THE GREY ALBUM WTF?

1) bubba sparxxx
2) tat from alpha omega
3) ishues
4) duddy ken
5) lil noc
6) herb & skills
7) mr noid
8) dreaded mindz
9) ether
10) dangermouse

(I haven't heard this yet but I am spoiled by Lance Lockarm and other such goodness.)

--Oliver

What strikes me about "The Grey Album" is that, only AFTER you listen to it, and then go back to the "The White Album" do DM's samples seem "obvious." The intro guitar on "Rocky Raccoon" that he uses on "Justify My Thug" now "makes sense" to loop. That portion that he uses from "Glass Onion" now sounds like a beat but I really doubt very many folks thought that before. His remix of "99 Problems", that flips at least three/four different parts of "Helter Skelter"? Not remotely obvious. Same goes for his use of "Julia" - dude is stuttering Lennon's voice into a beat. The way he chops up and pitch shifts the electric guitar stab on "Revolution 1" for "Justify My Thug" is hardly obvious - he creates a beat out of it by making it happen, not b/c it was laying in wait for someone to come around and fuck with it.

Look - I'm not saying dude is Michaelangelo with some oil paint but I think people want to shit on this just b/c they find it pretentious. And it is pretentious. But that's why it works, to me at least.

Nathan - The original "December 4th", with that Chi-Lites sample, is classic. No way you can improve on Just Blaze's version :)

Oliver

I'm willing to say that the 'Encore' remix succeeds in 'getting the club crunk'.

To all the mothafuckaz holdin' the wall, fuck y'all.

Upon stealing the Grey Album from the internet, 'Allure' is making my second favorite Black Album track have a second wind, it seems. And 'Dirt Off Your Shoulder' may ape Prefuse's style a bit (even if DM has been doing that same sort of thing for a while too), but I think it's hard as fuck. I think DM's 'December 4th' is really strong, but no way is it touching the original. The Chi-Lites sample was just masterful.

Really, I'm more down to earth than people give me credit for. Don't assume I'm a rich white guy because of my name and my writing style. But still, just because I don't give Lil' Jon and the Ying Yang Twins a free pass for their obvious misogyny doesn't mean I can't enjoy their music at the same time. I don't understand what exactly people dislike about my opinions.

By the way the new Rolling Stone and/or MTV made mention of the Grey Album. Its hit the bigtyme! I would download it but, I don't really want to sit through anymore Jay-Z at the moment and I didn't like the Danger Mouse and Gemini album nor do I care for the Beatles (though I realize its probably not especially Beatlezy, I still has taint in my mind).

DJPenfold+DJDangerMouse-WMCIS(OverlyYellow).mp3

DJ Penfold (AKA %20 an 399) + DJ Danger Mouse (Grey Album [Jay Z's 'Black Album' VS Beatle's 'White Album'])

Title: What More Can I Say (Over Compensating Yellow Mix) AKA (Forget the Hispanic Sweeds Mix)

Lyrics

-Intro-
In this world of strife and mistrust, villiany and intreg
There is one individual who shines out above all others
as a symbol of honesty and justice
his name Danger Mouse
his task to keep back the mallelovant evil doers
who strive to keep everyone under their oppressive heel
and there he is with his faithful assistant Penfold
returning from another successful mission
carrying the praise and thanks of those who he has helped

Agent57: oh oh I could never fool you Danger Mouse
I'm trying to get a lead on the Underworld
Danger Mouse: Good Grief!, Penfold, We've just been engulfed by an enourmous grey cloud.
Penfold: Oh thank goodness, I though my glasses had fogged up

There's never been a nigga this good for this long?With so many different flows?This ones for this song?The next one i'll switch up?This one will get bit up?These phucks?To lazy to make up shit?They crazy?They don't...paint pictures?They just " " me?You know what?CLUCK?I'm not a biter?I'm a writter?For myself and others?I say a B.I.G. verse i'm only biggin up my brother
I'm big enough to do it
Plus i know my own flow is foolish
i make payroll
Benz they roll
Friends paid for

P: Not green backs sir
DM: Penfold shush

I don't give a shit?Nigga one life to live i can't let a day go?Buy

+Insert Product Placement Here+

you say you want a evolution

DM: Ah Ha!

