Adrian Champion: “Stars & Stripes,” a White Stripes remix album

The most immediately attractive aspect of Stars & Stripes is the robust character that resonates throughout the release. White Stripes remixes aren’t exactly a new invention — hell, one of my favorite mashups from 2005 was DJ Riko’s reworking of Ludacris’ “Stand Up” with the duo’s “My Doorbell” — but the album isn’t as simple an equation as: Stripes song + MC = mashup. Adrian Champion explains, “I was late jumping on the White Stripes bandwagon. But, when I heard ‘Doorbell’ a few years back I became an instant fan. That raw, classic sound was so fresh to me.” But the album’s not simply a collection “reimagined” versions of well-loved favorites, but rather it’s an audible orgy including a number of Champion’s personal favorites from the other side of the musical map. Including such artists as Mos Def, Outkast, B.I.G., Busta Rhymes, Pharoah Monch and Common, the album’s selection of source tracks is almost as interesting as the new songs themselves. “So there it is,” Champion closes. “Hip-hop fans, meet the White Stripes. Fans of the White Stripes, meet hip-hop.” Fans of both, meet Adrian Champion. (Dap to Silence Nogood for the heads up.)

Adrian Champion “Got Yourself a Cannon (Stripes vs. Jay-Z)” [Download Mirror]