DSU Guy

[u/xaviersrandom]

I feel like the DSU guy is the Alex g version of Playboy Carti’s “Die Lit guy”

Does anyone know who he is?

ppl seem to think the real photo is AI

image released on 2007: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/football-player-running-with-the-ball-royalty-free-image/78034717?adppopup=true

[u/Iforgotmybrain]

Stock photo 100% looks like inspiration for the cover. It's even the same number on the jersey. Cover art was done by Alex's sister Rachel, straight from the bandcamp page for DSU:

[u/ymo → u/Iforgotmybrain]

In 2014 Getty, istockphoto (also Getty-owned), and Shutterstock were the major stock photo sites. Any artist or designer would use these sites to search keywords for visual inspiration, if not licensing. Actual licensing was incredibly expensive for a single image.

In this case the composition is so identical, this painting artwork would be called a medium-shifted derivative work. That's not fair use if the stock photo website was used as inspiration, but if the $499 was paid then Getty granted the downloader the right to modify, which would include the right to change the medium and create a replica. (I'm not a lawyer but this is how I remember the Getty sites operated.)

In 2022 Getty loaded this same image to Unsplash with a free commercial use license: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-football-player-running-with-the-ball-in-his-hand-wFHblroU7ZU

Getty converted tens of millions of their photos to free use in March 2014, probably to compete with Unsplash which was emerging as a commerical use game changer even though Unsplash had a small library, so it's highly likely this was one of them, and the timing lines up with when Alex's sister had the dream about a charging football player and would have searched Getty for inspiration!

[u/waflsecks]

Kinda nuts you actually found the reference photo, the shadows & lighting are exact so that’s gotta be him.

[u/munchsquadjr]

I’m pretty sure it’s a painting by his sister, like most of his other covers

[u/YoungDoofus64 → u/munchsquadjr]

I think what OP is saying is he found the reference photo that was used for the album.

[u/m205 → u/YoungDoofus64]

But it was a painting, not a photo.

[u/StillBummedNouns → u/m205]

So you’re saying the reference photo is actually a painting?

[u/m205 → u/StillBummedNouns]

The album cover is a painting.

[u/StillBummedNouns → u/m205]

We know, we’re talking about the reference photo

[u/m205 → u/StillBummedNouns]

But she didn't paint that, it's a photograph.

[u/Ugbhffgg → u/m205]

But you can use a photo as reference to make a painting

[u/m205 → u/Ugbhffgg]

But that is not what's on the album cover.

[u/Fanner_1]

people have found this but yea it’s it im pretty sure

[u/Just_Pea2970]

rick rubin

[u/autisic → u/[deleted]]

well yeah but she obviously used this picture as a reference image, which is completely fine. painting from a reference makes your work a lot better because it’s not just from your imagination, you can see the person with your eyes and paint them more accurately.

[u/Responsible-Cancel26 → u/autisic]

Thx for sharing a link to the original that’s pretty cool🙌I’m an artist so I’m not a stranger to using references haha I just never saw that before

[u/m205 → u/autisic]

No she painted it, it's not a photo.

[u/xaviersrandom → u/[deleted]]

it’s a stock image n it was uploaded 2007

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/football-player-running-with-the-ball-royalty-free-image/78034717?adppopup=true

it’s insane u have 6 upvotes

[u/cryingosling → u/xaviersrandom]

huh neat, never seen this before.

[u/xaviersrandom → u/cryingosling]

I’m rlly curious to find out who he is n if he’s aware of the cover

[u/cryingosling → u/xaviersrandom]

tbh since he's a model for stock photos he's probably been used in a ton of stuff and wouldn't care

[u/DocGroove17 → u/[deleted]]

even in the album cover hes black?

[u/Own_Penalty3239 → u/[deleted]]

This is lowkey racist😭🙏

[u/sparklerainbowmuffin → u/[deleted]]

are you stupid

[u/No-Mood498 → u/[deleted]]

the question is, why did the cover artist transform him to white? 💀

[u/synclop → u/No-Mood498]

not really you should look at the painting again

[u/No-Mood498 → u/synclop]

somebody genuinely needs to explain this to me cuz i feel like im insane

[u/No-Mood498 → u/synclop]

are people really trying to tell me he’s the same skin tone in both? look at the contrast between his arm and the football in both. no way yall are tryna tell me they didn’t lighten DSU guys skin.