Albums to watch

The Diary

J Dilla

The Diary

Sixth posthumous release of music by the Detroit producer/rapper who past away in 2006, placing his raps over productions by himself and others

ADM rating[?]

6.4

Label
Mass Appeal
UK Release date
15/04/2016
US Release date
15/04/2016
  1. 8.0 |   NME

    As a respectable cap on a great body of work, ‘The Diary’ will do nicely
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  2. 8.0 |   Q

    A supremely confident collection from an artist just gearing up for greatness. Print edition only

  3. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    Testifies once again to Dilla’s immense talent
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  4. 8.0 |   Spin

    The Diary exists as its own thing: a complement rather than a continuation or spiritual relative to Donuts or The Shining, though it’s bittersweet that in its brevity, The Diary leaves you wanting more that will never come
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  5. 7.5 |   Consequence Of Sound

    He’s much more of a technician, knowing what rhythms and flows work on any given beat
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  6. 7.5 |   Beardfood

    ‘The Diary’ serves as a painful reminder just how influential and talented Dilla was
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  7. 7.0 |   Clash

    It’s certainly not his best long-player, but the highlights stacked here
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  8. 7.0 |   All Music

    Might not rival its maker's best output, but it's a pivotal and illuminating chapter, even when heard out of sequence
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  9. 7.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    The good outweighs the bad and there’s plenty of evidence to suggest Dilla made some shrewd calls in terms of who he reached out to
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  10. 7.0 |   The 405

    The best way to consider The Diary is as a portrait of an artist during a complicated period - on the cusp of mainstream success with his greatest work still ahead of him
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  11. 6.9 |   Pitchfork

    Just like any diamond unearthed after many years, J Dilla's long-lost solo album The Diary is flawed, but still precious
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  12. 6.0 |   Slant Magazine

    J Dilla runs through rap commonplaces circa the turn of the millennium
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  13. 6.0 |   PopMatters

    Fifteen years after J Dilla signed a two-album deal with MCA, his solo rap album The Diary is finally seeing release
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  14. 6.0 |   Spectrum Culture

    Listeners will likely only select a few standout tracks to throw into their vintage rap playlists
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  15. 6.0 |   The Irish Times

    Previously unheard gems
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  16. 6.0 |   Crack

    Donuts it ain’t, but if The Diary is the final statement from the J Dilla estate, it could have ended a whole lot worse
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  17. 6.0 |   The Observer

    While producers including Karriem Riggins and Madlib serve him well here, it’s clear that Dilla expressed himself best through his beats
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  18. 5.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    Luckily, The Diary’s missteps are not enough to blemish or blot the eternal shine of the work the artist released in his living moments
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  19. 4.0 |   The FT

    A muddled blend of underground and mainstream
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  20. 4.0 |   The Music

    Don't remember him this way
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  21. 4.0 |   Under The Radar

    Any lesser musician's entire discography would be forever tarnished by a release as lackluster as The Diary
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