André LeRoy Davis's Page

André LeRoy Davis … Artist extraordinaire
A.L.Dré … Storyteller

WHO IS HE? WHO ARE THEY? Well, legendary Hip-Hop photographer, elder and motivational speaker Ernie Paniccioli, the author of the book "Who Shot Ya?,” dubbed André LeRoy Davis as, “Hip-Hop's official Cartoonist.”
Mr. Davis on the other hand sees himself more as, “The Al Hirschfeld of Hip-Hop.” Like an Illustrative-documentary or like an illustrative Hip-Hop Historian through the use of Illustrative Art, André has provided a visual record of the world of Hip-Hop entertainment and it’s entertainers for the last twenty years.
A.L.Dré has written, stories, conducted interviews and structured music reviews for the likes of The Source, Vibe, Rappages, XXL, Smooth Magazines and HipHopDX since 1994.

After earning his BFA from The School of Visual Arts College in New York City, André has been pimping his pencil as a freelance artist and a true Renaissance man. He has worked to supply caricatures, illustrations and humorous illustrations for an array of magazines, entertainment venues and record companies the likes of Bad Boy Entertainment, Def-Jam, Mad Magazine, Mtv Networks and The TOPPS Company, Inc.
André LeRoy Davis wrote and illustrated The Last Word column on the last page in what was the preeminent Hip-Hop magazine, The Source from the September 1990 issue up until the January 2007 issue. He has also helped to create logos, album covers, mix-tape art and a wide range of graphic designs for a diverse clientele through the company that he co-founded, Melanin Inc.
André is an artist, a writer, a journalist and a Teacher. Most recently he has been sharing his wealth of knowledge by teaching his craft to those from the age of six to ninety-six. Whether it be at the elementary school level, the High School level or with Senior citizens, André has been educating budding artists to all aspects of drawing, illustration, painting, cartooning and caricature by opening the door for them to be creative using visual Arts.

Known worldwide Mr. Davis’ artwork has been featured in the 2003 motion picture, Tupac: Resurrection “In His Own Words” as well as inside the pages of "DEFinition: The Art and Design of Hip Hop" a 2008 book by Cey Adams and Bill Adler. His original illustrations have been on display at a number of different venues. The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, Laffapalooza! Americas Urban International Comedy Arts Festival in Atlanta Georgia and at The Brooklyn Museum of Art, in Brooklyn, New York are just a few of the venues.

Mr. Davis proudly proclaims, “I can draw anything, but I’m a Hip-Hop artist, I document Hip-Hop.”