Grey Area.

A long time ago, an album was created out of pure brilliance and dedication.

A project that reflected the universal theme that is music, while celebrating the diversity of it.

An album that mashed together two of the biggest icons in music.

...A project you probably have never heard.

In February of 2004, Brian Burton (better known as DJ Danger Mouse) released The Grey Album. This project was a mashup of The White Album by The Beatles, and The Black Album by Jay-Z. Anybody who doesn't live under a rock knows that The Beatles are arguably the most respected and well-known band of all-time. Furthermore, that Jay-Z is one of the most critically acclaimed and successful rap artists ever.

As a fan of both, Danger Mouse came up with the idea when he found out Jay-Z was releasing an a cappella version of The Black Album. Jay's sole intention of releasing the a cappella was to give producers (big and small) a chance to remix the classic, and show off their talents. As you could imagine, Burton jumped at this opportunity.

"I was obsessed with the whole project, that's all I was trying to do, see if I could do this" Burton said.

"Once I got into it, I didn't think about anything but finishing it."

The first thing he did was listen to The Black Album a cappella and measure the amount of beats per minute for each track, then scanned all 30 songs on The White Album, listening for drums or cymbals when other instruments or voices were not present.

"A lot of people just assume I took some Beatles and, you know, threw some Jay-Z on top of it or mixed it up or looped it around, but it's really a deconstruction. It's not an easy thing to do."

Using Acid Pro, Danger Mouse modified the samples and instruments he had truncated from The Beatles album to make them sound more hip-hop, and layer the songs. The product was not only a unique album, but a cultural phenomenon. You could distinguish the different elements of The Beatles and Jay-Z, yet it had it's own soulful sound. When I say "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts," that is the ultimate compliment to Danger Mouse and his superior production skills. 

 

The album was released in February 2004, and was distributed in limited quantities at first. It drew high praises from music critics everywhere. However, all the buzz was not positive.

Due to the amount of attention it received, EMI, copyright holder of The Beatles, ordered Danger Mouse and retailers carrying the album to cease distribution. Danger Mouse never asked permission to use The Beatles' material. Jay-Z's material, on the other hand, was commercially released as an a cappella disc for the purpose of remixing. Websites immediately took down download links, in fear that EMI would pursue legal action.

Not surprisingly, there were people who deemed the record label’s actions harsh, and protested. Most notably, “Grey Tuesday” was a day of coordinated electronic civil disobedience on February 24, 2004. Led by an activist group looking to restructure the control of the music industry, hundreds of websites posted free download links to the album. This was a signal to major record labels that fans and musicians alike refuse to let lawyers and businessmen control musical creativity.

"It was not my intent to break copyright laws. It was my intent to make an art project” Danger Mouse said.

The tape became so popular, Jay-Z and Paul McCartney even weighed in.

"I think it was a really strong album. I champion any form of creativity, and that was a genius idea to do it. And it sparked so many others like it, I was honored to be on, you know, quote-unquote, the same song with the Beatles." Jay-Z said.

“When you hear a riff similar to your own, your first feeling is ‘rip-off.’ After you’ve got over it you think, “Look at that, someone’s noticed that riff.’” McCartney said.

McCartney, unlike most artists, welcomes the thought of being imitated. He spoke on his record label’s reaction to The Grey Album, saying “I didn’t mind when something like that happened with The Grey Album. But the record company minded. They put up a fuss. But it was like, ‘Take it easy guys, it’s a tribute.’”

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been heard by many people. It does float around on the internet though, if you are smart enough to know where to find it. It wasn’t allowed to become the movement it could have been, instead remaining almost mythical. All because some suits sitting comfortably behind their cherry wood desks don’t want to lose a few bucks. It is shameful, and eats away at every fiber in my being that those people can limit how creative artists can be. When Danger Mouse created The Grey Album, I can assure you that he had no intention of disrespecting Jay-Z or The Beatles, and no intention of breaking copyright laws. As he has proved his whole career, he constantly re-evolves himself and his music to expand our minds. Music should be about creating something unique and inspiring people in the process, record labels be dammed. However, I do understand that we don’t live in a utopian society, and the music business is most heavily influenced by the money. 

All i'm saying is that, maybe, The Grey Album could teach us something about the grey area between business and musical creativity.

Danger Mouse has stood his ground, saying "I stuck to those two because I thought it would be more challenging and more fun and more of a statement to what you could do with sample alone. It is an art form. It is music. You can do different things, it doesn't have to be just what some people call stealing. It can be a lot more than that."

It was a lot more than that Danger Mouse. The tape represented the diversity in music, and how the forms can blend together seamlessly. It represented two different cultures, and how time has changed us to embrace each other. It was a clean, smooth sound that lives in my iPod speakers, as I type these very words.