The 2000s were already unusual as far as some of the music goes. But here we’re just scratching the surface of totally wack hip-hop crossover albums.
The following three albums merged rap and hip-hop with rock through features, mash-ups, and all sorts of surprising collaborations.
‘Collision Course’ by Jay-Z and Linkin Park
Collision Course is interesting for more than just being a hip-hop crossover album. By its nature as a mash-up, it transcends collaboration. It also goes further than a typical mash-up. Instead of just editing the existing tracks together, Jay-Z and Linkin Park re-recorded their songs in the studio. This technique resulted in a more natural-sounding mash-up, with all the pieces fitting together nicely.
Released in 2004, Collision Course remixed several tracks from Meteora and Hybrid Theory with others from The Black Album, Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life, Vol. 3…Life and Times of S. Carter, and The Blueprint. The album was made for MTV, but was heavily inspired by Danger Mouse’s The Grey Album, a mash-up of Jay-Z and The Beatles. Collision Course was generally well received for its lighthearted approach to these two usually serious artists. Additionally, “Numb/Encore” won a Grammy Award.
‘Blakroc’ by Damon Dash and The Black Keys
Blakroc was released in 2009 as a joint project between record exec Damon Dash and rock band The Black Keys. The collaborations on the album aren’t totally unusual for a hip-hop album. Ludacris, Mos Def, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, RZA, Pharoahe Monch, and more talented rappers provide vocals. But the interesting crossover comes from the instrumentation and production, done by The Black Keys.
The album was well received for this blend of hip-hop and blues rock, which The Black Keys were doing more of at that time. They would break into the mainstream a year later, eventually fading further away from those blues foundations. But here, the merging of genres worked in everybody’s favor, creating a crossover album that actually tapped into the blues roots that helped build hip-hop.
‘Shock Value’ by Timbaland
Timbaland released Shock Value in 2007, featuring some of the most unusual crossover collaborations on a hip-hop album. Before there was Hayley Williams on “Airplanes”, there was Fall Out Boy on “One and Only”. And The Hives on “Throw It On Me”. And even She Wants Revenge on the track “Time”.
Shock Value wasn’t universally praised, but it garnered a moderate critical response. The fact that an album can feature Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Keri Hilson, Missy Elliott, and Dr. Dre but also Fall Out Boy, The Hives, She Wants Revenge, OneRepublic, and Elton John is a testament to the power of crossover albums.
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