The Outsider (DJ Shadow album)

The Outsider
Studio album by DJ Shadow
Released	September 19, 2006
Length	70:40
Label	Universal Motown Island
Producer	DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow chronology
Live! In Tune and on Time (2004) The Outsider (2006) The Less You Know, the Better (2011)

The Outsider is the third studio album by the American hip hop producer DJ Shadow, released on September 19, 2006 by Universal Motown Records in the United States and by Island Records internationally. The album departs dramatically from DJ Shadow's signature instrumental hip hop sound and covers a large range of styles and genres, including hyphy, indie rock, blues, spoken word, punk rock and pop rap. Upon release, The Outsider received mixed reviews from critics.

Background

DJ Shadow is quoted as saying:

“

There're songs on this album that I think blow away almost anything else I've ever done. I think song for song it's the best album I've ever made. One thing's for sure – it's going to make it very difficult for people to imitate my sound!

”

Speaking to The Skinny Magazine, on the eve of The Outsiders release, Davis elaborated further on its direction:^[1]

“

I just sat down to make a record that reflected what I like and the type of music that I care about. Being from and living in the Bay Area, I sort of fell in to listening to Hyphy stuff, and it’s the most potent type of rap that the Bay Area has come up with since the early 90s. So it was really exciting when it came along and rather than do what I would probably have done in the past and go ‘well gee, I’m a guy who mainly works with samples, so I guess this is just gonna pass me by,’ I embraced it.

”

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	62/100 [2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
BBC Collective	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	B− [5]
Robert Christgau	[6]
Okayplayer	[7]
Pitchfork Media	5.8/10 [8]
PopMatters	7/10[9]
Stylus Magazine	D[10]
musicOMH	[11]
Tiny Mix Tapes	[12]
Uncut	[13]
Q Magazine	[14]
RapReviews	[15]
Prefix Magazine	[16]

Track listings

UK CD version

1. "Outsider Intro"
2. "This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way)"
3. "3 Freaks" featuring Keak Da Sneak & Turf Talk
4. "Droop-E Drop"
5. "Turf Dancing" featuring The Federation & Animaniaks
6. "Keep Em Close" featuring Nump
7. "Seein' Thangs" featuring David Banner
8. "Broken Levee Blues"
9. "Artifact (Instrumental)"
10. "Skullfuckery" featuring The Heliocentrics
11. "Backstage Girl" featuring Phonte Coleman
12. "Triplicate / Something Happened That Day"
13. "The Tiger" featuring Sergio Pizzorno & Christopher Karloff
14. "Erase You" featuring Chris James
15. "What Have I Done" featuring Christina Carter
16. "You Made It" featuring Chris James
17. "Enuff" featuring Q-Tip & Lateef the Truthspeaker
18. "Dats My Part" featuring E-40

UK Limited Edition CD + DVD version

1. "Outsider Intro"
2. "This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way)"
3. "3 Freaks" featuring Keak Da Sneak & Turf Talk
4. "Droop-E Drop"
5. "Turf Dancing" featuring The Federation & Animaniaks
6. "Keep Em Close" featuring Nump
7. "Seein' Thangs" featuring David Banner
8. "Broken Levee Blues"
9. "Artifact (Instrumental)"
10. "Backstage Girl" featuring Phonte Coleman
11. "Triplicate / Something Happened That Day"
12. "The Tiger" featuring Sergio Pizzorno & Christopher Karloff
13. "Erase You (Long Version)" featuring Chris James
14. "What Have I Done" featuring Christina Carter
15. "Triplicate Part 3"
16. "You Made It" featuring Chris James
17. "Enuff" featuring Q-Tip & Lateef The Truth Speaker
18. "Dats My Part" featuring E-40

DVD - Tour Visuals

1. "Seein' Thangs"
2. "The Tiger"
3. "Erase You"
4. "Triplicate"
5. "Behind The Scenes Of The Making Of The Video: "3 Freaks"

U.S. CD version

1. "Outsider Intro"
2. "This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way)"
3. "3 Freaks" featuring Keak Da Sneak & Turf Talk
4. "Droop-E Drop"
5. "Turf Dancing" featuring The Federation & Animaniaks
6. "Keep Em Close" featuring Nump
7. "Seein' Thangs" featuring David Banner
8. "Broken Levee Blues"
9. "Artifact (Instrumental)"
10. "Backstage Girl" featuring Phonte Coleman
11. "Triplicate / Something Happened That Day"
12. "The Tiger" featuring Sergio Pizzorno & Christopher Karloff
13. "Erase You" featuring Chris James
14. "What Have I Done" featuring Christina Carter
15. "You Made It" featuring Chris James
16. "Enuff" featuring Q-Tip & Lateef The Truth Speaker
17. "Dats My Part" featuring E-40
18. "3 Freaks (Droop-E Remix)" featuring Mistah F.A.B., Turf Talk, Keak Da Sneak

The album also included two DRM-protected downloadable bonus tracks if purchased from Best Buy in the U.S.: "Erase You (Long Version)" and "Triplicate Part 3".

Japan CD version

1. "Outsider Intro"
2. "This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way)"
3. "3 Freaks" featuring Keak Da Sneak & Turf Talk
4. "Droop-E Drop"
5. "Turf Dancing" featuring The Federation & Animaniaks
6. "Keep Em Close" featuring Nump
7. "Seein Thangs" featuring David Banner
8. "Broken Levee Blues"
9. "Artifact (Instrumental)"
10. "Backstage Girl" featuring Phonte Coleman
11. "Triplicate / Something Happened That Day"
12. "The Tiger" featuring Sergio Pizzorno & Christopher Karloff
13. "Erase You" featuring Chris James
14. "What Have I Done" featuring Christina Carter
15. "You Made It" featuring Chris James
16. "Enuff" featuring Q-Tip & Lateef the Truth Speaker
17. "Dats My Part" featuring E-40
18. "Purple Grapes" featuring The Team
19. "3 Freaks - Video" featuring Keak Da Sneak & Turf Talk

References

1. Kerr, Dave (13 September 2006). "DJ Shadow: What became of the other man from UNKLE". The Skinny. Scotland.
2. "The Outsider by DJ Shadow". Retrieved 3 October 2016.
3. Bush, John. "DJ Shadow: The Outsider > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
4. Clarke, Paul (14 September 2006). "DJ Shadow: The Outsider". BBC Collective.
5. Kot, Greg (15 September 2006). "The Outsider (2006): DJ Shadow". Entertainment Weekly. Time (#898). ISSN 1049-0434.
6. Christgau, Robert. "DJ Shadow". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
7. Duncan, Miles. "DJ Shadow: The Outsider". Okayplayer. Archived from the original on 17 October 2006.
8. Linhardt, Alex (19 September 2006). "DJ Shadow: The Outsider". Pitchfork Media.
9. O'Neil, Tim (27 September 2006). "DJ Shadow: The Outsider". PopMatters.
10. Macdonald, Cameron (18 September 2006). "DJ Shadow: The Outsider". Stylus Magazine.
12. "Music Review: DJ Shadow - The Outsider". Retrieved 3 October 2016.
13. Oct 2006, p.104
14. Sep 2006, p.106
15. "DJ Shadow :: The Outsider :: Motown Records". Retrieved 3 October 2016.
16. "Album Review: DJ Shadow - The Outsider". Retrieved 3 October 2016.

External links

• DJ Shadow official site
• Information regarding the cover
• Web page of voiceover artist Oliver Tobias, narrator on Outsider Intro