Hear what i'm about
music business hate me
cus the music industry makes me
Dumb down for my audience
I dumb down for my audience
I dumb down for my audience
I'm still paranoid to this day
i've made the decisions i've made
This is not the life i chose, but the life that chose me
you can't respect that then your whole perspective is wack
maybe you'll love me when i fade to
Yellow
all the rappers be hating all the tracks that i'm making
if your having egg shell problems
i feel sorry for you son
i've got one problem and egg shells ain't the one
i got this one moment of clarity
this moment of honesty
the world will feel my truth
middle finger to the black album
listen close to hear what i'm about
nigger i got beef with radio
If you grew up with yellow
i'ma kill yo cat
just the unwritten laws in rap
swear there's a cover up
on every corner there's a yellow licqor store
what the fuck is up
justify my thug

P: Crumbs chief what do we do now
DM: I'm taking the direct approach
P: Direct Approach oh no, no no not that
anything but that please anything but that oh heck oh fiddles oh

yellow and black
well Dr. black and yellow
yellow and black
yellow and black i see them everywhere
there there (I don't know why)
black and yellow and black i see them everywhere
do you hear me
there there just lie back
yellow and black (I don't know why)
am i loosing my mind

DM: Right as me what i'm going to do right now go on ask me
i'm gonna go bananas

and we will march to see the yellow we love it

DM: oh course i haven't got any bananas
i've gone bananas
P: Please DM
DM: Penfold Shush!

in the town where i was born lived a yellow man
and he told us of his life in the yellow land
we all live in a yellow, yellow land

Bananas?
DM: No no that's Penfold, He's....
Bananas?

What more can i say, top billin'
That's what we get, you got it good
and since you understood
would you, bite a rhyme if you dare
i get the papers so i don't care
my contributing to this jam
It's confusing becuase i am
Milk

P: I didn't have much to do this episode so i just thought...
DM: You'd steal a couple of scenes well stop it and behave yourself we've a job to do

but if ever i write
i need the space to say whatever i like, now
fuck critics you can kiss my whole ass hole
if you don't like my lyrics
you can press FFWD
.....I don't give a fuck
i'm living proof that crime do pay

rood shtead no sreggin evael
sweet sweet chocolate
leave niggers on deaths door

666 susej redrum redrum
sweet sweet chocolate
murder murder jesus 666

DM: Penfold
P: Good isn't it hehehehe
DM: Penfold
P: hehehe oh yes sir
DM: your getting over excited again
P: yes sir; oh yes and the beatles are very friendly

We all live in a yellow in our yellow land.
We all live in a yellow in our yellow land.
We all live in a yellow and black and white and grey and black and greblatellowwhoweyblhielloblagrcky lbw brei tck l b y c a

land

Now you know your ass is Lilly White
That mean that shit you write must be illy?Either that or your flow is silly?It's both?I don't mean to boast?But damn if i don't brag?Them crackers gonna act like i ain't on they ass

+Insert Product Placement Here+

You already know what i'm about
i'm into groupie girls
i won't stop abusing it
tellum please to give me the squeeze
back to the music

DM: Good Grief
CK: Thought you'd say that
P: He always does
DM: Penfold Shush!

God forgive me for my brash deivery?But i remember vivily?Lettin these clowns nit pick at me?Paint me like a pickiny?I will literally?Kiss The Martha Stewart?That's far from Jewish
i will literally
kiss the balls of Trump
nigger why would i ever care
pound for pound i'm best to ever come around here
But the real shit in a whole bunch of lines
Or make up shit real shit you get when you bust down my lines?Add that to the fact i'm supposed to be yellow on everybodys list
Add that to my influence On pop culutre?We'll see what happens when i no longer exist?Fuck this

What More Can I Say

DM: Good grief sir He's absolutely terrible, if he gets it he'll ruin the industry
DM: There's very little i can do....apart from turn it off, heheha
DM: Come On...Say goodbye, Penfold
P: Say Goodbye Penfold
DM: Oh Come on

Re: the Beatles appropriations....I can't say I find them especially well-integrated (not nearly as well as on, say, Paul's Boutique).

Every now and again I'll hear something that catches my ear, but nine tenths of it says nothing to me. So many rapping, so few of them with anything new or interesting to say.

[/broken record]

Yep. As the (only) liner notes read:

This Album was made by using two albums. The Black Album by Jay-Z and The White Album by the Beatles. That's all.. every kick, snare, bassline, hi-hat, guitar etc. was taken from the White album, and all the vocals are from the Black album. This is an art project/experiment i did that I thought some people might like.

