Description: This book is a must-read for all music lovers. It explores the creation and impact of J Dilla's album, Donuts, from a unique perspective. The author, Jordan Ferguson, provides an insightful analysis of the album's themes, samples, and techniques, without discussing its current state. The book is published by Bloomsbury and has 136 pages. It is a trade paperback format with a length of 6.4 inches, a width of 4.8 inches, and a height of 0.4 inches. The book is written in English and was released on June 19, 2014. It is perfect for those interested in the history and criticism of rap and hip-hop music, as well as music genres in general. Thanks AI. Here's a quick review: From a Los Angeles hospital bed, equipped with little more than a laptop and a stack of records, James "J Dilla" Yancey crafted a set of tracks that would forever change the way beatmakers viewed their artform. The songs on Donuts are not hip hop music as "hip hop music" is typically defined; they careen and crash into each other, in one moment noisy and abrasive, gorgeous and heartbreaking the next. The samples and melodies tell the story of a man coming to terms with his declining health, a final love letter to the family and friends he was leaving behind. As a prolific producer with a voracious appetite for the history and mechanics of the music he loved, J Dilla knew the records that went into constructing Donuts inside and out. He could have taken them all and made a much different, more accessible album. If the widely accepted view is that his final work is a record about dying, the question becomes why did he make this record about dying? Drawing from philosophy, critical theory and musicology, as well as Dilla's own musical catalogue, Jordan Ferguson shows that the contradictory, irascible and confrontational music found on Donuts is as much a result of an artist's declining health as it is an example of what scholars call "late style," placing the album in a musical tradition that stretches back centuries. Review Early on in the book, just as he begins to make his case, Ferguson offers up a rather exemplary articulation of why Donuts deserves a book, why its myth is manicured so delicately, and why we love it so.--Nicholas Miriello "Los Angeles Review of Books " The book is at once a worthy biography of Dilla's early life, a lush blueprint of Donuts's sample sources and a moving personal essay on what the record might actually be about Ferguson has aced his listening homework (and done the extra credit)." - Scott Heins, OKPlayer.com "Early on in the book, just as he begins to make his case, Ferguson offers up a rather exemplary articulation of why Donuts deserves a book, why its myth is manicured so delicately, and why we love it so.--Nicholas Miriello, Los Angeles Review of Books" "The book is at once a worthy biography of Dilla's early life, a lush blueprint of Donuts's sample sources and a moving personal essay on what the record might actually be about...Ferguson has aced his listening homework (and done the extra credit)." - Scott Heins, "OKPlayer.com" "Early on in the book, just as he begins to make his case, Ferguson offers up a rather exemplary articulation of why Donuts deserves a book, why its myth is manicured so delicately, and why we love it so."-Nicholas Miriello, "Los Angeles Review of Books" "J Dilla would hate this book," Ferguson writes, as he posits how he believes Dilla would react to people delving so adamantly into his work to extract deeper meanings, as Ferguson does in this portrait of an album. Donuts, released four days before Dilla's death, was created during the last moments of the artist's life, and thus carries a much more substantial weight in comparison to other Dilla productions--whether he would have it that way or not. Thus enters this book, included in the 33 1/3 series, which combines a historical perspective of the album and the context in which it was released, along with a prominent first-person narrative in which Ferguson theorizes on the influences used in the album and how they translated into the larger hip-hop community in which Dilla worked. It feels pretty meta to be criticizing the work of a critic, and while Ferguson spends what I felt was an unnecessarily long time coming to terms with the role of writing as a critic himself, he writes in a way that ultimately succeeds in expressing the significance of Donuts when contemplating Dilla's life. -Brinley Froelich, "SLUG Magazine" "Jordan Ferguson's book on Donuts provides a trove of information about what was clearly one of the albums of the last decade of any genre [...]Ferguson offers a cogent reading of the album. Others have speculated that Jay Dee buried "secret messages" within the tracks. I don't know how secret they are but it is clear that there were major preoccupations, life-death-relationships and, of course, music. What he produced was a brilliant, multi-layered, sonically exhilarating work and Ferguson has done the album justice with this slim volume." -Robert Iannapollo, "ARSC Journal" About the Author Jordan Ferguson is a freelance culture writer based in Toronto. He can be found online at poetryforgravediggers.com. _____ See the photos for all of the details, the book picture is the exact one that you will receive. Zoom in for the details and the condition and message me if you have any questions. The book is in great condition with a little bit of shelf wear and two pages that were dog-eared at one point. All the pages are clean and intact. US buyers only. Besides based on the total weight, the actual cost of shipping is also based on distance from me here in NY and is automatically calculated when you are logged into your eBay account. 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Publication Name: J Dilla's Donuts
Book Title: J Dilla's Donuts
Title: J Dilla's Donuts
Item Length: 6.4in
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic & Professional
Series: 33 1/3
Publication Year: 2014
EAN: 9781623561833
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9781623561833
Release Year: 2014
Language: English
Item Height: 0.4in
ISBN-10: 1623561833
Author: Jordan Ferguson
Genre: Music
Country/Region of Manufacture: US
Topic: Genres & Styles / Rap & Hip Hop, History & Criticism, Genres & Styles / General
Item Width: 4.8in
Item Weight: 5 oz
Release Date: 06/19/2014
Number of Pages: 136