move him from his bed to the instruments. According to Kelley L. Carter of Detroit Free Press, Dilla told his doctor he was proud of the work, and that all he wanted to do was to finish the album.[27]
While working on the album, Dilla didn't allow anyone to listen to the unfinished version and was furious when he found out his mother listened to it while he was in dialysis.[3][13]
Release and promotion
Donuts was ready to be released by October 2005, but according to
Donuts was released on February 7, 2006, J Dilla's 32nd birthday.
The album's cover was designed by Stones Throw art director, Jeff Jank. Due to the state of Dilla's health at the time, it was not possible to compose a new photo for the album's cover. Instead, a photo from some raw footage of Dilla hanging out at MED's video shoot for his single, "Push" was used. The raw footage was submitted from director Andrew Gura to Jeff Jank. Seeing the photo, Maureen Yancey stated that she thought this photo perfectly captured her son's spirit.[33] The album's title came from J Dilla's personal fondness for donuts.[34]
Dilla's death, three days after the album's release, was widely mourned by the hip hop community, including all those who worked with him in the past and the years closer to his death, especially Detroit's hip-hop community (which included rapper Proof, a friend and associate of Dilla's, who died soon after Dilla).
Donuts: J Rocc's Picks
To promote the album, Stones Throw, in association with Guitar Center and Adult Swim, released a limited edition EP called Donuts EP: J. Rocc's Picks. The EP contained five extended versions of Donuts instrumentals and the bonus track, "Signs". Copies of the EP were given away on Winter Music Conference (WMC) 2006 and South by Southwest (SXSW) 2006. The label later started selling digital versions of the EP on their official site.[35]
Rereleases
In January 2013, the album was rereleased as a
On September 27, 2014, Donuts was released on
In February 2016, on Donuts's 10th anniversary, LP version of the album was rereleased. It included the original cover art with Jeff Jank's drawing on it, new drawing on the back, and liner notes by Jordan Ferguson, containing an excerpt from his book Donuts from 33⅓ series about the making of the album.[39][40]
Reception and legacy
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
URB | [48] |
Donuts was released to universal acclaim from music critics and has since been a cult favorite.[49] The album holds a score of 84 out of 100 on the review aggregate site Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".[41] Will Dukes of Pitchfork wrote that Donuts showcases Dilla paying homage to "the selfsame sounds he's modernized", and in that sense, the album "is pure postmodern art—which was hip-hop's aim in the first place."[46] PopMatters' Michael Frauenhofer described Donuts as an "album of explosions and restraint, of precisely crafted balances and absurd breakdowns, of the senselessly affecting juxtaposition of the most powerful of dreams."[15] The A.V. Club's Nathan Rabin noted Dilla's "ability to twist and contort samples into unrecognizable new forms" and concluded that "as an album from one of rap's most revered producers on one of hip-hop's most respected labels, Donuts would qualify as a fairly major release under any circumstances, but J Dilla's recent death lends it additional significance and gravity."[42] Andy Kellman of AllMusic wrote that Donuts "has a resonance deeper than anyone could've hoped for or even imagined" given Dilla's passing shortly after its release, and ultimately "just might be the one release that best reflects his personality".[17] Giving it a three-star honorable mention rating in his review for MSN Music, Robert Christgau called Donuts "more about moments than flow, which is strange when you think about it".[50]
In a 2007 guest column for Pitchfork,
Further track appearances
Many rappers have performed over instrumentals from Donuts, both on official and unofficial releases. The tracks "One for Ghost" and "Hi" were used in
