The Myth and Meaning of J Dilla’s “Donuts” | Breakdown & Recreation
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- Опубліковано 1 лют 2024
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Today we’re talking about Dilla’s final release during his lifetime, his supposed “magnum opus”, diving into the REAL story behind Donuts, the myth surrounding it, recreating several beats that showcase a variety of sampling styles, and attempting to find the meaning of it all.
Rest in Peace J Dilla
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SOURCES
"Dilla Time" by Dan Charnas: amzn.to/3HHelgb
Questlove Interview: www.xxlmag.com/questlove-on-w...
daily.redbullmusicacademy.com...
#jdilla #hiphop #musichistory
Tap in to my free Patreon-only livestream on Saturday, February 10th at 5pm PST. I'll be playing all Dilla stuff 🔥 Sign up for free to get the link here: www.patreon.com/diggingthegreats
This DJ livestream is free, but a paid membership gets you things like the extended "full" edit of this video (over 6 mins longer) or downloads like the Ableton files I used in this video.
I want u to know that ur content is not only watched and liked, but it's APPRECIATED. Ur knowledge of hip hop (real hip hop) is impressive to say the least. Ur ALWAYS welcomed to the cookout my dude. 💯
I still think its so cool him and Nujabes were born on the same day. Both legends taken from us too early ❤
That's crazy I never knew that. RIP Nujabes and Dilla
and he died on February 26, 2010, in Tokyo, Japan, aged 36.....
I swear... not ONE J Dilla video without a Seba fanboy acting like they were remotely on the same level. Stop pissing on Dilla's legacy by bringing up someone else when his work and craft is discussed.
@@DaveDEF82 Nujabes was a legend in his own right, how is that a knock to Dilla in any way?
I would absolutely LOVE a dive into Nujabes catalog.
There used to be a shop and food truck in Detroit called Dilla's Delights that served donuts.
yup, just opposite of the TIgers stadium and run be two of his nephews !
Damn eating donuts while listening to Donuts sounds like heaven.
@@MakeSomeNoiseAgencyPlaylists they are good people. We worked several events with them!
Did it shut down? I’d like to go someday 😭
@@Ghillis_Peytonthe brick and mortar location is closed as of 2021. There were some rumblings that the food truck was still around, but I’m not certain of that.
“Save me” from workinonit just got levels more eerie for me. For that I thank you bro
Made my eyes water
Fun fact, while Don't Cry is for his mother it's also for one of his baby mama's. One of them is named Joy, that's why the sample goes "My voice would've made an unbelievable better hook (oh, ok, Joy)"
That's just more myth
@@yanceyboyz That’s true. He does say Joy though and it is a coincidence that’s his baby mamas name is that. Seems intentional to me
Edit: Forgot to mention I got that off of Dilla Time
@@spiketrakton329Weird. I’ve always heard George because that’s what the original sample says but now I hear Joy.
@@SnailWithGlasses it does say George, but like he did in light works when she says, “light up the sparks.” He makes the sample say “spliffs”. Dilla is known for making different words say something else, another example is the sample saying “Claire” and turns it into “Players”
@@spiketrakton329 I just hear George on this one.
Then again, forever I heard "running" on the pharcyde track when it's clearly just "Run" being triggered twice.
The most masterful sampling project there might ever be. Thank you J Dilla 😎👍🏼
You never listened to watch out for the 3rd rail by LSD or DJ Shadows Entroducing. 😉
@@n-spired i did, and he's correct.
It's great but there are other sample based albums that are incredible. Endtroducig by DJ Shadow is a masterpiece, as is Since I Left You by The Avalnches.
Only two measure up to me: Exile’s “Radio” and Oh No’s “Oxperiment”
Beastie Boy's Paul's Boutique is up there... the Dust Brothers did their thing.
The book Dillla Time really captures how Detroit was at the middle of so many different musical traditions and genres and even invented a few of their own (Motown and Detroit techno) and what I love about Donuts is how it reflects that mad mash-up. RIP Dilla ❤
I would love to read the book “Dilla Time”, but there was much much more to Detroit than Motown, and Detroit Techno. There was George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic, Iggy Pop, The M.C5, and White Stripes are also from Detroit. Detroit is definitely an interesting place.
Black Thought from the Roots rhyming over "Time: Donut of the Heart" - titled "Can't Stop This" - might actually be my favourite hip hop track of all time.
Same here. Still gives me goosebumps everytime.
