J Dilla

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙅 𝘿𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖’𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙪𝙨, "𝘿𝙤𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙨" 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙖𝙬, 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚-𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙧, 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 2006.

Released on his 32nd birthday, the 31-track masterpiece finds Dilla at the height of his creativity — transforming obscure soul, funk, rock and jazz fragments into miniature beat symphonies that are as emotionally powerful as they are sonically adventurous. The brevity of each piece, often barely stretching past a minute, only heightens their impact: loops collide, flip, and evolve with breathtaking fluidity, forming a seamless narrative that feels like a lifetime condensed into 44 minutes.

"Donuts" is far more than a beat tape — it’s a deeply personal, almost spiritual journey that embodies the essence of hip-hop production. Revered by producers, emcees, and listeners alike, it remains one of the most influential instrumental albums ever made, shaping the DNA of contemporary beat culture and beyond.

This Stones Throw reissue features the iconic "smile cover," a fitting tribute to the joy, humanity, and timeless innovation that J Dilla poured into every groove.