Cartoon Network has used many of the album's tracks as bumper music during the Adult Swim programming block. Adult Swim, which has been in a partnership with Stones Throw records, cited the track "Stepson of the Clapper" as a favorite.[61] In 2017, Dave Chappelle used "Workinonit" as the theme music for his two Netflix stand-up specials.[62]
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Donuts (Outro)" | 0:11 |
2. | "Workinonit" | 2:57 |
3. | "Waves" | 1:38 |
4. | "Light My Fire" | 0:35 |
5. | "The New" | 0:49 |
6. | "Stop!" | 1:39 |
7. | "People" | 1:24 |
8. | "The Diff'rence" | 1:52 |
9. | "Mash" | 1:31 |
10. | "Time: The Donut of the Heart" | 1:38 |
11. | "Glazed" | 1:21 |
12. | "Airworks" | 1:44 |
13. | "Lightworks" | 1:55 |
14. | "Stepson of the Clapper" | 1:01 |
15. | "The Twister (Huh, What)" | 1:16 |
16. | "One Eleven" | 1:11 |
17. | "Two Can Win" | 1:47 |
18. | "Don't Cry" | 1:59 |
19. | "Anti-American Graffiti" | 1:53 |
20. | "Geek Down" | 1:19 |
21. | "Thunder" | 0:54 |
22. | "Gobstopper" | 1:05 |
23. | "One for Ghost" | 1:18 |
24. | "Dilla Says Go" | 1:16 |
25. | "Walkinonit" | 1:15 |
26. | "The Factory" | 1:23 |
27. | "U-Love" | 1:00 |
28. | "Hi." | 1:16 |
29. | "Bye." | 1:27 |
30. | "Last Donut of the Night" | 1:39 |
31. | "Welcome to the Show" | 1:12 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[63][64]
- J Dilla – producer
- Peanut Butter Wolf – executive producer
- Dave Cooley – mastering
- Jeff Jank – design
- Andrew Gura – photography
Sample credits
This section possibly contains original research. (August 2023) |
- Donuts (Outro)
- "Stay with Me" by Gary Davis
- Workinonit
- "The Worst Band in the World" by 10cc[65]
- "King of the Beats" by Mantronix
- "The New Style" by The Beastie Boys[66]
- "Six Figures" by Skillz and Ras Kass
- "Pee-Wee's Dance" by Joeski Love
- "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren
- "Sprite: Melonball Bounce" by Raymond Scott
- "Yes It's You" by "Sweet" Charles Sherrell
- Waves
- "Johnny, Don't Do It" by 10cc
- "King of the Beats" by Mantronix
- "Intro" by B.R. Gunna
- Light My Fire
- "Light My Fire" by Africa[67]
- "My Thang" by James Brown
- The New
- "What'cha Gonna Wear Tomorrow" by The Detroit Emeralds
- "The New Style" by The Beastie Boys
- Stop!
- "You're Gonna Need Me" by Dionne Warwick
- "Why?" by Jadakiss
- "Six Figures" by Skillz and Ras Kass
- People
- "My People... Hold On" by Eddie Kendricks[17][18]
- "King of the Beats" by Mantronix
- "Mujhe Maar Daalo" by Asha Bhosle and Laxmikant-Pyarelal
- "Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse)" by Run-D.M.C.
- The Diff'rence
- "The Fruitman" by Kool & the Gang[17]
- "King of the Beats" by Mantronix
- "Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang
- "Six Figures" by Skillz and Ras Kass
- Mash
- "Golden Apples Pt. 2" by Galt MacDermot
- "Season of the Witch" by Lou Rawls
- "Dance Contest" by Frank Zappa
- Time: The Donut of the Heart
- "All I Do Is Think of You" by The Jackson 5
- "Yes It's You" by "Sweet" Charles Sherrell
- "Strangers in the Night" by "Sweet" Charles Sherrell
- Glazed
- "You Just Can't Win (By Making the Same Mistake)" by Gene Chandler and Jerry Butler
- "Dreams" by Ramsey Lewis
- "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" by Edwin Starr
- "Season of the Witch" by Lou Rawls
- Airworks
- "I Don't Really Care" by L.V. Johnson
- Lightworks
- "Lightworks" by Raymond Scott[68]
- "King of the Beats" by Mantronix
- "Bendix 1: The Tomorrow People" by Raymond Scott
- "Six Figures" by Skillz and Ras Kass
- Stepson of the Clapper
- "Long Red (Live)" by Mountain
- The Twister (Huh, What)
- "Kick the Can (Part 1)" by Fred Frith
- "Cloud Nine (Live)" by The Temptations
- "For Once in My Life (Live)" by Stevie Wonder
- "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren
- "His Name Is Mutty Ranks" by A Tribe Called Quest
- "Pee-Wee's Dance" by Joeski Love
- One Eleven
- "A Legend in Its Own Time" by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles
- "Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse)" by Run-D.M.C.
