Endtroducing.....

Endtroducing..... is the debut studio album of American music producer DJ Shadow, released on November 19, 1996 on the record label Mo' Wax. The album is renowned for being composed almost entirely of sampled content, most of which originated from various vinyl records obtained by DJ Shadow during trips to record shops. Endtroducing..... was produced by Shadow in the span of two years using minimal equipment, most notably the Akai MPC60 sampler. In creating the album's overall atmosphere, he strived to capture the downbeat nature of his previous releases for the Mo' Wax label. The album's content features both moody, slow-paced tracks and upbeat jams reminiscent of DJ Shadow's early hip hop influences.

The album was released to positive reception in the United Kingdom, where DJ Shadow had already established himself as a rising act. It reached the top twenty of the UK Albums Chart and was later certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Mo' Wax issued four singles to promote the album, including the chart hits "Midnight in a Perfect World" and "Stem". However, it would take considerably longer for Endtroducing..... to find success in the United States. Upon completing promotion of the album and returning to his hometown of Davis, California, DJ Shadow devoted his time to creating new music. Endtroducing..... later peaked at number 37 on the American Billboard Top Heatseekers albums chart.

Soulsonic Force

Soulsonic Force (also referred to as Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force) are an American electro-funk and hip hop ensemble led by Afrika Bambaataa who helped establish hip-hop in the early 1980s with songs such as "Planet Rock". They were also influential in the birth of the electro movement in America and helped pave the way for modern dance music styles such as electro-funk as well as the entire Miami bass scene.

In 1982, Soulsonic Force and Afrika Bambaataa released a single called "Planet Rock". The song borrowed musical motifs from German electro-pop, British rock and African-American disco rap. All the different elements and musical styles were blended together; and in doing so, offered hip hop as a new vision for global harmony. The song became an immediate hit and stormed the music charts worldwide.

Their most well-known songs are "Planet Rock", "Looking for the Perfect Beat" and "Renegades of Funk" (which is one of the earliest political-conscious rap songs, alongside Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's "The Message").