In a recent interview with Rock Sound, Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda reflected on the creation of ‘Collision Course,’ the band’s collaborative EP with Jay-Z, featuring mashups such as ‘Numb/Encore.’ Shinoda, who ‘grew up on Jay-Z,’ had the opportunity to work with the rapper on the collaboration album. During the recent interview, he recalled getting the proposal and how the two parties worked together:
“You’ve got Linkin Park and Jay-Z, I don’t think you need to share that episode with anybody else. So I made three, intending to fill all the three spots. ‘Numb/Encore’ was one of them, I don’t remember the other two. We sent them to Jay and his response was, ‘Oh sh*t.’ We knew immediately that he liked it. We liked it, so we set up, we’re like, ‘Okay, here’s the idea. Let’s do an EP of these, let’s do enough that we can fill the entire show. Let’s do it on stage together and we’ll release it all, the visuals, the music. MTV will have to worry about it what are they gonna do after that because I don’t see how you’re gonna follow it up, but that’s their problem, not ours.'”
The Linkin Park rocker went on to mention the ‘synergy’ between his band and the rapper:
“I grew up on Jay’s music, I love Jay’s music. I think because I grew up on a lot of his stuff, there was a natural synergy between the way our music fit with his.”
How ‘Collision Course’ Came Together
The journey began in February 2004 when the producer Danger Mouse, created a mash-up called The Grey Album, blending Jay-Z’s The Black Album with The Beatles’ ‘White Album.’ Despite being initially created for fun, The Grey Album quickly gained viral popularity, becoming an underground sensation. This caught the attention of major figures in the music industry, propelling Danger Mouse to success as a producer and rapper.
Capitalizing on the trend, MTV envisioned a mash-up series involving prominent bands collaborating with popular rappers. Jay-Z, intrigued by the concept, was one of the first approached by the network. When asked about his preferred collaborator, he responded with ‘Linkin Park.’
Upon receiving the call from Jay-Z’s manager, Linkin Park eagerly embraced the opportunity to work with the hip-hop icon. Nine months later, the result of their collaboration emerged in the form of the six-track EP titled ‘Collision Course,’ exploring the fusion of metal and rap.
Taking charge of the project upon learning of Jay-Z’s interest, Shinoda played a pivotal role in bringing the collaboration to life. Vocalist Chester Bennington acknowledged Shinoda’s significant contribution, stating in 2007:
“A lot of people were involved, but all the credit goes to Mike [Shinoda] on this one. He really put the whole thing together and got everyone excited about it.”
You can see the recent interview below.