- "King Tim III (Personality Jock)" by The Fatback Band
- Two Can Win
- "Only One Can Win" by The Sylvers
- Don't Cry
- "I Can't Stand (to See You Cry)" by The Escorts
- "Comedy Routine: Hello, Young Lovers / Cloud Nine / If I Didn't Care" by The Temptations
- Anti-American Graffiti
- "Family Tree" by Tin Tin
- "Pee-Wee's Dance" by Joeski Love
- "Emergency Program Over-Ride" by David Ossman[69]
- Geek Down
- "Charlie's Theme" by The Jimi Entley Sound
- "UFO" by ESG
- Thunder
- "Sweet Misery" by Martha Reeves
- "King of the Beats" by Mantronix
- "Who's Making Love (Live)" by Bobby Taylor
- "I Can't Turn You Loose (Live)" by Blinky
- "For Once in My Life (Live)" by Stevie Wonder
- "The Originals
- Gobstopper
- "To the Other Man" by Luther Ingram
- "King of the Beats" by Mantronix
- One for Ghost
- "To the Other Man" by Luther Ingram
- "King of the Beats" by Mantronix
- Dilla Says Go
- "Rubber Bands" by The Trammps
- "Do Ya Thing" by B.R. Gunna
- "No Games" by Jaylib
- "Intro" by B.R. Gunna
- Walkinonit
- "Walk on By" by The Undisputed Truth
- "Six Figures" by Skillz and Ras Kass
- "
- The Factory
- "Animosity" by Fred Weinberg
- "King of the Beats" by Mantronix
- "Mean Old Devil" by Bruce Haack
- U-Love
- "Just Because I Really Love You" by Jerry Butler
- "Do Ya Thing" by B.R. Gunna
- "Intro" by B.R. Gunna
- Hi.
- "Maybe" by The Three Degrees
- Bye.
- Last Donut of the Night
- "To You with Love" by The Moments
- "Rainbow '65" by Gene Chandler
- Welcome to the Show
- "When I Die" by Motherlode
- "Stay with Me" by Gary Davis
Charts
Chart (2006) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[70] | 21 |
See also
References
- ^ "Welcome to Paradise: The Timeless Unreality of Since I Left You?". Varsity Online. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ The Source. Archivedfrom the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ Noisey. Archivedfrom the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Patrin, Nate (January 16, 2013). "J Dilla: Donuts (45 Box Set)". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
- ^ "Rewind: Donuts by J Dilla". TIDAL Magazine. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "Staff Lists: Top 50 Albums of 2005 | Features". Pitchfork.com. December 19, 2006. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ "Staff Lists: The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 100-51 | Features". Pitchfork.com. September 30, 2009. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ "J Dilla: Donuts (45 Box Set)". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 13, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "A Decade Old, Still Fresh: How J Dilla Wrote the Future With 'Donuts'". Observer. February 9, 2016. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ O'Neill, Connor (February 10, 2016). "Life Is A Donut: Reassessing J Dilla's Legacy". Red Bull Music Academy. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "Dagens Dilla : J Dilla - Still Lives Through (Scratch Magazine May/June 2006)". Sirpierre.se. December 16, 2013. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ a b "Shine On...and On (Extended Sentimental Remix)". The Fader. November 18, 2006. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ Soderberg, Brandon (February 15, 2012). "The Rebirth of Instrumental Hip-Hop". Spin. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Frauenhofer, Michael (February 13, 2006). "J Dilla: Donuts". PopMatters. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ^ "A Decade Old, Still Fresh: How J Dilla Wrote the Future With 'Donuts'". Observer.com. February 9, 2016. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Kellman, Andy. "Donuts – J Dilla". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 21, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
- ^ a b c Relic, Peter (February 1, 2006). "J Dilla: Donuts". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 28, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ^ a b "Clash Essential 50 – Number 9". Clash. April 16, 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
- ^ Ferguson 2014, p. 3.
- ^ a b c d Robinson, Collin (February 5, 2016). "Donuts Turns 10". Stereogum. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Ferguson 2014, p. 99.
