The Art of Sampling #3A with Nate Patrin on J Dilla’s “Donuts” (2006)

Episode notes

The long awaited third installment of The Art of Sampling series is finally here and we’re talking about one of the most influential beat tapes in the history of hip-hop and producer Christian’s favorite album of all time, J Dilla’s Donuts.

Music writer Nate Patrin sits down with us (remotely) to discuss the cult following of J Dilla after his passing, the emotionality of the sample flips, and his role in neo soul movement.

More on Nate Patrin

• Pick up Nate’s new book Bring That Beat Back: How Sampling Built Hip-Hop
• Nate’s writing on Stereogum
• Twitter

More on Donuts

• A Decade Old, Still Fresh: How J Dilla Wrote the Future With ‘Donuts’ (Observer)
• Donuts Turns 10
• Last Donut of the Night music video

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Donuts unless otherwise indicated)

• Two Can Win
• Light My Fire
• The Pharcyde: Drop
• A Tribe Called Quest: 1nce Again
• Slum Village: Fall In Love
• Erykah Badu: Kiss Me On My Neck
• Dilla Says Go
• One Eleven
• The Pharcyde: She Said (Remix)
• Motherlode: When I Die
• Donuts (Intro)
• Waves
• 10cc: Johnny Don’t Do It
• The Isley Brothers: Don’t Say Goodnight (It’s Time for Love), Pts 1 & 2
• Bye
• J Dilla: So Far To Go
• The Twister (Huh, What)
• Brand New Heavies: Sometimes
• Brand New Heavies: Sometimes (Ummah Remix)
• Louis Hayes: Dance with Me
• Tarika Blue: Dreamflower
• Erykah Badu: Didn’t Cha Know
• Workingonit
• Galt MacDermot: Golden Apples Part II
• Mash
• Geek Down
• The Jimi Entley Sound: Charlie’s Theme
• The Jackson 5: All I Think of is You
• Time: The Donut of the Heart
• Airworks
• Don’t Cry
• Slum Village: Fan-tas-tic
• Tonex: Jesus Saves
• Miguel Atwood Ferguson and Carlos Niño: Fall in Love
• Ghostface Killah: Murda Goons
• Hi
• The Pharcyde: Runnin’
• Knxwledge: Komo_te.amo
• J Dilla & Danny Brown: Dilla Bot VS The Hybrid

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.
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