Our way of commemorating the legacy of one of the most influential hip-hop producers of all time.
February 7, 2021 marked the 15 year anniversary of J Dilla’s Donuts. It was his second studio album and would later be recognised as one of the most important records of the 2000s. It’s the final masterpiece of an artist whose influence still stretches into today’s hip-hop scene. To celebrate and honour this album we tried to translate the album Donuts into a digital experience: J Dilla’s Donut Shop: a 15 year tribute.There are many reasons why the album was called Donuts, one of them being the metaphorical reference to life itself seen as an infinite loop. The end is the beginning and vice versa. Just play the album on repeat and all the tracks seamlessly transform into one another, mixing all his styles together along the way. It was also the complete circle of Dilla’s career; it started and ended with a magical beat tape. It was precisely that infinite character of the album we tried to grasp. Upon entering the site, the user is presented an abstract version of a donut counter. The music of Dilla inspires many generations around the globe. It brings memories to old heads but also sparkles curiosity to newcomers in the genre. That’s why we had a deep focus on bringing both worlds together into one platform, we combined original vinyl vibes with user generated content. We asked fans all over the world to send in their fan videos, resulting in uniquely edited video content, amplifying the experience of each track. His way of thinking inspires us as creatives every day. By creating something new of the old, by remixing different styles and flipping sceneries to achieve great heights. That’s why we say: the best way to honour his legacy is by listening to his music.
