The iconic cover for Gravediggaz's 1994 debut album, 6 Feet Deep (originally titled Niggamortis), was shot by photographer Christian Witkin. The stark, haunting black-and-white cover features a composite image of the four group members (Prince Paul, RZA, Frukwan, and Too Poetic) looking like distressed, ghostly figures emerging from the dark.
This album cover was created by photographing all 4 members individually. I then made a full composite thru xerox machine enlargements and reductions to create the final 2-point perspective. It was how I started and shot editorials. Remember, this was before photoshop. This was my first album cover, shot for Gee Street Records on a rooftop in downtown Manhattan on Lafayette and Bond. All daylight. On day 2 we photographed all sorts of death-related items, such as a 9mm gun, a grenade, a shovel, pulled teeth, dead insects and my assistant’s foot with a morgue tag attached. It was alotta work but thats how record companies operated: we pay shit but deliver us everything. Over the years I've noticed that this album art has gained huge notoriety and traction. It will also be featured in an upcoming 50 year Hip Hop retrospective at FOTOGRAFISKA in Manhattan opening early Jan 2023! Thanks to former GeeStreet art director @davidstrangelove of Graphic Therapy NYC for helping re-create the original composite thru modern digital means!
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