Enjoy!
Danger Mouse
Oh yeah, and I used a little vocal sample from audio two's "Top Billin'" on track 2.

[/broken record]

Don't get your oversized sweatpants in a twist, b-boy, you asked me a question and I gave you my opinion.

Both albums use the Beatles. Thus, it's a fair comparison.

My bigger problem with The Grey Album is Jay-Z himself.

freely available here: http://www.illegal-art.org/audio/grey.html

the beastie boys comparison just upthread made this really confusing for me for a second.

The promo I have is simply grey with black and white text. No illustrations.

i) it's all over the internet.

ii) if you don't already like Jay-Z (cf poster above) you might well get bored of it pretty quickly.

iii) high-concept bootleg records and the Internet fit together nicely. Why deny yourself the geeky thrill of tracking it down online?

iv) most of the copies in shops will have been burned from mp3s (I'd guess) so the sound quality won't be any better.

"Jigga's ubiquitous "Change Clothes" is now spit out over some sped-up harpsichords from the Beatles' "Piggies," infusing the track with a goofy bounce. On the other end of the spectrum, the gunning guitar blasts from "Helter Skelter" are cleverly spliced throughout Jay's arrogant "99 Problems," giving the track a rumbling metal undertone that recalls Run-DMC's Raising Hell."

OMG, "Change Clothes" now has a goofy bounce? "99 Problems" now sounds like Run DMC? those descriptions make the remixes sound like they sound EXACTLY LIKE THE ORIGINALS.

i like it

Indeed, ever since The Beastie Boys released their groundbreaking album "Paul's Boutique" in 1989 -- which mined samples from sources as diverse as Johnny Cash, Bob Marley and The Beatles -- sampling classic hooks from yesteryear in hip-hop has been as ubiquitous as Bentleys in rap videos.

...

Robert Thompson, a professor of pop culture at Syracuse University, said "The Grey Album" comes at a time when the Beatles have re-emerged as "an avant garde band" for a new generation.

"If you're a 16-year-old listening to the Beatles, it makes you really on the edge of cool," he said.

(I add this because Robert Thompson is really on the edge of complete cultstud whoredom: he gets more TV facetime for uttering the most banal professorial observations about anything and everything poppish than even Camille Paglia!)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2597554109&category=1569

Not heard The Grey Album yet, downloading as I type. The only Jay-Z song I have ever knowingly heard is "Hard Knock Life", so I think I'm just about to get me something of an unorthodox education...

Do you live in a cave?

No, I just don't listen to music made by black people. *Or* maybe Jay-Z doesn't seem to get played on daytime radio in the UK, I don't listen to specialist hip-hop shows (no particular reason why, but there you go), and I don't seem to know anyone who routinely buys Jay-Z CDs. I'll leave it to you to decide which is closer to the truth.

Incidentally, I'm not including "Crazy In Love" in my equation, obviously I've heard that several gajillion times.

It's weird, I know Jay-Z is a hugely famous and apparently talented chap, but i do find it weird that he's managed to slip entirely beneath my radar when, I dunno, Puffy regularly flies, unwanted, into my airspace.

Fuckin' awful, isn't it?

so am i alone in thinking it's a bit...curious that a US DJ has spelt "grey" the English way?

Defiant Downloads Rise From Underground
By BILL WERDE

Published: February 25, 2004

More than 300 Web sites and blogs staged a 24-hour online protest yesterday over a record company's efforts to stop them from offering downloadable copies of "The Grey Album." A popular underground collection of music, "The Grey Album" mixes tracks from the Beatles' classic White Album with raps from Jay-Z's latest release, "The Black Album."

The protesters billed the event as "Grey Tuesday," calling it "a day of coordinated civil disobedience," during which more than 150 sites offered the album for download. Recording industry lawyers saw it as 24 hours of mass copyright infringement and sent letters to the Web sites demanding that they not follow through on the protest.

"The Grey Album" is a critically praised collection of tracks created by Brian Burton, a Los Angeles D.J. who records as Danger Mouse. Mr. Burton created the album by layering Jay-Z's a cappella raps from "The Black Album," released on Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella label, over music he arranged using melodies and rhythms from "The Beatles," commonly known as the White Album.

Mr. Burton did not seek permission from EMI, which owns the publishing rights to the White Album. When EMI learned that Mr. Burton was distributing "The Grey Album" early this month, its lawyers sent him a cease-and-desist letter, and Mr. Burton complied.

