USA: HARD ROCKERS LINKIN PARK BLEND THEIR MUSIC WITH THAT OF RAP STAR JAY-Z IN A UNIQUE COLLABORATION

Record ID: 389634

  • Title: USA: HARD ROCKERS LINKIN PARK BLEND THEIR MUSIC WITH THAT OF RAP STAR JAY-Z IN A UNIQUE COLLABORATION
  • Date: 25th November 2004
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOV 24, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) SOUNDBITE (English) CHESTER BENNINGTON SAYING: "I think mash-ups have been hitting the streets a little bit harder because the line between rock and hip hop has been crossed for some time now and along with mixed tapes which has always been a big part of hip-hop on the street level, putting those
  • Embargoed: 10th December 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES / VARIOUS CONCERT AND STUDIO LOCATIONS
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAA1MBXF1078YROA3UL2WOFYD1R
  • Story Text: Hard rock superstars Linkin Park have joined forces with rap giant Jay-Z to release an album of songs known as "mash-ups", musical collaborations where two different songs are combined into one track.
    The idea came about from an MTV concert in which Linkin Park and Jay-Z performed live for an invited group of fans. The artists then decided to go into the studio and re-record six tracks which are being released as part of a CD/DVD package called "Collision Course."
    Jay-Z says there was never any doubt what everyone wanted to get out of the collaboration.
    "The first thing we said to each other is what we're here for. I'm not trying to be Linkin Park and you're not trying to be Jay-Z we're just here to, I'll bring what I do to the table, you all bring what you do to the table and we mix it and we uncompromise and have fun with it," Jay-Z says.
    As to why Linkin Park was so keen to work with Jay-Z, lead singer Chester Bennington says "I think that people really relate to his music. He's always been very honest with his lyrics which I admire plus the beats are really important and if you have really great beats and really great lyrics you know people are going to respond to that."
    Jay-Z, who presides over a music, fashion and recording empire worth hundreds of millions of dollars and had reportedly retired from performing jokes that he doesn't quite know how he found himself involved in this project.
    "I don't know what happened, I don't know how I got tricked into doing all this work, I went in to clean off my desk of a couple of things. You know these things, it turned into a show. It was supposed to be show for MTV but when we got into the studio I started doing lyrics over and we started doing all our things over the music it turned into something more than the show. Now it's an album, it's a DVD and I'm not going to fight it, it's beautiful with beautiful music and I want the world to see it," Jay-Z says.
    Jay-Z and Linkin Park spent just four days in a Los Angeles studio creating and recording six "mash-ups"
    including Numb/Encore and Izzo/In The End. Also being released is the original MTV concert that led to the project. Chester Bennington says it was an easy collaboration.
    "I think mash-ups have been hitting the streets a little bit harder because the line between rock and hip hop has been crossed for some time now and along with mixed tapes which has always been a big part of hip-hop on the street level, putting those two things together just seemed natural," Bennington says.
    "Collision Course" is released on November 30th.
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