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Real hip-hop meets rock in 'Collision'
I've never been the biggest fan of Linkin Park -- I was too much of a hip-hop purist when they broke out onto the public consciousness to enjoy Mike Shinoda's elementary flows. I've also never been the biggest fan of Jay-Z -- I own a couple albums, but Nas' resounding victory on the battlefield left a strange taste in my mouth even though I liked "The Black Album." Surprisingly enough, MTV has never topped my list of favorites either. That said, I'm a fan of the MTV-conducted collaboration of Jay-Z and Linkin Park, the CD/DVD combo "Collision Course."
The collaboration between two vastly different musical styles is able to achieve something Limp Bizkit and even Linkin Park itself are unable to attain: real hip-hop in rock. Not since Rage Against the Machine has the lyrical percussion of a vocalist come packaged so nicely with hard guitars and live instruments. Don't analyze the lyrics -- the songs are just recycled hits from both artists, but the release is important for several reasons.
First of all, credit MTV with doing something to encourage experimentation in music. While the formulas of both Jay-Z and Linkin Park are established and clearly aimed at certain audiences, the combination of the two forces both artists to examine the constraints of whatever genre they prefer. Lil Jon and Nelly are two other modern artists toying with bridging hip-hop's differences with other genres, and it's always interesting to see the fusion of two separate styles. The line between hip-hop and rock 'n' roll is blurred further with "Collision Course," and MTV deserves some credit.
More important, though, is the fact that fans are also forced to examine their musical tastes. The fan demographics for both artists may be similar, but in many cases, it would be easy to assume there is absolutely no overlap. Fans of Jay-Z would rather look to Eminem than Linkin Park, and Linkin Park fans would rather turn to Staind than Jay-Z. "Collision Course" forces them to rethink their choices.
The album is in no way one of the year's best albums. After all, at six tracks, it's little more than a remix EP, but it poses some interesting questions on the boundaries set up by personal tastes. If you are a fan of either artist, it's definitely worth checking out.
