DJ Danger Mouse (real name Brian Burton) took an a capella version of rapper Jay-Z's The Black Album and mixed it with music samples from The Beatles White Album to create this masterpiece. Only about 3000 copies of the album were produced, however none of the Beatles samples were cleared for use, so when EMI heard about this effort they apparently sent nasty letters to try to stop its distribution altogether.
The Grey Album gained enough notoriety that it spread like wildfire as a free online download - and a debate about the nature of sampling laws in the industry ensued. Since its release, the concept of the mash-up (ie: mixing two or more songs together to create a new unique creation) has literally exploded, with music from artists as diverse as Prince and the Wu-Tang clan being used in remix projects.
I was never a big Jay-Z fan, but hearing his rhymes over loops of some of my favourite Beatles tunes is great. It all seems to fit so well, which is a testimony to Danger Mouse's determination to make this project work.
There was also a bonus "Grey Video" produced, which is possibly the only place you can catch a glimpse of John Lennon break dancing. Well worth checking out!
No comments:
Post a Comment