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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

The Shining
by J Dilla aka Jay Dee


9.8

based on 21 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 7 votes
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J Dilla @ BBE

This posthumous release--the late James Yancey's third solo album--was near completion at the time of his February 2006 death. Unlike 'Donuts,' this disc (featuring appearances by Madlib, Busta Rhymes and Common) is largely based on live instrumentation rather than samples.

LABEL:	BBE
RELEASE DATE:	22 August 2006
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Rap

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

NOW Magazine

Pretty much every track is a head-turner.

RapReviews.com

It's easily among the best of his work in his entire career.

Entertainment Weekly

Though bittersweet, the CD lives up to its mastermind's lofty legacy. [25 Aug 2006, p.87]

Prefix Magazine

If Donuts was Jay Dee's swan song, The Shining is a glimpse of what his work may have sounded like in the future.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

The Shining's biggest flaw is that it feels awfully slight, thanks to a run time of less than 37 minutes.

Billboard

"The Shining" documents the totality of who Jay Dee was as an artist and performer.

Uncut

While not quite hitting the heights of the recent Donuts LP, it again proves his brilliant nose for hip hop's pleasure points. [Oct 2006, p.123]

Lost At Sea

Although not nearly as hot as early 2006’s Donuts, The Shining shows for a handful of great collabo’s and bangin’ beats and further paves the way for Dilla’s powerhouse legacy.

Vibe

Shining brims with clear-cut and fully resolved ideas. [Oct 2006, p.138]

Urb

The Shining stands as a combination of Dilla's best sides. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.130]

All Music Guide

Though it's disjointed, a little bumpy, and -- in places -- perceptibly unfinished-sounding, The Shining is a very worthy addition to Dilla's discography.

Pitchfork

In contrast [to 'Donuts'], The Shining is more of a general audience record, by virtue of its song-length tracks and pervasive vocals from Dilla and his crew. As such, it presents challenges that Donuts didn't.

cokemachineglow

The Shining is not a masterpiece, obviously, and nobody ought claim it as such, but it does show the producer striking out in a moderately novel direction and finding consistently satisfying results.

Under The Radar

A few bumps aside, The Shining is the a fitting epitaph for an artist who left us too damn young, too damn soon. [#15]

Blender

[An] excellent, star-studded farewell. [Sep 2006]

Spin

Sports the trademark soul loops, crackling drums, and underwater ambience of his best past work. [Sep 2006, p.103]

PopMatters

The problem, then, is that while the whole CD is incredibly solid and expertly crafted, it’s for the most part unremarkable.

Dusted Magazine

The Shining welcomes listeners to reflect on the magnitude of Yancey’s career, as any posthumous work is apt to do. Unlike Donuts, however, this newest offering will not leave Yancey’s listeners despondent about what could have been but, rather, will provide a fitting epitaph for what was.

Rolling Stone

[A] dark, magnetic opus. [24 Aug 2006, p.90]

Stylus Magazine

While most of the tracks on The Shining lack the abstract ideas and flow of Donuts, it’s still an admirable record.

Filter

For the most part, Jay Dee sounds like The Shining's administrator, rather than its sole (and soul) creator. [#22, p.102]

The average user rating for this album is 9.8 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Sam D gave it a10:
I first heard of J Dilla a few weeks ago, months after he died. I heard a strange noise outside my room. I came out and there were my four buds sitting around a stereo listening to Shining's opener Geek Down, stoned out of their minds, completely silent, with big grins on their faces. This is an amazing record. I wondered why Busta doesn't rhyme on the aformentioned opener; I later read that Dilla told him not to, he just wanted someone to 'Geek the **** out.' RIP Dilla, this is some amazing music.

DERRICK J gave it a9:
The J-Dilla last Cd is like scraping the bottom of the bowl of your favorite ice cream, first with a spoon, then then your finger, and last you are licking the bowl, it tastes devine but you know there no more in the ice box.

JJ Kahn gave it a10:
This is an absolutely fantastic album from Dilla.

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The Shining by J Dilla aka Jay Dee

The Shining
by J Dilla aka Jay Dee