The Guide to J Dilla Donuts Samples

The impact on hip-hop music

J Dilla's influence reaches far and wide, even beyond hip-hop. Not only did he change the perspective on rhythm in hip-hop productions: he also influenced a new generation of jazz musicians, drummers, and even pop artists. That's a testament to the legacy of J Dilla.

The impact of his innovative work is best captured in 2022's book Dilla Time by music journalist and writer Dan Charnas. Highly recommended, as it's one of the best hip-hop biographies ever written. While you're at it: we also recommend his thought-provoking article It's Time to Legalize Sampling for Slate Magazine.

Artists and albums inspired by J Dilla

Overview of the album's concept & emotional depth

From "Don't Cry" to "Bye" to the reversed intro and outro: there's real emotion and storytelling on Donuts. Dilla's sample selection plays an important role in that. The Sample Breakdown of "Don't Cry" below perfectly illustrates this. Donuts functions as Dilla’s farewell letter after his untimely passing due to a rare blood disease called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (or TTP).

"Don't Cry": An example of Dilla's personal narratives & thematic elements in sampling

Which sampler and gear did J Dilla use for Donuts?

It was long believed that J Dilla produced Donuts on an SP-303 on his deathbed. However, Dan Charnas reveals in Dilla Time that Stones Throw's Peanut Butter Wolf visited James in the hospital and brought him “the just-released Roland SP-404, a portable sampler-sequencer that was an update to the one that Madlib had been using for years." On top of that, the book details that Donuts was made on Pro Tools, not an SP—most of the album was already finished and mixed by Jeff Jank before he received the SP-404.

Prior to Donuts, J Dilla worked a lot on the MPC3000, a machine he learned to master and humanize.

Iconic Sampling: J Dilla's Eighth Note Technique (Sample Breakdown Video)

A collection of samples inspired by J Dilla's use of retro soul & funk, gospel music, Afrofunk & jazz/fusion

Learn how to sample like J Dilla. Music used in this video:

Vocal Manipulation

Dilla's manipulation of vocals is unparalleled. The best example is how he slows down and flips the name Clair on The Singers Unlimited’s 1974 record "Clair" into the word "players" for Slum Village's "Players" on the album Fantastic Vol. 2.

Drum Breaks

J Dilla's use of drum breaks shows his genius.  For instance, take "You're Gettin' A Little Too Smart" by Detroit Emeralds: a go-to drum sample for Dilla as he used the break for numerous productions including Common’s "The Light" and Jaylib’s "The Red" with Madlib.

Layering Samples

Take note of how J Dilla intricately layers different samples and chops on "Workinonit." To quote the Beastie Boys sample to describe J Dilla's sampling: it's the new style…