People on my buddy list must hate me. Because rather than hit them up about serious shit, I'm always sending them random youtube links to mashups and whatnot.

Mashups aren't a new thing, DJs have been making them since god knows when, and hip-hop is pretty much founded on this idea of mashing up samples to make something new. But what I like about current mashups is that since Danger Mouse's Grey Album (which, for the record, I'm not a big fan on), producers have been going in heavy on the thematic side, making projects inspired by the idea of mashing up one artist with a consistent theme. It's not random.

So Viva La Hova (download it HERE) dropped monday night, it's the Jay-Z/Coldplay mash-up project that Mick Boogie and Terry Urban are behind that I posted about last week. I produced cut #10 "Science is Ignorant," and I gotta say, it was a lot of fun working with the Coldplay source material, coming up with a creative way to keep the vibe of the music but add to it at the same time and come up with an original production.

If I've heard any criticism at all about this project– regardless of the fact that everyone seems to love it– it's that maybe some of these Coldplay songs sound better without Jay-Z. Perhaps that's mostly coming from the Coldplay fan side. It's almost this idea that when hip-hop dudes get involved in mash-ups, they always build the mashed up tracks around the rapper, instead of sorta just remixing the artist's songs and sprinkling the rapper's verses here and there (a la Girl Talk). Or shit, maybe you put Chris Martin's vocals to a Jay-Z instrumental?

That said, what's the general consensus on mash-ups from the xxl readers.... love em or hate em? Are you satisfied with the level of creativity that producers are showing with their mashups? Do you wish the trend would die? Are hip-hop dudes wack at making mash-ups? Are rock guys better? What are some of your favorite mash-ups and why?

Here's a few of my favorites, just off top of my head:
Cookin Soul's Jay-Z/Oasis- Ojayzis
"Country Grammar"/"Sweet Home Alabama"
"In Da Club"/"Stayin Alive"
"December 4th"/"Oh What A Night"
"Miss New Booty"/"Men Without Hats"

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