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.
Donuts is a joy, from start to finish – amazing given the circumstances of its creation ... It’s entirely instrumental, sampled snatches of vocals aside, and yet feels like a really personal statement, a beyond-satisfying epilogue of sorts.
Donuts is a big black pot of sonics, comparable only to Madlib's 2002 effort, Blunted in the Bombshelter, the difference being that this is all original material.
Where Champion Sound built and expanded on Dilla's signature champion sound, Donuts blasts off into the sonic stratosphere, straying far from his trademark neck-snapping drums, dirty keyboards, and backward melodies in favor of stream-of-consciousness weirdness and free-associative sonic experimentation.
Like the titular snack, Dilla’s Donuts are best shared, and the late great one brought 31 treats for his fellows to sample.
Even if ... it never quite adds up to more than the sum of its parts, it's never less than a pleasure to listen to.
Donuts is an album that is as deep in soul as it is wide in funk.
Even if you don’t know your Pollution II from your Population II records, Donuts still makes for a helluva head-nodding mix.
It's Dilla's show-and-tell method, however, that's most effective, because it illustrates how he's, more or less, upgrading soul music-- we get to see how he unpacked its bag, what spots he told it it missed ... In that sense, Donuts is pure postmodern art-- which was hip-hop's aim in the first place.
people unironically listen to this shit?? HOOW??? not a single rap man to be found. its literally just noise. this site has really gone to the dogs. r.i.p. bozo 😹👎👎
This was absolutely genius
J. Dilla truly was a masterful beat maker it's a shame that his illness caused him to depart from this world all too soon.
RIP James Dewitt Yancey
(i know im on a streak of really high ratings. this is my last for the time being.)
It is a cold autumn's night. The wind gently stewed the leaves from their branches outside of my window. There, I sat by my record shelf, looking for ambiance. Eventually, I pull Dilla's seminal work Donuts off the shelf. "Ah, yes, a true classic," I thought, "let's spin this." I proceed to calmly put the vinyl on my player and queue up the next record for sides C and D. I then slouch at my ... read more
Loosely listened to this album years ago, glad I came back to it.
Only instrumental tape that’s made me shed tears, so many moving pieces of music from the perspective of a man that had his life cut way too short and knew what was coming.
What Jimi was to the guitar, Max Roach to the drums and Aretha to the microphone, J Dilla was to the Drum Machine.
Rest in Peace to the GOAT.
1 | Donuts (Outro) 0:12 | 91 |
2 | Workinonit 2:57 | 95 |
3 | Waves 1:38 | 92 |
4 | Light It 0:35 | 91 |
5 | The New 0:49 | 93 |
6 | Stop 1:39 | 98 |
7 | People 1:23 | 92 |
8 | The Diff'rence 1:52 | 94 |
9 | Mash 1:31 | 94 |
10 | Time: The Donut of the Heart 1:38 | 98 |
11 | Glazed 1:21 | 88 |
12 | Airworks 1:44 | 92 |
13 | Lightworks 1:55 | 94 |
14 | Stepson of the Clapper 1:01 | 87 |
15 | The Twister (Huh, What?) 1:16 | 89 |
16 | One Eleven 1:11 | 91 |
17 | Two Can Win 1:47 | 95 |
18 | Don't Cry 1:59 | 98 |
19 | Anti-American Graffiti 1:53 | 95 |
20 | Geek Down 1:19 | 94 |
21 | Thunder 0:54 | 92 |
22 | Gobstopper 1:05 | 95 |
23 | One for Ghost 1:18 | 92 |
24 | Dilla Says Go 1:16 | 93 |
25 | Walkinonit 1:15 | 93 |
26 | The Factory 1:23 | 83 |
27 | U-Love 1:00 | 95 |
28 | Hi. 1:16 | 89 |
29 | Bye. 1:27 | 94 |
30 | Last Donut of the Night 1:39 | 97 |
31 | Welcome to the Show 1:11 | 97 |
#35 | / | Cokemachineglow |
#38 | / | Pitchfork |