DJ Axel – Breakin’ The Law

DJ Axel – Breakin’ The Law / 2007 Holden / 15 Tracks / http://www.djaxel.com /

I love mashups, and when individuals are able to make completely new albums (such as in the case of Girl Talk), the love only increases. I must admit, I had not heard much about DJ Axel in the past, although I was aware of a number of mashup albums (most famously, “The Grey Album”). Anyways, the 15 cuts on this album tend to blend rock with rap, but there are some exceptions to the rule. “Breakin’ The Law” starts out with “What You Know About Drop Dead Legs”, a blend of T.I. and Van Halen.

The mix of the two style clashes during the vocal openings to each track, but Axel masterfully matches up the flow of T.I. with the vocal annoyances of David Lee Roth. This track is made stronger because of the presence of each song on radio stations. Individuals know how the originals sound, and they will be titillated by this new style. I was not quite as familiar with the songs comprising the second track, “Real Back Poppin’”, but what comes forth on this track is something that could easily be taken as a brand-new track. One of the heights that Axel hits during the entirety of “Breakin’ The Law” easily has to be “Snooperstition”, a track that links together two classics: Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” and Snoop Dogg’s “Smoke Weed Everyday”. Axel here takes the opposite approach that ey did during “What You Know About Drop Dead Legs”, in that the two vocals streams do not unite.

In fact, it feels as if Snoop and Wonder are passing the mic along, making for a much more organic type of track in “Snooperstition”. It seems like the rap mashups succeeded easily than the rap-rock ones; “Push It Fergasonic” (a blend of Salt’N Pepa and Fergie) is easily the most natural and catchy out of all of the songs on “Breakin’ The Law”. The retro backing beat of “Push It” give Fergie a Rosie Perez tinge to eir voice. What results with the linking of the choruses is nothing than two different camps serving each other. The amount of controlled chaos is high, and this track will be the one that blasts DJ Axel into the mainstream much like Girl Talk was last year. Other songs, such as “Without Billie Jean” (Michael Jackson and Eminem), continue the quick tempo and dance-worthy nature of this CD.

Top Tracks: Push It Fergasonic, Snooperstition

Rating: 7.6/10