Kno vs. Hov : The White Albulum(2004)

1) Intro
2) PSA
3) Dirt Off Your Shoulders
4) Allure
5) Lucifer
6) Threat
7) 99 Problems
8) Justify My Thug
9) Change Clothes
10) Moment Of Clarity
11) My 1st Song
12) What More Can I Say
13) Encore
14) December 4th



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You might have heard them all, but if you haven't heard DJ Kno of CunninLynguists' take on the Black Album, I suggest you take a listen. Back in 2003, when Jay Z released the acappellas and the remix frenzy ensued, I was taken in. Being the Jigga fan that I am, I collected as many as I could. As I look back, a lot of those remixes were terrible, sub-par at best. Most of them seemed like a collection of beats with the Black Album verses thrown on top, but this one rose above the rest. Kno's beats complimented Jay's flows. Personally, I like this better than the original. The change in song order along with the continuity of the beats makes this version stronger. After hearing so many remixes, it was nice to hear Jigga open this album with the lines, "allow me to reintroduce myself!" And no offense to Timbaland, but Kno's spin on Dirt Off You Shoulders truly has the music "feelin' like a pimp." He also showed no fear in changing or adding hooks; see Lucifer, Threat, and Justify My Thug. And to top it all off, this remix made one of my least favorite songs, Allure, one of my favorites. With this piece, I think Kno took a near classic album, and re-made it as a classic.