12. Danger MouseThe Grey Album

I went through a lot of my rap albums starting with Grandmaster Flash, Pharcyde, Tribe Called Quest, the Beasties, Dr Dre (in particular The Chronic), Gang Starr (my old friends and heroes, RIP Guru), etc, etc, but I landed on this bootleg because it is such a beautiful encapsulation and blending, almost a train crash, if you like, of styles from totally different genres and eras. Danger Mouse’s looping and beats are bang on the money, his choices of Beatles tunes immaculate and Jay-Z, as ever raging at his angry best from the street while never seemingly breaking a sweat. For me Jay-Z never really gets the credit he deserves as a street rapper. He made some money and has done some good deals or whatever but dollar for dollar, pound for pound Jay-Z can slug it out with the best of them.

More than this though, this is not a rap album, it’s not a Beatles album, it’s a wonderful set of sounds to wake up to. It’s a joyous yet strangely melancholy record with heaps of melody and messages up the whazoo.