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what my favourite album means to me:
Donuts, in the real world, isn't a well known album. In the world of music and hip hop, it's as big as they come. The album is somewhat infamous now, but if you don't know the story, I'll tell you. Donuts was released on February 7, 2006, J Dilla's 32nd birthday, and only three
days before his death. He had been diagnosed with an incurable blood disease TTP in 2002 and he had also been diagnosed with lupus earlier. The majority of this album was composed from a hospital bed, and he was just doing what he loved doing.
J Dilla was just one of those figures in hip hop, like individual members of the Wu Tang Clan, like Nas, like so many others, he was incredibly important, influential and respected. He featured on many brilliant hip hop albums but his last album is his masterpiece, his parting
gift, his last goodbye. Instead of lying in a hospital bed waiting to die, he was doing what he did best, doing what he loved doing, doing what made him happy, doing what he was truly passionate about and I think that's a truly inspirational and wonderful thing. The story is a
beautiful one, there's no denying it. But I'm not that nausiatingly sentimental and if the album wasn't up to scratch, I wouldn't like it as much as I do or give it a pass due to circumstance. I don't believe other people would either, Donuts wouldn't have become this classic
hip hop album if it wasn't truly brilliant. 29 of the 31 tracks were composed from his hospital bed on a Boss SP-303 sampler and a small 45 record player. The argument concerning Donuts seems to be - meticulously arranged, thought out and put together or an unfocused mess?
Somehow, someway it manages to be both. At first, it's most definitely incohesive, incomplete, choppy and all over the place but then you notice the details, how it's meticulously arranged, how there's not a beat out of place and how all of the songs blend and flow into one. Due
to its fractured nature, it's definitely a grower. At first there's nothing to really latch on to. It all feels like segments of a song and incomplete. You know an iTunes preview of a song, where it's like 30 seconds? At first, it feels like that. Then with each listen, the
little songs become little pieces of unforgettable brilliance. There's a lot of emphasis on flow and all of the songs flow into each other brilliantly and progress fantastically. It's brilliantly produced, meticulously arranged, the beats are great, there's a fantastic use of
soul samples, outstanding drum and piano effects. Donuts is most definitely a perfect if you have a short attention span, a truly wonderful achievement and a love letter to the music J Dilla loved. His legacy will be forever honoured through his music. Rest in peace.
