What’s sweet, circular, and often coated in layers? James “J Dilla” Yancey’s ‘Donuts’, of course. The final album to be released during the Detroit hip-hop producer’s lifetime — landing on 7th February 2006, his 32nd birthday, three days before he passed — it is baked in an atmosphere of tragedy and false starts. It also encapsulates the enigmatic instrumentalist in all of his glory. The kind of beatmaker who could churn out mainstream rap bangers like Q-Tip’s ‘Let’s Ride’ or The Pharcyde’s ‘Drop’, while simultaneously crafting obscure, crate-digging remixes. These include his flips of late ’90s gems including Slum Village’s reworking of Tami Hert’s obscure R&B find, ‘If You Were Mine’, or The Brand New Heavies’ ‘Sometimes’. He did it all.
‘Donuts’ rose from the offcuts of Dilla’s musical journey. His solo rap resumé, 2002/03’s ‘Pay Jay’, was meant to launch Dilla’s solo career under MCA Records, featuring his own unique vision of himself as an artist both on the mic and behind the boards. As a piece of work, ‘Pay Jay’ highlighted Dilla’s dual artistry, stepping into the booth to rhyme over Kanye West, Hi-Tek and Bink! production. However, it was shelved by MCA Records due to contractual and creative disagreements (although it would later be reimagined as ‘The Diary’ in 2016). But its absence paved the way for ‘Donuts’, a record that cemented Dilla’s legacy.
“You know what? I think it was a big knock in the sense of, I mean, for any artist, you know what I mean? Like, I know homies who have been through the major [label] situation, and it didn’t work out.” Illa J — Dilla’s younger brother — tells DJ Mag, reflecting on the fallout from ‘Pay Jay’, and the long-term impact of its shelving. “It sucks because you put so much work into it, and, obviously, you had a vision of everything working out right. But, honestly, I think it worked out right because, I mean, at the end of the day, he got his bread, he was able to build a studio from that. In a way, it probably was the best thing that could have happened.”
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