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Dusted Magazine

A schizophrenic palate of honeyed soul, downbeat electrix, timeless hip hop and bare-knuckle beats, these 31 tracks (spread over 44 minutes) are packed with triple the hooks – and suffer from attention deficit disorder (to the listener’s benefit).

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PopMatters

Donuts is hip-hop, then, like “Howl” is poetry or Guernica is painting: the best aspects of a particular style, developed to their fullest and executed masterfully.

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Prefix Magazine

Donuts is a big black pot of sonics, comparable only to Madlib's 2002 effort, Blunted in the Bombshelter, the difference being that this is all original material.

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RapReviews.com

Years from now these "Donuts" will still be just as fresh as the day they first hit the store.

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All Music Guide

Donuts just might be the one release that best reflects his personality.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

Where Champion Sound built and expanded on Dilla's signature champion sound, Donuts blasts off into the sonic stratosphere, straying far from his trademark neck-snapping drums, dirty keyboards, and backward melodies in favor of stream-of-consciousness weirdness and free-associative sonic experimentation.

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Urb

Experiencing multitudes of brief bangers is a rare treat. [Mar 2006, p.113]

cokemachineglow

It’s entirely too richly tragic and fitting that the man’s last release is the apotheosis of his work, the finest and most representative example of what he contributed to music and, in turn, how music inspired him.

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Lost At Sea

Be forewarned: Donuts can be a frustrating tease when the average instrumental clocks in around the one-minute mark. But for those who hold a true appreciation for Dilla and his avoidance of predictable sounds and mainstream beats, Donuts will sound right on track.

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Pitchfork

The end result is akin to Norman Smith and DJ Shadow sitting in on a RZA-produced session-- spry, voiceless prog-hop by any other name.

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Austin Chronicle

Free from the constraints of perfunctory pop structure, Dee funnels seemingly dissonant patterns into pulsing tides of harmonious congruence.

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ShakingThrough.net

Donuts is fascinating, disorienting and -- despite its best efforts to avoid such sympathies -- a bittersweet document of a too-young talent who ran out of time.

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Stylus Magazine

It's like a medicinal tonic cleansing your system of the toxic effects of 10+ years of boring, bloated rap full-lengths.

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Alternative Press

Fresh and interesting. [Mar 2006, p.138]

Q Magazine

Even if... it never quite adds up to more than the sum of its parts, it's never less than a pleasure to listen to. [Apr 2006, p.119]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 40 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

NV White gave it a10:
It was released more than 2 years ago, and I still listen to it daily. This album will still be relevant in 15+ years. How many other recent releases can you say that about?

An'Dre H. gave it a9:
The CD sounds like a different Jay Dee than usual. Tracks like "Lightworks" prove this. I just love "Mash". Its one of the greatest beats I've heard along with "The Red" and "The Light" (both by Jay Dilla. But, Donuts too me is the perfect project. Its set up perfectly, It has the perfect track titles, and Jay Dee just communicates with us through instrumentals. Keep in mind though, that this was made on Jay Dilla's death beath while he was suffering from an incureable sickness!! C'mon now. I can't even watch cartoons the right way when I catch a minor cold. Jay Dilla is the best producer thats ever roamed the earth!!

Jon G gave it a10:
I don't' know how dilla did it nor do i have any clue about recording and its techniques. neither did i know about his death, but... yes but... the first moment i heard this album i immediately loved it. and as it is with every good album, i didnt "loved" every song the same as earcatchers like waves, airworks, one eleven u-luv or last donut of the night. but after hearing it for some times, especially the earcatchers, i couldn't stop hearing every song of this awesome album day after day after day! its just amazing and touches me in a way just few songs every did. i don't understand the critics in any way if they say "there is no heart in this recycling of music" or "the songs are just short snippets thrown at the listener". YES, they are short snippets thrown at you, YES its made out of samples and all of them make me shudder and shake every time i listen to them. its just music how it should be. soulful, touching your beating heart with of which i cant put in a word. it makes me feel alive, happy, sad and thousand other things at the same time.

Tolu O. gave it a10:
When we elaborate on the ingenuity of this man, it is impossible to fully cover all grounds. Donuts is merely a justification of his magic. When you hear songs like lightworks, the composition alone is enough to give you the quick jitters, let alone Time: Donut of the Heart. To all Dilla fans, Cherish this album, cause you most likely would'nt get anyone identical in the next "bleak" future. SHINE ON DILLA!!!!!

Vincent H gave it a10:
Infinitely beautiful and rewarding...and I'm only talking about "Two Can Win", probably the most exciting and amazing song on this album (there are 30 others!!). I regret that I was so late to the game (I've been a Dilla fan for 5+ years now, but I just copped this album a week ago), but I am so glad I picked it up. It's honestly as good as everyone says...seriously...it's that good. The last album that made me shed a tear was the final Elliott Smith, and I didn't think any kind of music could affect me like that again. Parts of the album were recorded by Dilla when he was on a hospital bed, sick from an incurable disease, which makes the record all that more poignant. It's hands-down the most emotional, honest, and straght-up dopest hip hop release of 2006 by far. As other reviewers have said, Dilla seemed here like he was almost inventing new ways of sampling and new ways of looking at beat production, which makes the record even more sad in a way. The man probably hadn't even made his masterpiece yet...but this is it.

Mike M gave it a10:
This is one of the most moving pieces of hip hop music and it's entirely instrumental... Classic - in my top ten best albums ever I own it on wax and cd.

Todd S gave it a9:
J Dilla's "Donuts" is a delicious treat for any beat junkie. Created on his deathbed, Dilla shows why he is revered as one of hip-hop's all-time greatest producers. RIP Jay Dee and thanks for leaving your listeners with one more bangin' album before your passing.

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