EMI views any distribution, reproduction or public performance of "The Grey Album" to be a copyright violation. "They may say EMI is trying to stop an artwork," said Jeanne Meyer, an EMI spokeswoman, referring to the Web sites, "but they neglect to understand that there is a well-established market for licensing samples, and Mr. Burton didn't participate in it."

Some protesters say "The Grey Album" illustrates a need for revisions in copyright law. They say that sampling should be allowed under fair use of copyrighted material, or that a system of fair compensation should be created to allow for sampling.

"To a lot of artists and bedroom D.J.'s, who are now able to easily edit and remix digital files of their favorite songs using inexpensive computers and software, pop music has become source material for sonic collages," said Nicholas Reville, a co-founder of Downhill Battle, an organization of music industry activists who promoted Grey Tuesday.

Jonathan Zittrain, a director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School, said the issue is indeed a gray one. "As a matter of pure legal doctrine, the Grey Tuesday protest is breaking the law, end of story," Mr. Zittrain said. "But copyright law was written with a particular form of industry in mind. The flourishing of information technology gives amateurs and home-recording artists powerful tools to build and share interesting, transformative, and socially valuable art drawn from pieces of popular culture. There's no place to plug such an important cultural sea change into the current legal regime."

He said that under copyright law a judge can impose damages as high as $150,000 for each infringement.

To create a collection like "The Grey Album" legally, an artist would first have to get permission to use copyrighted material. Then he would have to negotiate compensation with the copyright holder. Many artists, however, like the Beatles, will not allow their music to be sampled. But even if permission is granted, it is common for a copyright holder to request more than 50 percent of publishing rights for a new song created from the copyrighted work. So if Mr. Burton had been able to get permission to make "The Grey Album" from both the Beatles and Jay-Z, he would probably have had to give away more than 100 percent of his publishing rights.

Around the same time Mr. Burton received his cease-and-desist letter, his album was receiving critical acclaim in Rolling Stone magazine. The album took on a distribution life of its own online, circulated via file-trading sites and on e-Bay, where bootleg CD's were selling for as much as $80 yesterday. Two weeks ago EMI issued cease-and-desist letters to an undisclosed number of record stores and e-Bbay sellers.

Downhill Battle went live last Wednesday with a site devoted to the protest, Greytuesday.org. In 12 hours it had more than 40 sites signed on to participate. Within two days, Greytuesday.org reached the top ranking on Blogdex and Popdex, Web sites that track which sites are being linked to from blogs.

Monday night lawyers for EMI issued cease-and-desist letters to more than 150 Web sites participating in the protest. The letter said distribution of "The Grey Album" "will subject you to serious legal remedies for willful violation of the laws."

By yesterday afternoon some of the Web masters of the protesting sites said they had served 85 to 100 copies of the album, while other reported as many as 1,000 downloads.

cease and desist letters from capitol records, sent to every website carrying the files. (this is a copy of the one sent to downhillbattle.org).

Incidentally, I'm not including "Crazy In Love" in my equation, obviously I've heard that several gajillion times.

Weird. See, in the U.S. we heard Big Pimpin, Hard Knock Life, Give it 2 Me, Can I Get A, Izzo, Girls Girls Girls....constantly. I mean, they got just as much radio play as singles as "Crazy in Love" did.

havent listened to it myself and I dont think Ill bother..

The tracks that work sound great, but they're few: "99 Problems,"
"Change Clothes," and my favorite, "Public Service Announcement."

Sheeyit, I just realized those are the three tracks lauded by
Rolling Stone.
Completely unintentional. I don't much care for his clipped,
chopped style of sound editing. The drums sound awful on most
of these, way too jittery for my tastes.

Cue Tom Scharpling's 'Angry Mr Bungle Fan':

"But you HAVE to respect what they're DOING!!!"

IF YA SMELL-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING

VERY NICE!

SEXY TIME

the 99 problems remix sounded ok

― $$, Tuesday, January 20, 2004 1:50 PM (4 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

"99 Problems" ("Helter Skelter") is okay.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, February 13, 2004 12:00 AM (4 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Countdown to this album's anniversary

will still ride for PSA remix

this dude used to put nas vocals over radiohead though so what do you ppl want

― $$, Tuesday, January 20, 2004 6:51 PM (4 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

what??

now its time for Wu :

http://bandcamp.com/files/49/36/493699739-1.jpg