| Product: |
Collision Course - Jay-Z & Linkin Park |
| Date: |
06.04.08 (119 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: A fantastic Mixture of styles and genres
Disadvantages: Only 6 Tracks
When it was first released it was an album I have to admit that I wasn't keen on and couldn't really see myself buying. Despite the fact I quite liked Linkin Park the idea of a collaboration between them and Jay-Z really didn't appeal to me. I'm not a big fan of Rap music and while I do like Linkin Park I just couldn't see this working. The more I heard the version of Numb/Encore on the radio though, the more intrigued I became, until the point where I decided that at £3.95 on iTunes it wasn't as much of a gamble as it had been at £7.99 or whatever extortionate price it was going for in the shops upon its original release.
The idea to create an album mixing the rap and rock genres actually came about following an approach from MTV's Mash Up program in the states. They approached Jay-Z and asked him which artist he would like to mix his tracks with to create some new remixes. He in turn chose Linkin Park but rather than just blending the tracks together Jay-Z and Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda decided that the best way to create something special would be to re record all the parts of the tracks they needed and create something new using a selection of the band and Jay-Z existing tracks.
If there is one thing that really surprised me it's just how good the resulting effort turned out. It is a unique blend of the two artists music and the mixing and rhythm really works well. They have kept a lot of the original backing tracks, mixing in a lot of Linkin Park's hard rocking sound with the smoother beats of Jay-Z's rap records and creating something that actually sounds natural. While I would say Numb/Encore is probably the most recognizable of all the tracks on the album the best example of the project working has to be "Points of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer". It blends all three tracks really well and sees Mike Shinoda take on parts of jay-Z's tracks and really helps add something else to this version.
While this really wasn't something that I would normally buy I have to say that I am now very glad that I did. It's only 6 tracks long and at the original price regardless of how good the album is that is incredibly expensive. The result though sees a blending of two very different artists that despite their differences really seem to complement each other very well. The pace and intensity of Linkin Park's tracks mixed with the smooth sound of Jay-Z is something that I still don't think should work but in all seriousness it really does. Even the vocals seem to blend well together and that, coming from two very different genres is quite an impressive achievement and really speaks to both Jay-Z and Shinoda's abilities as producers.
Overall I would say that a project that on paper shouldn't on any level have had the success it has had actually really deserves it. It's an impressive collaboration and while it won't appeal to everyone it is a very impressive mixture of styles. If you're a fan of Linkin Park or Jay-Z then chances are you'll already own this but if you don't its certainly one to look out for. If you don't like either artist but liked the single Numb/Encore then likewise it might be worth you giving this a try, it's something different in a time where artists are constantly being pigeonholed and this album certainly breaks that mould.
Amazon: £17.49 (Very expensive since it only comes with an additional DVD that I didn't get with mine)
iTunes: £3.95
Amazon Marketplace: £6.81
Summary: A collaberation formed for MTV that works very well
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