Before J Dilla’s untimely death in 2006, at the young age of 32, the legendary producer was working on his final masterpiece.
Crafted with a 45-rpm record player and a Boss SP-303 sampler in 2005 during his hospital stay, Donuts was Dilla’s final gift to a world that revered his beat-making prowess, unparalleled sampling skills and imperfect loops.
In an interview with Fader, Dilla’s mother, Maureen Yancey aka Ma Dukes, described watching her son create the album on his hospital bed:
Maureen Yancey: I didn’t know about the actual album Donuts until I came to Los Angeles to stay indefinitely. I got a glimpse of the music during one of the hospital stays, around his 31st birthday, when [friend and producer] House Shoes came out from Detroit to visit him. I would sneak in and listen to the work in progress while he was in dialysis. He got furious when he found out I was listening to his music! He didn’t want me to listen to anything until it was a finished product. He was working in the hospital. He tried to go over each beat and make sure that it was something different and make sure that there was nothing that he wanted to change. “Lightworks”, oh yes, that was something! That’s one of the special ones. It was so different. It blended classical music (way out there classical), commercial and underground at the same time.
Shine On…and On (Extended Sentimental Remix) | Fader
Composed of 31 tracks and featuring close to 100 samples altogether, Dilla’s production skills was on full display as he blended each sample together seamlessly. Here’s a list every one of those samples Dilla used on Donuts.
“Donuts (Outro)”
“Not Available” by Shuggie Otis
“Stay with Me” by Gary Davis
Workinonit
“Worst Band in the World” by 10cc
“King of the Beats” by Mantronix
“Six Figures” by Skillz and Ras Kass
“Buffalo Gals” by Malcolm McLaren and The World’s Famous Supreme Team
“The New Style” by The Beastie Boys
“Pee-Wee’s Dance” by Joeski Love
“Sprite: Melonball Bounce” by Raymond Scott
“Yes It’s You” by “Sweet” Charles Sherrell
Waves
“Johnny, Don’t Do It” by 10cc
“King of the Beats” by Mantronix
“Intro” by B.R. Gunna
Light My Fire
“Light My Fire” by Africa
“My Thang” by James Brown
The New
“Whatcha Gonna Wear Tomorrow” by The Detroit Emeralds
“The New Style” by The Beastie Boys
Stop!
“You’re Gonna Need Me” by Dionne Warwick
“Why?” by Jadakiss
“Six Figures” by Skillz and Ras Kass
People
“My People… Hold On” by Eddie Kendricks
“King of the Beats” by Mantronix
“Mujhe Maar Daalo” by Asha Bhosle and Laxmikant-Pyarelal
“Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse)” by Run-D.M.C.
The Diff’rence
“The Fruitman” by Kool & the Gang
“King of the Beats” by Mantronix
“Jungle Boogie” by Kool & the Gang
“Six Figures” by Skillz and Ras Kass
Mash
“Golden Apples Pt. 2” by Galt MacDermot
“Season of the Witch” by Lou Rawls
“Dance Contest” by Frank Zappa
Time: The Donut of the Heart
“All I Do Is Think of You” by The Jackson 5
“Yes It’s You” by “Sweet” Charles Sherrell
“Strangers in the Night” by “Sweet” Charles Sherrell
Glazed
“You Just Can’t Win” by Gene Chandler and Jerry Butler
“Dreams” by Ramsey Lewis
“Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)” by Edwin Starr
“Season of the Witch” by Lou Rawls
Airworks
“I Don’t Really Care” by L.V. Johnson
“Bendix 1: The Tomorrow People” by Raymond Scott
Lightworks
“Lightworks” by Raymond Scott
“King of the Beats” by Mantronix
“Bendix 1: The Tomorrow People” by Raymond Scott
“Six Figures” by Skillz and Ras Kass
Stepson of the Clapper
“Long Red (Live)” by Mountain
The Twister (Huh, What)
“Kick the Can Part 1” by Fred Frith
“Cloud Nine (Live)” by The Temptations
“His Name Is Mutty Ranks” by A Tribe Called Quest
“Pee-Wee’s Dance” by Joeski Love
“For Once in My Life (Live)” by Stevie Wonder
“Buffalo Gals” by Malcolm McLaren and The World’s Famous Supreme Team
One Eleven
“A Legend in Its Own Time” by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
“Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse)” by Run-D.M.C.
“King Tim III (Personality Jock)” by The Fatback Band
Two Can Win
“Only One Can Win” by The Sylvers
Don’t Cry
“I Can’t Stand (to See You Cry)” by The Escorts
“Comedy Routine: Hey Young Lovers / Cloud Nine / If I Didn’t Care” by The Temptations and George Kirby
Anti-American Graffiti
“Family Tree” by Tin Tin
“Pee-Wee’s Dance” by Joeski Love
“Emergency Program Over-Ride” by David Ossman
Geek Down
“Charlie’s Theme” by The Jimi Entley Sound
“UFO” by ESG
Thunder
“Sweet Misery” by Martha Reeves
“King of the Beats” by Mantronix
“For Once in My Life (Live)” by Stevie Wonder
“Who’s Making Love (Live)” by Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers
“I Can’t Turn You Loose (Live)” by Blinky
“Sing a Simple Song (Live)” by The Originals
Gobstopper
“To the Other Man” by Luther Ingram
“King of the Beats” by Mantronix
One for Ghost
“To the Other Man” by Luther Ingram
“King of the Beats” by Mantronix
Dilla Says Go
“Rubber Bands” by The Trammps
“Do Ya Thing” by B.R. Gunna
“No Games” by Jaylib
“Intro” by B.R. Gunna
Walkinonit
“Walk On By” by The Undisputed Truth
“Six Figures” by Skillz and Ras Kass
The Factory
“Animosity” by Fred Weinberg
“King of the Beats” by Mantronix
“Mean Old Devil” by Bruce Haack
U-Love
“Just Because I Really Love You” by Jerry Butler
“Do Ya Thing” by B.R. Gunna
“Intro” by B.R. Gunna
Hi.
“Maybe” by The Three Degrees
Bye.
“Don’t Say Goodnight (It’s Time for Love) (Parts 1 and 2)” by The Isley Brothers
Last Donut of the Night
“To You with Love” by The Moments
“Rainbow ’65” by Gene Chandler
Welcome to the Show
“When I Die” by Motherlode
“Stay with Me” by Gary Davis
“Not Available” by Shuggie Otis
