Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Years from now these "Donuts" will still be just as fresh as the day they first hit the store.
  4. Donuts just might be the one release that best reflects his personality.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Free from the constraints of perfunctory pop structure, Dee funnels seemingly dissonant patterns into pulsing tides of harmonious congruence.
  8. It's like a medicinal tonic cleansing your system of the toxic effects of 10+ years of boring, bloated rap full-lengths.
  9. 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).
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. Urb
    80
    Experiencing multitudes of brief bangers is a rare treat. [Mar 2006, p.113]
  14. Q Magazine
    70
    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]
  15. Alternative Press
    70
    Fresh and interesting. [Mar 2006, p.138]
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 111 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 9 out of 111
  1. Nov 3, 2010
    10
    This is simply amazing. I don't usually listen to this kind of music but I've learned to appreciate greatness no matter in what form it comesThis is simply amazing. I don't usually listen to this kind of music but I've learned to appreciate greatness no matter in what form it comes in and this is certainly a great album I've listened to over and over countless times. Full Review »
  2. NVWhite
    Aug 11, 2008
    10
    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 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? Full Review »
  3. Jan 12, 2023
    10
    The techniques used in this album have gone on to inspire a whole new generation of music. It is albums like this that truly deserve a 10 out of 10.