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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
, February 15, 2006
This isn't Dilla's best work, far from it really. Had he made this album when healthy, knowing his work ethic, raw talent, and what he was capable of, I'm guessing this would've probably taken him about a week or two to complete. He'd made 5 unreleased beat tapes in 2005 averaging at about 30 tracks each, a large part of each being Donuts-esque instrumentals. Many of them being in my opinion just as good if not better than Donuts itself which I just think proves that he could churn these things out like they were nothing to him. What makes this album so interesting is the backstory on it.
Jay made a good majority of Donuts in the hospital while getting treatment for a slew of fatal diseases he'd been fighting for over four years. Death knocking at his door and was still more concerned with making music. He had a true love for his art and let nothing get in his way from creating it. Even when he should've been at home in bed trying to get better, he was out in a wheelchair touring all across the world. Just pure dedication in every sense of the word. He lived and died for his music.
I feel that certain samples and song titles used and just Jay's whole overall approach with Donuts proves that he knew he wasn't long for this world and that this was the album he wanted to release as his last goodbye. Titles like "Don't Cry", "Last Donut Of The Night", "Bye", "Time: The Donut Of The Heart", and so on. It seems almost every lyric sample used on this album he used as a voice to his final thoughts on his life and death. A few examples -
"Save me" - Workinonit
"You're gonna need me one day, you're gonna want me back in your arms" - Stop
"Wake up world / Time is running out" - Glazed
"There comes a time" - Time: The Donut Of The Heart
"People the time has come" - People
"My family tree, is my history / That's right I'll die here, with the world's most popular visionaries / There's a lot of sincere confusion about just what the doctor said / Too much too soon" - Anti-American Graffiti
"It's alright, oh I'll get over it baby" - Dilla Says Go
"Just because I really love you" - U-Love
"Don't ever say" - Bye (the lyric and the song title put together turns into "Don't ever say bye")
"I give to you" - Last Donut Of The Night (again, combine the lyric with the song title and you get "Last donut I give to you" which leads into the final song of the album)
The list goes on, but I think the most eerie discovery I've made is the fact that the last track on the album, "Donuts (Intro)", was made with a sample of a song called "When I Die" by Motherlode. Using the lyrics "(When I die, I hope to be) the kind of man that you thought I'd be." I think you need to hear some of the actual songs he sampled in order to get a full appreciation for what this album is and what he was trying to say with it in so few words.
Donuts' intro and outro have switched places which I could see as some sort of metaphor for current life ending -> afterlife beginning or something along those lines. Not to mention the end of the outro loops right into the intro when played back to back, coming "full circle" not unlike a Donut, hence the title of the album.
This might sound like a stretch, but I think "Donut" represents a clock, and that once it circles around and reaches its ending point, it starts anew, such as life. It's tough to put into words, but the song title "Time: The Donut Of The Heart" and the whole thing with the intro and outro is what brought me to this conclusion.
I also believe him putting 31 tracks on this album and releasing it on his 32nd birthday was no coincidence either. Meaning, maybe he didn't believe he was going to live to see 32, so he ended the album on 31, the age he thought he'd be concluding his life on.
This is all personal theory. Still, speculation or not, I think it's obvious and believe 100% that this isn't just a series of weird coincidences. Whatever it is, it's pretty mindblowing knowing what we know now and as a result, I can't help but get chills listening throughout the whole album. It's haunting and profound.
Now, onto the actual review -
First, while I like the fact that every song on here is short enough that they end before becoming dull and repetitive, several could stand to be just a bit longer. Great songs like "The New" and "Light My Fire" are the shortest tracks of the whole album, both coming in at just a little over a half a minute.
There's also this rather annoying siren noise that comes in and out every now and then randomly all throughout the album. While it's not a total mood killer, it definitely wasn't necessary.
And last and most importantly, the way it was put together seems a little sloppy. Obviously intentional, it'd just be nice if the songs blended better making a smooth transition from one to the next rather than end so abruptly. It leaves the album without much of a steady flow and at times can take you out of the moment.
Then by the same token, you can look at it from a totally opposite point of view and say that the unpredictable direction Donuts takes you is what makes it so interesting and fresh. It keeps you on your toes from beginning to end never knowing what to expect. I honestly can't decide if I'd rather have it smoothed out or not change a thing. It's unusual, but I like it.
Regarding my theory on the album's hidden meaning, perhaps Dilla ended these songs so unexpectedly as a metaphor to life and how it can suddenly be cut short at any given moment, maybe? I'm probably overthinking it too much now, but stranger things have happened.
Taking everything mentioned above into consideration, I can still look past it's minor imperfections and give Donuts a much deserved 5 stars. Again, not Dilla's best, but certainly his most meaningful. May he rest in peace.
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21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good note to go out on, March 7, 2006
This isn't the type of scratch fest that Mixmaster Mike or DJ Q-bert puts out. It's a collage of influences and some mad scientist rendering of those influences. It's fun, quirky, cool stuff, with just the dash of soul that J Dilla was known for. Without a rapper in sight, this one's for anyone who likes their hip-hop served up with the philosphies of jazz and beat-mixing: take the lead, then swing it.
RIP, J Dilla. What a great note to go out on.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Jay Dee Comes Full Circle with 'Donuts'....R.I.P. J Dilla!, March 8, 2006
J Dilla a.k.a. Jay Dee passed away Friday, February 10, 2006 from complications from lupus. I started the review off this way because a lot of people don't know a lot about Jay Dee. Unless you were heavily in tune with the hip-hop scene, you may not have noticed his presence. As an early member of Slum Village, Jay Dee was instrumental in bringing older R&B and Jazz sound back to the forefront of hip-hop music. It has always been present in rap music, dating back to "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang. It's been continured over the years by deejays like Pete Rock, Jazzy Jeff, Dj Premier, and most notably Kanye West. Jay Dee continued this tradition in all the music he has produced for the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village, Pharcyde, and Common. Donuts is his last release before his untimely death and serves up some of the best instrumental music to rock your head to.
It's virtually impossible for this to be like other reviews where you break down each track. Each track possesses it's own unique flavor. And even though there are some that will leave you perplexed, it still shows you the extensive amount of time it must take to find those tracks that make the cut. Jay Dee obviously did a lot of digging in the crates for some of these cuts. Still other selections are a blending of sounds and samples, almost putting you in the mind of techno or drum-n-bass music.
Those that appreciate the time and energy it takes to be a deejay and producer will be enlightened from the collection on Donuts. If anything, Donuts will serve as the starting point and inspiration for the growing number of deejays and wannabe producers in the game today. Jay Dee's respect in the game didn't come over night, but he never let go of niche once he found his place in the industry. He will be truly missed by those who know of him personally, those who knew of his work, and those who will come to know his music over the years to come. Be on the lookout for a future Jay Dee album from BBE this summer. R.I.P. Jay Dee.
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