By: Yildiz Subuk, SFU Student
Sampling in hip-hop had been around since the early days of the genre, but producer J Dilla took it a step further and composed an album entirely through the use of sampling. Donuts, released on Dilla’s 32nd birthday (February 2006), has become a staple in lofi hip-hop. The lofi hip-hop circuit has various live stations, filled with beats to relax and study to. There are a ton of artists who experiment with the genre today, but the pioneers of the genre include artists such as MF DOOM, Nujabes, and, of course, J Dilla.
J Dilla (James Yancy) was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1973. His parents were musicians, and by the time he turned 11, he began making his own beats. His parents brought gospel, jazz, and classical influence into his life, which he would later apply to his hip-hop production. Since his early years, Dilla’s production has become influential and in-demand, and he’s collaborated with artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, and Common.
Sampling in music refers to the process of taking a portion of one sound recording and reusing it as an element in a new recording or piece of music. Lofi hip-hop beats are sample-heavy, and are composed of vinyl crackles, laid-back drum patterns, ambient sounds, and minimalistic arrangements, creating a nostalgic and tranquil atmosphere. What’s special about Donuts is it’s made entirely from samples. All vocals, drums and melodies are rearranged, flipped, and fused together to comprise a wholly new track. On one of my favourite tracks, “Mash,” Dilla used three samples: “Golden Apples (Part II)” by Galt MacDermont, “Dance Contest” by Frank Zappa, and “Season of the Witch” by Lou Rawls. With just these three tracks, Dilla flipped, resequenced, altered, and fused the samples in a way no one else could. As a result, we get a track made up of a mellow piano sequence, minimalist drums that invoke ease, and chopped up vocals to add personality.
Dilla has handpicked various other tracks, ranging from neo-soul and jazz, to funk, hip-hop, and more, in his works. With the use of an MPC 3000 (a classic drum machine and sampler), Dilla made his most definitive album. Before Donuts, Dilla had produced various other iconic hip-hop tracks, most notably including “Didn’t cha know” by Erykah Badu, “Runnin” by The Pharcyde and “Love is…”by Common. Dilla sadly passed away three days after the release of Donuts, but his influence lives on through the souls of every loop, vinyl crack, and minimalist drum pattern we hear when we sit back and listen to something nostalgic and relaxing.
