If you could only bring 3 albums to a deserted island, which would you choose? It’s such a touch question for me because sh*t… Only 3 albums?? You have to be strategic here. You’re only going to hear these 3 albums for the rest of your life so they need to be ones you obviously won’t get sick of. Then they have to be 3 albums that likely don’t fit in the same genre so you have 3 different vibes. The first album would be either Doggystyle or The Chronic because I’m from Cali and they honestly shaped who I am today. The 2nd album could go a lot of ways but Check Your Head from the Beastie Boys, Ride the Lightning from Metallica, Paranoid from Black Sabbath and the self titled debut album from Rage Against the Machine would be in the mix. For the 3rd album, it’s not even a discussion. I can tell you what it is immediately. It’s Endtroducing from DJ Shadow which dropped on Mo’ Wax 25 years ago today.
Endtroducing was the first instrumental album that I got into. I don’t even know if there was a genre back then for instrumental albums like this so it was just different to me. There were no lyrics on this album… Just dope sampling and beats from DJ Shadow. I always liked listening to instrumental versions of my favorite hip hop tracks on the B-side of my cassettes but a full album of just beats was foreign to me. But something from this album struck a chord with me. It became an album that I would press play on and just be able to focus on homework, studying, cleaning, or just sifting through my sports cards or music collection. Shadow’s drum programming and sample selection was immaculate. This album made it way into my eardrums and the perfect time in my life.
I don’t call many albums beautiful but that’s the only way to describe Endtroducing. DJ Shadow was a part of the Bay Area collective Solesides which consisted of DJ Shadow, Blackalicious, and Latryx along with a few others like The 8th Wonder, Jazzbo, Kali, and Mack B. Dog. Solesides had dope producers but then also had some of the most unique and innovative lyricists that hip hop had ever seen. The crew all met at the radio station KDVS at UC Davis back in the early 90’s and decided to form a label. Emcees like the Gift of Gab (RIP), Lateef the Truthspeaker, and Lyrics Born were all just…. I don’t know…. Brilliant? Don’t know how else to describe them because they pushed boundaries with their styles. They had it all. Just peep “Deep in Jungle” off of Blackalicious’ EP, Melodica. Shout out to Chief Xcel on the beat which gave each emcee the room to do their thing.
When you look back at the pivotal crews who helped pushed the 90’s Cali Underground Hip Hop movement, Solesides is right there along with Hiero, Freestyle Fellowship, and the Living Legends. But none of these groups or hip hop in general had producers dropping albums with nothing but instrumentals back then. There were producers like Dj Greyboy, Nightmares on Wax, and Aphex Twin but they weren’t really labeled as hip hop albums. DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing was an instrumental hip hop album. Shadow was a master digger and had one of the best ears for samples of all-time.
The Endtroducing album was laced with dope track after dope track. I already included “Midnight in a Perfect World” but songs like “Organ Donor” were out of this world.
Then you got tracks like “Building Steam with a Grain of Salt” which in my opinion, is a top 5 song of all-time. I’ve probably listened to it 500 times from beginning to end. And it’s just as fresh today as it was when the album dropped 25 years ago. Remember when the Jabbawockeez came out and danced to this track? I can’t even remember what show that was on but I was losing my mind watching it on my couch in my living room. I can’t track it down on YouTube but I’m guessing it’s because the Jabbawockeez still dance to it and don’t want to give it away for all to see. Gotta pay for the show admission right? Didn’t Shaq perform it with them at all-star weekend one year too? Such a beautiful track.
I could honestly rattle off each song on the album and tell you a little about it but my words won’t do it justice. Just give this album a spin today while you’re at work. Or listen to it while you’re doing the dishes or cleaning your home. This is just some inspiring sh*t for whatever you’re trying to do today. Shout out to DJ Shadow for the 25th anniversary of his classic album, Endtroducing.