Happy Birthday James Yancey

             James Yancey would have been 38 today. He was a pioneer of the neo-soul movement, a deacon in the Church of Hip Hop and, in my truly honest opinion, he was the greatest musician of all time. On this date six years ago, he released a 31-track album with one beat for every year of his life prior to the album coming out. None of the songs are longer than three minutes, and most don’t make it to two, but Yancey’s spirit shines through in every snare and every soulful chop. This man made thousands of beats in his lifetime, but the snippets of sound on Donuts some of his rawest and most beautiful work. Dilla changed many lives, with his unmatched blend flowing from ear to ear in search of the next disciple. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t feel something when they spent four or five minutes on Youtube listening to Dilla’s music. For some, the only reaction was “Oh, this is actually nice,” but for others: “Oh my”, “How did I not know about this?” or “This blows my mind”. Minutes morph into hours even as time seems to stand still. That was James Yancey’s gift, and this is his life’s story.

            Donuts opens with a track that is labeled as an outroduction, which seems unusual but actually conveys a dual meaning. James knows that his time is near, and this album serves as his farewell to the world. Additionally, since Donuts is basically a massive beat tape, placing the outro first implies that the listening order isn’t important. The biggest flaw with Donuts is that it’s impossible to pick the best song on the album. Each listen sheds new light on a different song, from the sadness of parting ways made evident in “Stop” to the mood shift that appears in the middle of “Walkinout”. Jay Dee included some subtle messages in the form of soundbites that pop up to let you know who is blessing your mind and it’s pretty fun to notice more and more of the subtext of the album. Each song tells a story from Dilla’s past, and each track gains a different meaning when placed next to its fellows.

            I’m keeping this brief because the chances are good that you’ve already heard Donuts if you’re reading this. Reader, I implore you: if you haven’t yet graced yourself by listening to Mr. Yancey’s magnum opus, find forty three minutes and twenty five seconds in your day to free your mind, open your ears and enjoy something beautiful.