'MTV Ultimate Mash-Ups' Show Spawns Studio Collaboration for Release on Warner
Bros. Records November 30
For those who were there, it was a once-in-a-lifetime musical moment. On July
18, 2004, MTV brought Jay-Z and Linkin Park together for a tour-de-force performance
at West Hollywood's famed Roxy Theatre in front of a select group of lucky fans.
It was a meeting of musical minds inspired by mutual admiration and a passion
for music, resulting in a combination of great songs "mashed" together
as if they were meant to be paired in that way all along. The evening proved
to be stylistically grand, and artistically bold, as the famed Sunset Blvd.
literally shook underneath the weight of these musical heavyweights on the same
stage, mixing it up. It was a musically masterful performance no one has, or
will soon forget.
Now, for those who missed it (and for those who want to re-live it), comes
on Warner Bros. Records and Roc-A-Fella Records one of the most exciting CD
+ DVD packages yet:
"MTV Ultimate Mash-Ups Presents - Jay-Z / Linkin Park: Collision Course,"
a two disc set due November 30.
The CD features studio recordings of the same song combinations performed live
on that unforgettable night. The tracks were cut in the studio with Linkin Park
and Jay-Z while they rehearsed for the Roxy performance. Included are pairings
such as "Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying From You," "Numb/Encore,"
"Izzo/In The End" and more.
Says Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park (who doubled as producer on the album) about
selecting the songs that would be melded, "We picked the songs based on
tempo, key and vibe. Most of it was pretty obvious to me -- the songs just told
me which ones should go together." Based on early response, the pairings
are perfect; the real challenge came while re-recording the tracks in the studio,
most notably the vocal tracks. Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington says
of the experience, "The biggest challenge in recording some of the new
vocals was singing our dark lyrics over Jay's music. Some of his songs felt
happier than our songs -- which made for a different attitude in our vocals."
The DVD contains the Roxy performance in 5.1 Surround Sound, plus a revealing
behind-the-scenes documentary detailing the creative process of the collaboration.
This poignant and fun feature will show you how, in just four days, Jay-Z and
Linkin Park created, rehearsed, recorded and ultimately performed the songs
that make up the ultimate mash-up album. Rousing mash-ups of "Numb/Encore,"
"Points Of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer" and "Izzo/In
The End" and more are included. Also included on the disc is the original
broadcast version of "MTV ULTIMATE MASH-UPS," which is set to premiere
on the MTV network November 10, 2004 at (10:30 PM eastern / pacific), as well
an exclusive photo gallery of Linkin Park and Jay-Z images taken over the course
of the project.
Look for MTV to debut tracks from the album online with THE LEAK beginning
November 23rd at www.mtv.com.
SOURCE: Warner Bros. Records
