Essence Album of the Week - J Dilla - Donuts

stupot0607
stupot0607 Members Posts: 1,914 ✭✭✭
edited January 2012 in The Essence
220px-Dilladonutscover.jpg
Released February 7, 2006

J Dilla is easily one of the most recognisable names in underground hip hop today. Starting out in the mid nineties, his first notable track was with The Pharcyde in 1995 producing the lead single “Runnin“ off their 2nd album Labcabincalifornia LP. Over his career he went on to produce for the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, The Roots, Common, De La Soul & Talib Kweli. Outside of hip hop he produced for Janet Jackson & Erykah Badu, Gaining him recognition as a producer. Dilla also was a member and produced for Detroit group Slum Village.

In 2002 Dilla was diagnosed with a blood disease TTP having previously been diagnosed with Lupus. According to Dilla’s close friend Karriem Riggins 29 of the 31 songs on Donuts were recorded during a extended stay in hospital in the summer of 2005 on a Roland SP-303 sampler.

Dilla passed away 3 days after the release of Donuts, In regards to the name, "Donuts," The New York Times published an article on Dilla's death, on February 14, 2006, saying:
The record company issued a brief note about the title: Easy explanation. Dilla likes donuts. Yesterday his mother managed a chuckle when she confirmed that fact. I just bought two dozen a week ago, she said.

Lightworks:
Waves:
Stop:
Time: The Donut of the Heart
Due to the popularity of the quality of the beats on Donuts, A lot of them have been used by other artists, in many cases to pay homage to the late Jay Dee. Here is a list off the ones that come to mind (Please add on if I miss any)

Dilla: Hi - - Ghostface Killah: Beauty Jackson
Dilla: Bye - - Common: So Far to go
Dilla: One for Ghost - - Ghostface Killah: Whip me with a strap
Dilla: Time: The Donut of the Heart - - The Roots: Cant Stop This
Dilla: People - - Erykah Badu: My People (Reworked by Madlib, but based on People)
Dilla: Light works - - Mf Doom: Lightworks
Dilla: Geek Down - - The last poets, Dead Prez, Common - Panthers
Dilla: Geek Down - - Ghostface Killah: Murder Goons


Questlove On Dilla:
Thought there was no better album to start Essence album of the week with!

Comments

  • Lou Cypher
    Lou Cypher Members Posts: 52,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2012
    First instrumental album i really listened to. i was familiar with Dilla thru work of slum village and Common. Discovered him 6 months or so before he died. had Fantastik Vol 1, Like Water For Chocolate, Welcome 2 Detroit, and Champion Sound playing that entire year, Heard donuts came out so i checked it out, fell in love. Then he died 3 days later. i was pretty upset, didnt even know he was sick. I hear he created this album while in his death bed, along with other albums like Jay Love Japan, The Shining, and i beleive another. (he atleast had a rough draft of the beats for said albums). Just shows how much he loved what he did, and the dedication he put in for his passion. Dude was amazing.
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2012
    My favourite documentary on Dilla:

    Great drop Stupot, you got your sticky as promised! :tu

    I've saved the thread to my computer given that there are some difficulties with the I.C. at this moment in time.

    I advise all posters who put in a lot of effort into a thread to do the same, copying and pasting the raw code into a Word Processing Document just incase of a thread deletion.

    Donuts is an incredible album, agreed.

    I was a fan of Dilla from his SV days and always loved his production on 'Runnin', perhaps the best produced debut track of all time, if it is seen as his introduction into the game.

    As far as producers go, one of the most creative geniuses of all time. I think you have to be a producer to really grasp his genius in ways, but I can appreciate him as much as I can from a person who adores instrumentals in particular.

    Stones Throw also did a contest for the track, 'Last Donut of the Night', I always enjoyed it:

    Props again Stupot!!! :tu
  • Ishi
    Ishi Members Posts: 4,649 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2012
    Props t/s great album.

    One of my favorite producers of all time.
  • stupot0607
    stupot0607 Members Posts: 1,914 ✭✭✭
    edited January 2012
    Great documentry Draft! But that dude saying dilla didnt make any beats in hospital discredits me saying he did in this thread haha....
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2012
    stupot0607 wrote: »
    Great documentry Draft! But that dude saying dilla didnt make any beats in hospital discredits me saying he did in this thread haha....

    Haha don't worry about it!

    Documentaries like that kind of give you such a great insight into the producer though. I think that's dope. He did work on it on his Mac though didn't he?? I watched the documentary a good while ago, tbh.
  • Lou Cypher
    Lou Cypher Members Posts: 52,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2012
    RuffDraft wrote: »

    Documentaries like that kind of give you such a great insight into the producer though. I think that's dope. He did work on it on his Mac though didn't he?? I watched the documentary a good while ago, tbh.

    For a long time his basement was his hospital room i heard. had his equipment in there and do work on the mac.
  • rip.dilla
    rip.dilla Members Posts: 17,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2012
  • twentyfivelighters
    twentyfivelighters Members Posts: 4,771 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2012
    J Dilla forever!
  • rip.dilla
    rip.dilla Members Posts: 17,412 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2012
  • Valentinez A. Kaiser
    Valentinez A. Kaiser Members Posts: 9,028 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2012
  • Slap
    Slap Members Posts: 23
    edited January 2012
    anybody heard PayJay unrealesed album…thats great….
  • stupot0607
    stupot0607 Members Posts: 1,914 ✭✭✭
    edited January 2012
    Slap wrote: »
    anybody heard PayJay unrealesed album…thats great….

    Nahhhh Is it better than Donuts? Where does it rate on Jay Dees Discography?

    Ive just looked it up: The tracklist looks amazing

    1. Diamonds (Produced by Nottz) 2:53
    2. We F'ed Up featuring Frank-N-Dank (Produced by Kanye West 4:06
    3. ? The Police (Produced by Jay Dee) 2:32
    4. Remember featuring Bilal (Produced by Pete Rock) 3:33
    5. Fight Club featuring Boogieman and Nottz (Produced by Waajeed 3:10
    6. Creepin' On You (Producer by Hi-Tek) 2:55
    7. Trucks Produced by J Dilla 3:58
    8. No One Knows (Producer by Supa Dave West) 2:20
    9. Drive Me Wild (Producer by ?uestlove and Karriem Riggins) 2:28
    10. Diary Produced by Bink* 1:19
    11. Remember (Remix) featuring – Bilal Produced by Pete Rock

    Why are all these other producers though????
  • RuffDraft
    RuffDraft Members, Writer Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭✭
    Anyone checked out PayJay since Slap's post???