- 01DonutsJ DillaThe ride was long, through the wintry Michigan peninsula, and John decided to listen to his brother’s new album for the first time.in the selected discography
- 02SelfishSlum VillageIn that moment of silence, he remembered seeing James at the “Selfish” video shoot, but not having a chance to talk to him.
- 03Don’t Say GoodnightThe Isley Brothersand the cultivation of melancholy source material like the Isley Brothers’ “Don’t Say Goodnight” and Motherlode’s “When I Die,” in which James plumbed the song’s refrain
- 04When I DieMotherlodeand the cultivation of melancholy source material like the Isley Brothers’ “Don’t Say Goodnight” and Motherlode’s “When I Die,” in which James plumbed the song’s refrain
- 05Fan-Tas-TicSlum VillageDilla had always toyed with verbal illusion and allusion in his music, like when he made the word “Clair” sound like “Players” on Fan-Tas-Tic.in the selected discography
- 06TributeOnra, QuetzalThough it was not the first widely acclaimed conceptual instrumental hip-hop album, Donuts’ influence could be felt in Onra & Quetzal’s Tribute in 2006, would find a perch in the work of Stones Throw intern and producer Flying Lotus, and would go on to inspire much of what in later years came to be called the “lo-fi hip-hop” movement.
- 07The ShiningJ DillaThe irony of Donuts’ reception as a deliberate final statement from James Dewitt Yancey is how little time he put into it in the last year of his life when compared to his other project, The Shining.in the selected discography
- 08So Far to GoCommon, D’AngeloRiggins then reached D’Angelo to write and sing the chorus of the song, called “So Far to Go,” and D added a gorgeous piano solo that went on for one, two, three minutes.
- 09Dime PieceJ DillaThe first was a throwback to James’s classic Fender Rhodes sound, a hypnotic instrumental on which Karriem asked Dwele to contribute vocals; they named it “Dime Piece.”
- 10Won’t DoJ DillaThe other was a completely finished song, “Won’t Do,” that for Karriem was the epitome of what James could do as a producer, an engineer, an MC, a singer, and a songwriter; a snapshot of his sacred contradictions, as personal as anything on Donuts: a majestic, effervescent composition that was also a paean to James’s highest libidinous aspiration.
- 11The LightCommonInside it was warm, a packed party of people singing along to Slum Village jams like “Players” or Common’s “The Light,” hands in the air …in the selected discography
- 12DillagenceBusta Rhymes, J DillaThe resulting track, “Dillagence,” circulated online. But not long thereafter, the song was pressed on a vinyl 45-rpm single.
- 13Ruff DraftJ DillaJames had asked Egon, in the hospital, to recover that MCA album, and release an expanded Ruff Draft.
- 14Jay Stay PaidJ DillaThey discovered record albums in the works—with titles like Jay Stay Paid and Jay Love Japan—for which they had no paperwork.in the selected discography
- 15Jay Love JapanJ DillaThey discovered record albums in the works—with titles like Jay Stay Paid and Jay Love Japan—for which they had no paperwork.in the selected discography
- 16Yancey BoysIlla JHe’d call it Yancey Boys. The cover featured a tight photo of John’s face; the glimmer in his eye revealing itself to be a tiny image of James.
- 17Nag ChampaCommonMiguel would take one song, Common’s “Nag Champa,” and do a string arrangement around it in the same tempo, so that if both recordings were played at the same time, they’d line up perfectly.
- 18UntitledSlum VillageThe opening strains of Slum Village’s “Untitled” brought forth a roar of recognition from the crowd, but Cross observed that the Suite was losing some people.
- 19Welcome 2 DetroitJay Dee aka J DillaKarriem Riggins opened the second act, rumbling through the intro to Welcome 2 Detroit, the album on which he received his first producer credit.in the selected discography
- 20Are You All the ThingsBill EvansNow Atwood-Ferguson reversed the flow of his compositions, beginning with his unfamiliar variation and working toward the familiar, Bill Evans’s version of “Are You All the Things” suddenly resolving into the Slum Village song that sampled it, “Jealousy,” Miguel gesticulating maniacally beneath a halo of curly blond hair.
- 21JealousySlum VillageNow Atwood-Ferguson reversed the flow of his compositions, beginning with his unfamiliar variation and working toward the familiar, Bill Evans’s version of “Are You All the Things” suddenly resolving into the Slum Village song that sampled it, “Jealousy,” Miguel gesticulating maniacally beneath a halo of curly blond hair.
- 22ReminisceBilalDwele and Bilal took turns singing over orchestral versions of their songs, “Angel” and “Reminisce.”in the selected discography
- 23Stakes Is HighDe La SoulThe performance of De La Soul’s “Stakes Is High” caused a cascade of reactions—the crowd’s first recognition of the melody; the strings swelling; the beat crashing in; and then, from the wings, Posdnuos of De La Soul and Talib Kweli entering to perform the verses.in the selected discography
- 24Rebirth of DetroitJ Dillaa compilation called Rebirth of Detroit, pairing established and fledgling local MCs with unreleased J Dilla beatsin the selected discography
- 25The Lost Scrolls, Vol. 1J DillaThe verdict was much the same on the product culled from the trove of materials unearthed from storage, with names like The Lost Scrolls, Vol.
- 26She Burned My ArtIlla J, Moka OnlyFrom the very first song, “She Burned My Art,” John experimented, bouncing from hip-hop to house and back again.