DJ Shadow

DJ Shadow is an unlikely hip-hop hero. As befitting of his name, he dodges the spotlight, preferring to let his meticulously crafted symphonies speak for him. Shadow's music has the ability to shape-shift as different colors and textures make themselves known after repeated listens. Such timelessness has given his most well-known moments — "What Does Your Soul Look Like," "Midnight In a Perfect World" — classic status. But at heart, he's a hip-hop fan, ensuring that his collaborations with Keak da Sneak and Turf Talk bump.

As his popularity grew, DJ Shadow worried about being cast as some hip-hop savior, or worse — a "trip-hop" anomaly. When the roar of commerce and adulation got too loud, Shadow repaired back to his Solesides (now Quannum) crew. Some of their best collaborative moments are collected here, along with some of Shadow's other guest production credits, such as "Guns Blazing (Drums of Death, Pt. I)" with Kool G. Rap.

In the early '90s, one of Shadow's first mixes caught the ear of Dave "Funken" Klein, a journalist and A&R exec for Hollywood/Basic Records. With Klein's encouragement, Shadow remixed a Zimbabwe Legit track that impressed James Lavelle of the Mo' Wax label and launched the DJ's career. "Shadow's Legitimate Mix" is included here, along with a number of remixes (Depeche Mode's "Painkiller") and outside productions (peep the intense Cage & Jello Biafra collabo "Grand Ol Party Crash").

It's been a long, strange trip for the Campbell, CA-born kid who was discovered making demo tapes while a student at UC Davis and, soon enough, went from bedroom DJ to performing in front of thousands of people. He keeps things unpredictable — spinning a funk 45 set with DJ Cut Chemist, remixing a tender Keane track, or collaborating with the Bay Area's finest "hyphy" cats. It's this independent spirit that's carried Shadow throughout his career. Meanwhile, he's respectful of the recording artists he's sampled, going to great lengths to see that their contributions are noted. Though styles of music and methods of production change, Shadow evolves along with the times, staying contemporary as well as futuristic. Follow his constant elevation and expansion from headphone guru to car-system wrecker.