Rip It Up
I can’t deny it, I am an unabashed fan of the mashup. From Freelance Hellraiser’s "Stroke of Genie-us", with Christina Aguilera backed by the Strokes, to Danger Mouse’s Grey Album, combining the Beatles’ White Album and Jay Z’s Black Album, to the recent Q Unit, with 50 Cent rapping over Queen riffs, I love being fucked with musically (particularly with a heaping helping of cheese).

Now the king is here, with the party record of the year. Gregg Gillis, a Pittsburgh DJ with the moniker Girl Talk, has released the ultimate mashup album with Night Ripper. It’s beyond spectacular. Though it’s split up into individual tracks, it’s basically 40+ nonstop minutes of jawdropping whydidntithinkofthat sampling genius.

The Ying Yang Twins whispering, "Wait’ll you see my dick" over top of the Verve’s (well, The Rolling Stones really) "Bittersweet Symphony". Nas rapping to the Pixies’ "Where Is My Mind?". Notorious B.I.G.’s "Juicy" with Elton John’s "Tiny Dancer". This can’t ever be cleared and sold in stores, right? How is this legal? Like most anything that is (or probably should be) illegal, it’s a whole lot of fun.

The samples come thick and fast, from Dem Franchize Boyz to Neutral Milk Hotel to Hall And Oates (!!). My favorite moment has to be Juelz Santana and The Waitresses’ Patty Donahue dueling, "I know what girls want/I know what guys want". If I have a criticism, it’s the ADHD of the whole thing. You better savor the choicest bits, because no idea on the record lasts more than about 25 seconds.

But if you love a killer riff or groove or two (or 173), you need to get your hands on Night Ripper, posthaste.
- posted by Liebs @ 6:42 PM