Scanda-Lust: from Southtown Mall to the world
The face on the original Scanda-Lust cover came from a photo booth at Southtown Mall in Fort Wayne, Indiana. For Angelo Williams, Southtown was already part of his hip-hop history: in the 1980s, he battled other emcees there during the culture’s pioneer days in the city. The portrait carries that place and time into the album’s visual identity.
On the 1995 promotional cassette, the booth portrait becomes a grainy yellow and black image. Emcee Cooler’s name stretches across the top and the album title pushes across the bottom. The wraparound insert places the track list beside it. The CD cover returns to the same face in color, with white artist lettering and a red title. The presentation changes, but the look that began in Southtown remains.
The album itself traveled farther. Scanda-Lust was recorded in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the legendary Visonic Studios. Angelo Williams wrote the lyrics and composed the melodies using a Boss DR-5 drum machine. MC A.D.E., the creator of Miami Bass, designed the bass and drums. Those sessions connected Cooler’s Fort Wayne roots with the sound being built in South Florida.
The original cover calls Scanda-Lust “The First Virtual Reality Soundtrack Album.” That line describes how Williams conceived the record: it plays like a movie, with a storyline and full sound effects woven through the entire body of work. The tracks form chapters of one experience, inviting listeners to follow the action from beginning to end.
The newest cover has a direct connection to the original CD. Its scene began on the back cover, next to the track list: a confrontation presented like a frame from the album’s audio movie. The current artwork expands that image into a larger cinematic scene with a car, helicopters and police lights. The cover has evolved, but the visual story was there from the original release. From a Southtown Mall photo booth to the tape, CD and online edition, Scanda-Lust keeps finding new ways to reach listeners. Williams has continued to release music under the names Emcee Cooler, Endyana Stonez and Angelo tha Don.
The photo booth location, Southtown battles, recording and production details, concept, and artist names were supplied by Angelo Williams. The promo tape and CD back images were supplied by Williams; other gallery images link to their online listings above.
