Cover Art of the Week #23: Endtroducing…, DJ Shadow

This album couldn’t have had anything else on it’s cover but dudes diggin’ in the crates. After all, DJ Shadow (Josh Davis) is a fanatical vinyl nerd first, djing and producing only come second.

DJ Shadow’s genius with sampling work is simply above and beyond, making this not only his breakthrough, but also one of the best albums ever on many people’s lists. The cover photo for Endtroducing… was taken in a record store called Records, in North Carolina. They are one of the largest in the area, with a basement of 800,000 records, where Shadow has spent many magical moments. Parts of the legendary documentary Scratch were also filmed in this very shop.

The two men in the cover photo by the way, are Chief Xcel (left) and Lyrics Born (right), both from the Solesides (later Quannum Projects) crew that Shadow also is a member of. It is not just the front cover that pays tribute to the art of diggin’ however. The back cover (see below, together with front cover) and the inner sleeve both declare a lifelong love for old vinyl and for the people who are keeping the culture vibrant.  

The photographs were taken by B+ (Brian Cross), well known for shooting covers for many hip-hop artists, including DJ Shadow affiliates Jurassic 5 and Blackalicious. After emigrating to Los Angeles from his native Ireland he has become a well respected figure in the hip-hop community for his work on record stores and social commentary, beginning with the photo essay It’s Not about a Salary: Rap, Race and Resistance in Los Angeles.

Shadow’s style is primarily sample-based. The only previous record in this field that comes even close to Endtroducing… is the Dust Brothers’ production on Paul’s Boutique by Beastie Boys, but DJ Shadow has taken the art form to an entirely different level. He has a talent of putting together many, many samples from all possible genres, chopping them up so that the end product, the song, is well beyond all recognition. Endtroducing… was released in 1996. It has been and always will be timeless, a true gem that still sounds like nothing else you’ll find on the shelves. And you can, of course, listen to him at his best on our DJ Shadow AUPEO! Artist Station.