Unofifical remix album; no rating given.

 When the Black Album remix craze hit the streets, many argued over who had the hottest remix. The Grey Album by Danger Mouse was the most unique by far, while others would argue about Kev Brown’s Brown Album and Kno of Cunninglynguists’ White Albulum. All the while, a remix project by 9th Wonder began making its rounds on the net, entitled Black is Black, and while it wasn’t readily available for purchase, it began getting much acclaim for being the finest out of all the remixes. We are going to revisit that project and determine whether or not it is indeed the best of the remix projects.

  When The Black Album dropped, there was no question how well the album was lyrically. Jay-Z was really on his “A” game on that album, and could have been the definable moment for Jay as The Black Album was his supposed swan song from hip-hop (and obviously it wasn’t). But while the lyrics were impressive, the production could be argued about for not being very consistent. As soon as an acappellas surfaced, all bets were off for producers everywhere as everyone wanted to add their own flavor to The Black Album. The only producer on The Black Album that decided to do a remix was none other than Little Brother’s 9th Wonder. While being heralded as “the man” in producer circles everywhere, 9th’s attempt at the remix project proved to be much anticipated.

   So what exactly does 9th deliver with Black is Back? Well, from the outset, “December 4th” is treated with an extremely dope remix, as 9th chops up the aquatic intro from Outkast’s Atliens, entitled “You May Die”, and gives it a complete reworking that sounds just beautiful against Jay’s lyrics. “What More Can I Say?” is given a much smoother treatment courtesy of 9th and feels like it was built for the project.  Elsewhere, 9th Wonder’s remixes don’t have the same impact. “Encore” simply doesn’t match up with Kanye’s incredible production and “Lucifer” (although cleverly containing the dope “Devil’s Pie” bassline) just can’t compete with the original.

   Small complaints aside, when 9th delivers, he really delivers. The crashing symbols of “99 Problems” fit perfectly and offer another vibe to the rock driven Rick Rubin production. The crown jewel on Black is Back is also its most ironic. The track that 9th produced on the Black Album gets a complete overhaul and sounds head and shoulders better than the original. “Threats” breezes so effortlessly and shows that the original was completely inferior and incapable of showcasing how dope 9th Wonder is behind the boards.

   Is Black is Back the best of the remix projects? Depends on what you are looking for. Kno’s White Albulum may cater to those who love that southernunderground sound, while The Grey Album is simply the most innovative with the meshing of the Beatles’ White Album. With Black Is Back, 9th Wonder just does what he does best and makes it a welcome addition to the remix collection.