Their version of Workinonit is dope too
Quote from the book:
"In one track, looping part of an old Jackson 5 ballad, "All I Do Is Think of You," James suddenly halved the tempo and stretched the loop out to cover the doubled space, while keeping the pitch constant. This kind of "time stretching" wasn't possible on an MPC. He'd done all these beats right on his laptop, via his Pro Tools software, which enabled James to see the waveforms - dice and recombine them, squeeze and stretch them - in ways he'd never before attempted. Created in a burst of energy after James' discharge from Cedars-Sinai in early 2005, Donuts emerged as a complete thought."
Dilla made Donuts on Pro Tools.
9:53 Yeah man, you gotta let me cook 😂
@@diggingthegreats 😂😅 you right I jumped the gun. Respect 🫡
@@nixononthetrackI appreciate the fact check! 😂
That "save me" sample is similar to what Minnie Riperton was singing on "Memory Lane," where she utters "save me" on the track and it was recorded during her last days.
Man . I’ve been listening to this album almost 20 years and didn’t know all of these intricate details. The way he manipulates the vocals is genius. Jay Dilla is no different than Michealangelo or Davinci when it comes to art.
That’s why his MPC is in a museum i guess.
I was thinking through this it's like he didn't need an emcee. I always liked Dillas bars but I'm listening to this again cuz I neglected to think about him speaking any other way. Poetry.
I’m surprised his Roland/Boss SP 303 that he used to make “Donuts” isn’t in the museum with the MPC. Funny/sad story During December 20th in 2015, my younger brother (the last time I saw him alive) was asking me about getting an MPC. I told him about the Roland SP 404 and how artists made full albums with it and that J Dilla used it to make “Donuts” (I didn’t know at the time Dilla used the SP 303 instead 😞) and the beauty of the SP 303/404 A (the black and neon green one that was an Aira) is you could throw it in a backpack. 7 years and 5 months later my younger brother passed away. Thinking of getting an SP 404 mk 2 in his honor
@@sawtooth808 May your brother rest in peace.
I think the album is quite clearly a goodbye letter. Having a collaborator doesn't take that away, especially if Dilla approved the final draft.
Wanted to add, it's not unusual at all for people who are terminally ill to downplay the severity of their illness, specifically because they don't want others pitying them or panicking over them, or excluding them. So, when I hear things like: "all the references to death on 'Donuts' are coincidental" I don't buy it. People who are that sick know their time is limited even if they choose to spend the last months of their lives living-living rather than wilting away in bed.
Thanks for the video bro.
Don’t Cry is still my favorite song of all time. It feels like somebody trying not to cry, and the chopped segment always felt to me like somebody unable to hold back the tears anymore.
Btw, you did a great job discussing the album. This was very informative 👍
RIP Dilla the legend
RIP Dilla
It’s almost J Dilla’s day too 🖤🖤. RIP to the goats man 🐐♒️🔥
two can win does actually have a hidden meaning behind it, through reading the book you can learn that dilla had two kids, not only two kids but these kids were from two different mothers, and one of the families lived far away enough for him to have to visit the other regularly.
with that reasoning we can assume that “two can win” refers to the two families dilla had in his life.
He didn’t name the track…
@@cal4837 🤓
@@cal4837 party pooper
Donuts is the ultimate tearjerker for me.Maybe it’s because of the story behind it , but i feel like each song has purpose and meaning to it
While donuts as a whole is a myth it doesn’t take away from the fact that dilla was in the last stretch of his life and he made a body of work that was left for interpretation for the listener and that’s what Jeff Jank did his interpretation of the beat tape was what donuts was
this time of year is always rough. share a b-day with James. father killed by drunk driver 5 days before him. Elzhi's February brings tears still.
great vid man, thx
His last concert was in Gent, Belgium on a wheelchair organised by true fans and his mother came to see it.
Exact 10 years later Illa J came back to Gent to play a tribute for J Dilla on a tribute event.
Fun fact: J Dilla's MPC 3000, used to create a lot of iconic beats throughout his discography, is on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. You know he's an absolute legend when...
went and saw it a few years back. truly moving.
So is his moog (memory moog if memory serves).
@@artisans8521It's his Minimoog Voyager. The music exhiit there is amazing.
Donuts is a work of art.
This video is excellent, and you deserve props. I’m getting closer to pulling the trigger on Patreon, because we really don’t deserve this kind of quality for free!
I remember shopping in London 06 and I heard this album playing over the store system, went straight to the staff and asked what was the name of it. Then went straight to HMV and bought that classic.
Absolutely love this album.
