The Black Album (Acappella)

Could this be the record that launches a thousand production careers? Variations on The Black Album began multiplying like rabbits soon after its release in November 2003, with DJ Danger Mouse's masterful Gray Album — in which samples from the Beatles' White Album power the productions behind Jay-Z's raps — getting a large share of the publicity (and legal action). Within a few weeks, the novelty threatened to become a full-blown phenomenon, led by likely contenders The Black on Black Album (Metallica) and The Purple Album (Prince) as well as a few unlikely fusions such as The Slack Album (Pavement) and Jay-Zeezer: The Black and Blue Album (Weezer). (Undoubtedly nearing completion on some renegade's hard drive is The Crack Album featuring Rick James samples or The Back Catalog Album featuring previous Jay-Z productions.) No matter, Def Jam did a favor to budding producers who are still searching for the unaccompanied vocals by releasing this a cappella version of The Black Album. As necessary in any producer's collection as an Ultimate Breaks and Beats compilation, it obviously makes much less sense for any other music fan, though Def Jam deserves points for adding lyrics to the liner notes.