The disease thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura left J Dilla bedridden. It was this very bed in Cedar-Sinai hospital, Los Angeles, where he created arguably his best work and an album that would revolutionize hip hop and the art of producing for years to come. His album Donuts, a collection of 31 beats he produced over the course of his stay in Cedar-Sinai in 2005, is an instrumental hip hop classic regarded as his crowning achievement. The album itself has no lyrics. The only words you’ll hear come from phrases sampled from other records and songs as he was known for his innate ability to sample and flip other works and his mix of rhythmic pulses. Dilla created this album in a hospital bed with an extremely rare blood condition where he would ask his mother to massage his hands whenever they’d become swollen from producing. He was able to create his magnum opus in a state where most others would give up, and his creative spirit is definitely reflected through his work. Donuts released on February 7th, 2006, the day of his 32nd birthday and three days before his death. Dilla will always be regarded as a pioneer in producing and his legacy lives on through so much of modern music today. Give Donuts a spin and check it out for yourself!