I love how the cover of the album is Dilla smiling. It’s very tragic that he was taken so soon, but I’m glad he was able to create something with so many messages and personality, without even using his words.
i remember listening to this album for the first time, it was so mesmerizing and nothing like i have ever heard of before. thank you j dilla.
I had no idea Dilla was a fellow Aquarian brother to me!!! But this man's ear for music is undefined! Rest Easy King 👑
my favorite album of all time. ❤
Don’t Cry still gives me goosebumps every time I put it on.
videos like this is why I love youtube, its a 20min journey to the brain of one of your fav producers
R.I.P. J Dilla
Man you're making me love my favorite albums and artists even more, and for that i can't thank you enough! By far best youtube page out there. would love a video on Slum Village, especially the time with Dilla in the group. Fan-Tas-Tic for me is one of the best albums ever.
My man DJ Wreck One did a Dilla set on his birthday and last night! Dilla is a mad scientist and genius for his work. The way he chopped up the original samples still make me smile. Thank you for sharing this Bro🙏🏽❤️🍩🍩🔥🔥🔥
Dude, that Dilla Time book is hard to finish. So much tear jerking.
thank you for covering this ❤ this was amazing!
I enjoyed this a lot, its so well put together ❤️💪🏼
I've seen several of your videos and to me this is your finest, most in-depth work. I'm a huge fan of this album and wrote a poem about the way Ma Dukes cared for him while he worked on the album. Thanks for your detailed and empathetic work here.
Treal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing video man, thank you for your hard work. Rest in Peace Yancey.
Such a beautiful way to go through his work. Thanks for the video, got me into tears!
This is the project I've been waiting for. You know all the albums and acts that I love the most!!!
mann I love these videos, im truly leaning things from you!!, thanks man, you help me get better making beats
Great job with this video. Thanks for this
Absolutely love this album! Thanks for talking about it
An amazing post .. well done 👏🏾 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
this channel, its gold man.
Thanks for shining light on this great album in your unique way. You put me on to the dilla book which was a delight to read.
This one brought tears to my eyes. So well done.
Ive always taken Two Can Win as Dilla accepting his impending death. Through life, we’re taught to be careful, make smart decisions, and be afraid of death because it’ll keep us alive. Death is portrayed as a negative, terrifying concept that many people struggle with. The sample singing “only one can win” is humanity’s mindset of fighting against/avoiding death, either you survive and win, or death takes you and he wins. However, when faced with an unavoidable fate, knowing death is coming, Dilla is able to accept his own mortality, accept that everything will be okay even after he passes. Accepting death as a friend coming to ease the pain instead of fighting against it, in a way, is both of them winning. Death doesn’t have to be evil, and when you accept this, two can win.
Thank you, we needed this one!
Man, I love all of your breakdowns. It gives me a deeper appreciation for the artists, the producers, the groups, the albums, the music. The ART.... It's inspiring for my own creations. Bless
Been waiting for this one 🙏
been waiting for this🙏
Awesome video man 🔥🔥🔥
You are very good at this bro. Probably the best Donuts breakdown I have watched to date!!
Excellent breakdown. As if donuts wasn't mind boggling enough itself, there was an unofficial "donuts" video on UA-cam some years back that was a equally amazing as the album in the way that creator lined it up with the songs. RIP Dilla and that content creator. Sorry i don't have their name
Another great video! I was hoping you would also talk about how this album seems to be so different of a style to most of his other work as well but either way I still really dig this video. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Great project. I really appreciate it
I’ve been waiting so long for this video
I cannot state enough how much I enjoy this channel. Brandon is fantastic at explaining the elements he covers and a noob like me understands it.
Just fantastic work. Thank you.
This is a fantastic video. Thank you!
Magnificent! Well done my friend!
I love your youtube. I have been at work watching and listening. I learned a lot and because of my love of music i went down the rabbit hole. ❤
One of your best episodes Bro! Thank you 🙏🏽 music is subjective but Dilla is a force that I cannot describe
Another great one! Thank U🔥🎶
I've been waiting for you to make this video
I love "Don't Cry" so much!!
Thank you for the video, J Dilla is the greatest
So glad I stumbled upon this channel
you killed this....the ending was lovely... salute.
One of the best videos I’ve ever watched. Bravo
my favorite youtuber don’t stop bro 😎
I'm really glad that you brought up the Dilla Time book!! It's a great read and a wonderful insight on the life of J DIlla
As always. Thank you. 🫡
Ay yooo! I’ve been waiting so long for this🎉❤😊
🔥🔥🔥
Great video man
Great vid as always! I can’t recommend Dan’s book on Dilla enough, it is so well researched and well written even a non-musician can understand Dilla Time
Dilla never made songs referencing death before donuts, the references to doctors as well.
