Diplo Blends Kanye West, Black Keys for World Cup Mix
Producer-DJ-soccer fan Diplo has shared an hour-long mix to celebrate the 2014 World Cup, which commenced Thursday in Brazil. The eclectic musical stew premiered on BBC 1Extra, blending hip-hop beats (Kanye West‘s “Black Skinhead” and “Champion”), blues-rock riffs (the Black Keys‘ “Howlin’ for You”), synth-pop hooks and plenty of Latin rhythms.
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The sonic breadth is staggering, as Diplo segues the disparate tracks into a seamless whole. Conga beats bleed into jazz piano lines and stadium-sized synth runs, with several familiar faces popping up throughout. The obvious highlight is the transition between Kanye’s “Black Skinhead” to the Black Keys’ “Howlin’ for You,” as Diplo pairs the former’s “blacked out on yo’ ass” vocal sample and soccer-friendly beat with Dan Auerbach’s snarling vocal hook and distorted guitar.
Elsewhere, he features a warped rip from the White Stripes‘ anthemic “Seven Nation Army” and chant-friendly hooks from Brazilian synth-pop act CSS’ anthemic “Hits Me Like a Rock,” Beyonce’s “End of Time” and electronic producer Madeon’s “Finale.” Listen to the full mix below.
Last month, it was revealed that Diplo would host the VH1 music series, Soundclash, with each episode of the Questlove-produced show featuring three artists performing simultaneously on a single stage. The premiere episode, airing July 23rd, will feature hip-hop mainstay Lil Wayne, emo-rock heartthrobs Fall Out Boy and British electro-pop act London Grammar. The second episode, airing July 30th, will bring together singer-songwriters Ed Sheeran and Sia, along with alt-rockers Grouplove.