Y'all Can't Front on That

It’s hard to turn on the radio these days without hearing Jay-Z. Each of the three singles he’s dropped off of his most recent effort The Blueprint 3 has hit hard, gaining both airtime and my attention. Furthermore, these three tracks are back-to-back on the album, creating one of the more powerful three-song sets since tracks 4-6 on Thriller (I may be eating my words after these tracks are all played out in 6 months). I enjoy all of these singles a great deal, but my deepest appreciation is reserved for that first single, “D.O.A. [Death of Auto-Tune].”

What really set’s “D.O.A.” apart for me is the instrumentation—that slinky, strutting guitar that gives way to a soaring, big-band-style clarinet. When I was first getting into the song, that guitar riff struck me as oddly familiar, but it took me awhile to place it. I had to delve back years into my music listening history to figure out why, all the way to middle school. But finally, it clicked. The Beastie Boys’ “What’cha Want” off of the 1992 classic Check Your Head. You’ll have to wait for the chorus, but when you get there, you’ll hear a similarly raunchy little guitar riff.

Granted, the two riffs are not close to being identical. Yet the effect of each is similar, which is striking given the 17 years that separate the two. Why the similarity? Well, there’s a pretty easy answer to that question (though it’s impossible to know if it’s right). Both the Beastie Boys and Jay-Z worked with Rick Rubin, the producer who pioneered the fusion of hip-hop and rock with acts like Run-DMC, the Beasties, and the Chili Peppers. Rubin was the Beastie Boys’ first DJ, and was integral in the production of their debut Licensed to Ill. He also produced the biggest hit off of Jay-Z’s The Black Album, “99 Problems,” in 2003. Connection made!

A little background research into Rubin reveals a pretty remarkable character. He’s worked with everyone from Public Enemy to the Dixie Chicks to Slayer. In 2010, he’s slated to produce an album by Linkin Park and an album by Neil Diamond. He has seven Grammy awards. And he looks like a mystic musical guru (see picture above). A true King Midas of the music world who can't be done justice in a paragraph. This guy deserves a book.

Here is “D.O.A” and “What’cha Want.” I've also included a mash-up of the latter track and “In 3’s,” also from Check Your Head. I really dig the 3:4 rhythmic overlay that results from the mash-up; it works well yet is consistently a tiny bit unsettling, keeping you on edge. Enjoy.

Jay-Z – D.O.A. [Death of Auto-Tune] (YSI) (filesavr)
Beastie Boys – What’cha Want (YSI) (filesavr)
Beastie Boys – 3’s What’cha Want (YSI) (filesavr)