Amerigo Gazaway is at it again with the mashups, and we think he's picked two winners to base his next web-release on. Yasiin Gaye, the DJ's next album, will appropriately feature the music of soul legend Marivn Gaye and rapper Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def).
Mashups have become a popular form of dance music in the wake of hit performers such as Girl Talk, but Gazaway and other producers including Danger Mouse have upped the ante by theming albums to a set number of performers. Among the most popular albums in the movement are Mouse's "Gray Album,"-a mix of The Beatles White Album and Jay Z's Black Album-and Gazaway's Fela Soul-a mix of De La Soul and Fela Kuti.
Gazaway has released one song from the collection as a preview. "Inner City Travellin' Man" combines Gaye's "Inner City Blues" and Bey's "Travellin Man" (recorded as Mos Def) into a relaxed, bluesy cut. The vocals of both men intertwine during the hook, serving as equal instruments, and when Bey's raps take over for the verses, Gaye's crooning falsetto notes take over as an integral part of the backing beat.
Those up to date with the going-ons of R&B know that sampling Gaye's work has been a dangerous move as of late. Right now the vocalist's estate is suing Robin Thicke and his cohorts for allegedly borrowing a little too much of Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" for the single "Blurred Lines." Gazaway won't have to worry about sampling legalities however: Yasiin Gaye will be offered for free online, a move that, like many hip-hop mixtapes, allows performers to sample freely without worrying about legal ramifications.
If all of Yasiin Gaye sounds as good as "Inner City Travellin' Man," then Gazaway will generate enough attention for himself that giving it away for free won't feel like a loss at all.
