Show 10: Just Another Mashup Monday

How can a fan of indie rock and hip-hop reconcile their disparate interests? With a mashup, of course. Lucky for hip-hop heads who also enjoy the gentle crooning artists like Sufjan Stevens, Montreal-based producer Tor recently released a free remix mixtape, Illinoize, which brings together said indie tunage with the likes of Outkast, Big Daddy Kane and others. In the spirit of this unexpected combination, I explore all things mashup on Yo! KALX Raps!


For those with a passing interest in culture and media studies (pardon my bias, I was a communications major in college), mashups are good fodder for conversations about the postmodern aesthetic and music. I'd give you a crash course in postmodernity, but that's what wikipedia is for and I'm also, by no means, an expert. But let me put it this way: Mashups are shining examples of many of the fundamental characteristics of postmodern works, which have been traditionally applied to other areas of artistic expression, mainly visual and literary arts -- i.e. allusion to other works both within the genre itself and to other very different genres (a fundamental aspect of hip-hop in general) and a certain irreverance for lines traditionally drawn between "high" and "low" art (i.e. sampling classical music with contemporary music). If you feel like reading something more in depth (and I don't feel like writing something more in depth), here's something I stumbled across.

Now, on to the playlist.

Show 10 - Mashups
23 March 2009

1. Tor & Sufjan Stevens - "The Tallest Man/I Like It (feat. Grand Puba)," Illinoize
2. Mic Break: Radiohead & Panzah Zandahz - "No Surprises," Me & This Army: Radiohead Remixed & Mashed Up by Panzah Zandahz
3. DJ Moule - "Black Sabotage (Beastie Boys vs. Led Zeppelin)," Best of Bootie 2006
4. Girl Talk - "Play Your Part (Pt. 1)," Feed the Animals
5. The Kleptones - "Breathe In the Summertime," Yoshimi Battles the Hip-Hop Robots
6. Bullion - "God Only Knows," Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee
7. Bullion - "You Still Believe In Dee," Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee
8. Minty Fresh Beats - "No Karma," Jaydiohead
9. Mic Break: World Famous Audio Hacker - "Doin' Time (4PM Dub)," Thievery: The Very Best of World Famous Audio Hacker
10. DJ Cappel & Smitty - "Nasty Boy/For Man There's a Woman (Notorious B.I.G. vs. Frank Sinatra)," Blue Eyes Meet Bed-Stuy
11. Three 6 Mafia - "Late Night (Unstoppable Mix)," Top Ranking
12. Radiohead & Panzah Zandahz - "Itsoweezee (De La Soul)," Me & This Army
13. Blue Scholars - "Inkwell (Crashed-Cop-Car Remix)," Unknown Album
14. The Kleptones - "Bite," A Night At the Hip-Hopera
15. Mic Break: Bullion, "That's Not Dee," Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee
16. Danger Mouse - "What More Can I Say," Grey Album