J Dilla (Jay Dee)–Donuts (Stones Throw/Koch)

Hip Hop CD J Dilla (Jay Dee)–Donuts

One of the saddest losses in hip hop, besides Jam Master J, was J Dilla (a.k.a. Jay Dee), a gifted musician and artist who was the in-house producer for Slum Village, and worked closely with other names such as A Tribe Called Quest, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes and Common. He passed away due to kidney failure (lupus nephritis) on February 10th, a problem he disclosed in 2004 as a result of malnutrition. Donuts is a collection of instrumentals, soul sampled beats and the sort, displaying just what a gift he had for building a backdrop for any MC. —Rusty