Donuts

J Dilla

2006

3.47

Rating

Votes

17%

34%

20%

25%

Distribution

Genres: Hip Hop Styles: Boom Bap, Cut Updj, Instrumental

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Album Summary

Donuts is the second studio album by the American hip hop producer J Dilla, as well as the final album to be released in his lifetime. It was released on February 7, 2006, by Stones Throw Records, on his 32nd birthday, just three days before his death. Produced in 2005, it is an instrumental hip-hop album structured in an infinite loop, consisting of 31 tracks with 34 different samples from rock, jazz, and soul. Dilla's health began to decline following a tour in early 2002. He was diagnosed with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and lupus; he spent the following years in and out of hospitals, including a stay at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in 2005. He continued producing music in his free time. Conflicting accounts exist regarding the recording of Donuts; one states Dilla produced the album at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, while another, presented by writer Dan Charnas, states it originated as a homemade demo tape that was later finalized by Stones Throw art director Jeff Jank. Donuts received widespread critical acclaim for its dense, eclectic sampling and its perceived confrontation of mortality. Pitchfork placed the album at number 38 on their list of the top 50 albums of 2006, and at number 66 on their list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the album at 386 in their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It is regarded by fans and critics alike as J Dilla's magnum opus, a classic of instrumental hip-hop, and one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time, with artists of many genres citing it as an inspiration.

Reviews

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Length: All Short Long

May 02 2026 Author

One of the biggest oversights of the official list. If DJ Shadow is on there, this needs to be too.

May 08 2026 Author

If you like random noise for 40 minutes, this is for you. It wasn’t for me.

May 08 2026 Author

Classic ! Should be in the original list for sure.

May 10 2026 Author

One of the sampling masterworks up there with the Avalanches' 'Since I Left You,' a tapestry of soundbites and melodies coming together to form something so much greater than its parts. The hip-hop stylings of this LP set it apart as something wholly unique, however, with a sonic world all its own populated with some fun recurring elements and characters (WORKINGONIT). Dips its toes into a great mix of valences (the slightly sinister pull of the vocals outside 'Lightworks' minor key sends shivers down my spine every time) and invokes so many emotions on its sonically-splintered yet liquid smooth journey. J Dilla deserved a career as prolific and creative as MF DOOM, we're all that much creatively poorer for living in a world where was taken too soon. RIP to a real one and thanks to whomever added this masterpiece to the list.

May 10 2026 Author

Donuts is the second album of hip hop producer J Dilla released three days before his death. The tracks are all short sketches composed of a lot of samples. It received great reviews. Personally I think it's OK, but not more than that. As I wrote these tracks remain just sketches and at thew moment the rhythm and song structure start to stick they have ended. Also each of the songs heavily rely on a few of the samples, making you question you are listening to a remix or a new composition.

May 12 2026 Author

I wanted to like this more but I just didn’t relate. Backstory is sad and interesting, album is unique. But I really struggled to enjoy it which makes me wonder a bit what I’m missing.

May 10 2026 Author

Rating: 10/10

May 10 2026 Author

This has long since been a favourite of mine. Whether you can consider this music in the traditional sense I don't know but to me this is interesting and vital. It sends me to another world and that is the important thing.

May 12 2026 Author

RIP my goat

May 15 2026 Author

Another one that is so obvious I really thought it would have already been included. A document to the great musician of hip-hop. The 3 song run of Two Can Win–Don’t Cry–Anti-American Grafitti is an all-timer. R.I.P. 🍩

May 02 2026 Author

Very interesting, always wanted to give this album a listen. Kinda jumbled, but it might be the charm of it

May 08 2026 Author

This is certainly a dense and richly layered little melange of sound. I remain stubbornly skeptical of things almost wholly constructed of other people's art. But I'll suspend that grumpy old man objection on this one out of, you know, respects.

May 11 2026 Author

Not fair! This album is ∞ minutes long. I don't have an eternity to listen to J Dilla not first listen! but it's been a while, so I appreciate being reminded of this I will say my prior impression of a summery instrumental hip-hop album is complicated by all this oddball noises I don't remember from last listen. An album I literally heard hours before putting this on is Starsailor by Tim Buckley. One would think the weirdness of that one would make this seem normal by comparison, but no I never realized that Ghostface Killah's Fishscale (also from 2006) samples this, I will have to check that out again. It really helps to go around the donut at least a second time, the seeming lack of a coherent structure feels better when you remember it's just looping around to the intro track Decided to get off this ride at track 19, "Anti-American Graffiti", perhaps next time I play this album, I'll start there HL: "Workingonit", "Stop", "Time: the Donut of the Heart", "Lightworks", "One Eleven", "Two Can Win", "Last Donut of the Night"

May 12 2026 Author

The best

May 13 2026 Author

J Dilla was a hip hop producer who, prior to his death in 2006, crafted a number of beats for some of the greatest artists and albums at the time. In fact, you have already heard his work on a number of albums on the original 1001 list, including Voodoo by D'Angelo, Like Water for Chocolate and Be by Common, Mama's Gun by Erykah Badu, and Fishscale by Ghostface Killah. A master of his craft, Dilla was dedicated to honing his beat-making skills and seeking out fresh samples. While he would rap on his debut album Welcome 2 Detroit, most people appreciate him for his beat tapes. The funny thing about beat tapes is that they are moreso meant for other artists who are looking for a producer rather than general audiences. However, Dilla's work on Donuts is so vibrant and lovingly made that it doesn't need an MC to shine. An album like this is a testament to the hardworking beatmakers who are, more or less, half of what makes hip hop so great. More than just a bouncing rhythm, it's a synthesis of other great genres in order to make something more than the sum of its parts. Dilla arguably understood this better than anyone. Three days following the release of Donuts, J Dilla passed away due to cardiac arrest. It was likely brought on by his already-troubling medical problems at the time, which forced him to slow down his incredible output. By this point, he had cemented a legacy amongst hip hop artists and fans alike as one of the greatest producers to ever live. He was 32. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes.

May 03 2026 Author

Just your standard slow hiphop.

May 04 2026 Author

Instrumental hip-hop, alternative hip-hop, plunderphonics. Ni fu ni fa.

May 04 2026 Author

Nice

May 05 2026 Author

Was okay

May 08 2026 Author

I almost skipped this one because I'm just not really into hip hop. But when I saw J Dilla's Detroit tigers hat on the cover I figured I should give him a listen. I'm glad I did. Still not my favorite genre, but I enjoyed this overall. Sad that he died way too young. 3 stars.

May 10 2026 Author

Kinda feel the same about this how I feel about "Modal Soul", another instrumental hip-hop album from the same era - Sacred cow album that I feel like is almost impossible to truly dislike, but also I don't get much out of it other than "Yeah that was pretty cool". The backstory is inseparable from discussions of this album, and it is definitely as heartbreaking as it is empowering - a man knowing he was going to die doing everything in his power to finish his magnum opus. It definitely makes a lot of the songs on here land hard ("Don't Cry"), but I also don't think it really comes through for me as much as it does other people. Worthy addition though. 3/5.

May 16 2026 Author

I don’t vibe with this kind of music. I don’t get the repetitive sampling.