- ^ Heaton, Dave. "The 100 Best Albums of the 2000s: 80-61". PopMatters. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ a b Soderberg, Brandon (February 1, 2013). "Toro Y Moi: Our Finest J. Dilla Disciple". Spin. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Ferguson 2014, p. 2.
- ^ "The 40 Best Albums of 2006: J Dilla, The Shining (BBE)". Spin. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ a b Carter, Kelley L. (February 23, 2006). "Jay Dee's last days". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ Ferguson 2014, p. 74.
- ^ Ferguson 2014, p. 76.
- ^ Hardy, Ernest (February 14, 2006). "Thank You, J Dilla". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on October 8, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ Ferguson 2014, p. 77.
- ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (February 14, 2006). "James Yancey, Producer Known for Soulful Hip-Hop, Dies at 32". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ "Behind The Smile: J Dilla's Donuts Album Cover | Stones Throw Records". Stonesthrow.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (February 14, 2006). "James Yancey, 32, Producer Known for Soulful Hip-Hop". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
- Stones Throw. Archived from the originalon March 5, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (November 26, 2012). "J Dilla's Donuts to Be Reissued as 7" Box Set". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- Complex. Archivedfrom the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- Consequence of Sound. Archivedfrom the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ Lee, Morgan (February 5, 2016). "J Dilla's Donuts gets 10th anniversary reissue on Stones Throw". Fact. Archived from the original on February 9, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- Stones Throw. Archived from the originalon February 8, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
- ^ a b "Reviews for Donuts by J Dilla aka Jay Dee". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 24, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ^ a b Rabin, Nathan (February 21, 2006). "J Dilla: Donuts". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ^ a b Diver, Mike (February 13, 2014). "Clash Likes To Score: Ten 21st Century 10/10s". Clash. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ^ Carroll, Jim (February 10, 2006). "Hip-Hop". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
- ^ Perlich, Tim (February 2, 2006). "Jay Dee". Now. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
- ^ a b Dukes, Will (February 8, 2006). "J Dilla: Donuts". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 3, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
- ^ "J Dilla: Donuts". Q (237): 119. April 2006.
- URB(134): 113. March 2006.
- ^ "Charlie Coffeen gathers dream team to re-create classic J. Dilla album 'Donuts' - Chicago Tribune". Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (August 2009). "Consumer Guide". MSN Music. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ^ Lennox, Noah (February 15, 2007). "Panda Bear". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 5, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
- Rhapsody. Archived from the originalon November 4, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ^ "Glitch Perfect". Q (367): 117. January 2017.
- ^ ""Stay Down," A Busta Rhymes And Drake Collab Produced By J Dilla, Leaks". Okayplayer. June 18, 2020. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
- ^ "Nas - The Season (Prod. By J Dilla)". Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Talib Kweli - I Feel You (J Dilla)". Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ David, Charles (February 11, 2012). "Big Sean - "Only Two Can Win"". Earmilk. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ "Official Plastic Cups Video - Rapper Big Pooh feat. Joe Scudda & Chaundon". Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Charles Hamilton – And Then They Played Dilla". Metallungies.com. September 17, 2008. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ Marsh, Og Nick (February 20, 2016). "Mixtape Review | Lupe Fiasco – Pharaoh Height 2/30". Focushiphop.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ "Stones Throw". Archived from the original on May 5, 2006. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ Barber, Sam (January 23, 2018). "Album Spotlight: J Dilla – Donuts". The Avocado. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ Donuts (liner notes). J Dilla. Los Angeles, California: Stones Throw Records. 2006. STH2126.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Donuts (liner notes). J Dilla. Los Angeles, California: Stones Throw Records. 2014 [First released 2006]. STH2126CS.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "J Dilla's 10cc Sample on Donuts Is the Subject of Copyright Infringement Lawsuit|Pitchfork". Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ^ "Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill|AllMusic". Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ^ "Africa - Music from "Lil Brown"|AllMusic". Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ^ "The tomorrow people: When J Dilla met Raymond Scott". The A.V. Club. March 18, 2014. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ "David Ossman - How Time Flys Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ "Billboard – Independent Albums: The Week of February 25, 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
Works cited
- Ferguson, Jordan (2014). J Dilla's Donuts. ISBN 9781623561833.
External links
- Donuts at Discogs (list of releases)
- Official website
- Official YouTube playlist