“Just what the doctor said, too much too soon”
“Wake up world, give peace a. Chance, Time is running out, it’s strange”
And his last beat ever made is a sample of someone trying to catch a breath. It can’t be a coincidence if so many of the songs are referencing death, goodbyes and he told his mother that he wanted to complete donuts before he died.
Sago another great session 👏👏👏👏
Dilla could turn any sample into magic.....dude was cold...RIP
This video was incredible. I listened to it 3 times today as I’ve been traveling. Thank you for the this. And I have been looking for that Dilla Time book everywhere! RIP Dilla.
Easily one of the greatest channels on UA-cam. Love from NY. So dope. 🔥
❤🥺😭 god bless you for giving this a deeper meaning to me
It's astounding that we are still analyzing and dissecting this masterpiece so many years after its release. It is a testament to Dilla's genius and influence and his legacy continues to this day and forever.
One of the greatest beat tapes i have ever heard!
Great job mate!
so cool. thanks for the insight. i love Donuts even more now
yo, this made me cry. thank you
Another classic by you, u fr never miss, and ofc RIP JAY DEE he's my hero ❤❤
This is my favorite music channel finally talking about the important things
legendary Dilla 🙌🏻 Great episode
Great as usual. One thing about Donuts that's often overlooked is how it legitimized the 'beat tape' as a viable album. Plenty of producers had released sampled-based instrumental hip-hop albums: from Mark the 45 King in the late 80's (featuring 'the 900 number') to Pete Rock's Petestrumentals, DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, etc. but they were usually polished up or very very underground. Beat tapes were usually just demos sent to artists/vocalists so the producer could get work. Donuts was really the first wildly commercially successful, rough stereo 2-track, straight to master 'beat tape' album. Pretty much set the template for the LA Beat Scene and the sub-genre folks later refer to as "Lofi".
Entroducing, petestrumentals, shades of blue, special herbs, deadringer, & psychoanalysis are all classics I held highly prior to donuts being released. While I partly agree, we can’t forget that his passing 3 days after its release made it widely popular. Many hip hop fans did not know a lot of his work prior to 2006. I love Donuts & it holds a special place, but I can’t agree w your sentiment that Donuts made ‘beat tapes’ ‘viable.’
@@dopeScope561 Yeah of course his death and legacy played a part, but the influence on producers is undeniable. Donuts and the whole Dilla post-death feeding frenzy with folks listening to bootleg beat tapes like they were albums simply changed the game. As dope as DJ Shadow's albums were, few producers thought they could follow in that mold...it wasn't considered an option back then. All the albums you mentioned were primarily fully produced studio albums or just leftovers. Whereas Donuts was not multi-tracked or all that polished but marketed and sold as a legit release. I'm pretty sure it's still the biggest selling album on Stones Throw.
@@dopeScope561 facts, so many people started riding Dilla's d**k after he passed when they never were big on his music before.
Count Bass D too
@@coolo73not really mf doom madvillany is stone throw records best selling album
I was first introduced to Dilla’s music in early 2006; I was a junior in college and several friends of mine were huge fans who were geeked about Donuts coming out. My birthday was several days after the release of the album, and we listened to it repeatedly at my birthday party, only to find out that he’d been sick and suddenly had passed away that day. Incredibly surreal and sad experience.
Thanks again for another wonderful insight into another wonderful talent that departed too soon
Great vid bro
Another absolute banger video.
this is one of my top-5 all-time albums; absolute masterpiece that I can listen to on a loop for hours
Awesome, love to see stuff about Dilla. Knocked it out of the park again ✌️
I read that book because of your recomendation and it really is amazing.
Masterpiece of an album, Masterpiece of a video about it, well done sir. RIP dilla, the best to ever do it
The metaphor you laid out here is also the inspiration for Radiohead’s In Rainbows. Its the beautiful, intangible and individually perceived nature of great art, and life itself. Love your videos man❤️
Thank you for continuing to produce amazing content. Thanks to you I have a greater appreciation for J Dilla. I bought that book based on your recommendation and have spread the word. What else do you have on that bookshelf?
Not sure where to reach out, so I'm gonna comment here. I discovered your channel yesterday and watched a bunch of videos, excellent work! I would really love to see some form of breakdown from you for Radiohead, slice them up and make some awesome video essays 😊 But yeah you've gained a new subscriber, thank you for the amazing content!
I wish i discovered this man before he passed. What an album. Touching bro. 🖤🥺 The song he made for his momma.