Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Donuts was made on a hospital bed and in a home studio, on a stripped-down setup with a stack of vinyl. Released on its maker's 32nd birthday, three days before he passed away, the album has a resonance deeper than anyone could've hoped for or even imagined. Some who were close to Dilla have said that there are hidden messages in the samples, the track titles, and who knows where else. It's impossible not to speculate about some things, like the track titled "Don't Cry," the looped "broken and blue" from a version of "Walk on By," the presence of Eddie Kendricks singing "My people, hold on," or the fact that there are 31 tracks, a possible signal that Dilla survived a little longer than he expected. Then again, for every possible message, there are two or three elements that could've been designed to throw any analysis off its trail. After all, if there's one single image that the disc brings to mind, it's that of Dilla goofing off, having fun with some of his favorite records, and messing with some heads in the process. (And you could probably make the album's title out to be a metaphor for the circle of life, but sometimes a donut is just a donut.) Armed with sources that are either known to novice sample spotters or only the most seasoned diggers -- surprisingly, the former greatly outweighs the latter -- Dilla's also just as likely to leave his samples barely touched as he is to render them unrecognizable. It's fitting that Motown echoes, a predominant theme, are often felt, from the use of Dionne Warwick's Holland-Dozier-Holland-written "You're Gonna Need Me" (on "Stop"), to the shifting waves of percussion plucked from Kendricks' "People... Hold On" (on "People"), to the Stevie-like piano licks within Kool & the Gang's "The Fruitman" ("The Diff'rence"). Most of the tracks fall into the 60-90 second range. It's easy to be overwhelmed, or even put off, by the rapid-fire sequence, but it's astounding how so many of the sketches leave an immediate impression. By the third or fourth listen, what initially came across as a haphazard stream of slapped-together fragments begins to take the shape of a 44-minute suite filled with wistful joy. Like everything else Dilla has ever done, Donuts is not defining; in fact, elements of its approach bare the apparent influence of Jaylib collaborator Madlib. His mode has always been too slippery and restlessly progressive to be equated with any one track or album, but Donuts just might be the one release that best reflects his personality.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
Galt McDermot, Composer - James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist - McDermot Music (SOCAN) (50%), MusicPublisher - Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc. for itself and obo E.P.H.C.Y. Publishing (ASCAP) (50%), MusicPublisher
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
James Yancey, Composer - J Dilla, Producer, MainArtist
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
Album review
Donuts was made on a hospital bed and in a home studio, on a stripped-down setup with a stack of vinyl. Released on its maker's 32nd birthday, three days before he passed away, the album has a resonance deeper than anyone could've hoped for or even imagined. Some who were close to Dilla have said that there are hidden messages in the samples, the track titles, and who knows where else. It's impossible not to speculate about some things, like the track titled "Don't Cry," the looped "broken and blue" from a version of "Walk on By," the presence of Eddie Kendricks singing "My people, hold on," or the fact that there are 31 tracks, a possible signal that Dilla survived a little longer than he expected. Then again, for every possible message, there are two or three elements that could've been designed to throw any analysis off its trail. After all, if there's one single image that the disc brings to mind, it's that of Dilla goofing off, having fun with some of his favorite records, and messing with some heads in the process. (And you could probably make the album's title out to be a metaphor for the circle of life, but sometimes a donut is just a donut.) Armed with sources that are either known to novice sample spotters or only the most seasoned diggers -- surprisingly, the former greatly outweighs the latter -- Dilla's also just as likely to leave his samples barely touched as he is to render them unrecognizable. It's fitting that Motown echoes, a predominant theme, are often felt, from the use of Dionne Warwick's Holland-Dozier-Holland-written "You're Gonna Need Me" (on "Stop"), to the shifting waves of percussion plucked from Kendricks' "People... Hold On" (on "People"), to the Stevie-like piano licks within Kool & the Gang's "The Fruitman" ("The Diff'rence"). Most of the tracks fall into the 60-90 second range. It's easy to be overwhelmed, or even put off, by the rapid-fire sequence, but it's astounding how so many of the sketches leave an immediate impression. By the third or fourth listen, what initially came across as a haphazard stream of slapped-together fragments begins to take the shape of a 44-minute suite filled with wistful joy. Like everything else Dilla has ever done, Donuts is not defining; in fact, elements of its approach bare the apparent influence of Jaylib collaborator Madlib. His mode has always been too slippery and restlessly progressive to be equated with any one track or album, but Donuts just might be the one release that best reflects his personality.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 31 track(s)
- Total length: 00:43:24
- Main artists: J Dilla
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Stones Throw Records
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
2006 Stones Throw Records 2006 Stones Throw Records
Distinctions:
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.