Yesterday this GZA/Black Lips collabo track hit the inbox then Spinner threw it up along with a quote from one of the Lips’.
“It’s a bad idea,” the Lips’ Jared Swilley tells Spinner of rap/rock combos. “It’s led to some of the worst music of all-time. It can be done tastefully, but there is a very fine line to be tread.”
Note to Jared: Take heed to your own words.
Maybe this was better when the song was performed live on a soundstage @ SXSW and the crowd was under the influence of liquor and the mob mentality. But it doesn’t sound inviting at all to me, with it being so downtempo that almost sounds Screwed. GZA is seems itchin’ to let go lyrically but the slow strumming of the beat is an anchor to his flow.
Meh, maybe it’s just me.
You can listen & decide for yourself.
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Download — The Black Lips Feat. GZA – “The Drop I Hold”
And for the record, Anthrax & PE did nothing but increase my appreciation for both bands when they did “Bring The Noise” way back when. Therefore, Rap & Rock can be tastefully done.


Couldn’t even make it to GZA’s verse. This is buttcheeks.
yeah no shit…sucks ass. i hate the rock/hip hop fusion, but i respect these artists alot more than jay-z and linkin park….by jay-z and linkin park i mean linkin park.
What about that Boots Riley (of the Coup) and Tom Morello (of RATM) collabo, Streetsweeper Social Club??? That shit sounds dope!!
This shit sucks and I blame the Black Keys. The tempo is ridiculously slow and the singer ain’t about shit. You can tell GZA wanted to let go.
That Jay-Z/LP shit was worse than Limp Bizkit.
I don’t think that Jay shit was bad but you could feel the manufacturing on the majority of it.
i thought the JZ/LP mashup was pretty good…a nice mix of classic jay & LP…the “making of” DVD that dropped with it might have been the best part of it though (im a tad biased though as LP is from my hometown and the homey’s sister is married to Chester aka the screamer singer in the group)
Rage Against The Machine could be counted as rock/rap (some albums more than others…see “Battle Of Los Angeles”)..and is damn good all the time
as for Limp Bizkit…we clown now but i know plenty of you were pullin your best fred durst impression, rockin a backwards red fitted when they were poppin off (plus the album art by Mear [for the graff heads] & the Method Man feature alone made the album purchase worthy)
and who can forget the classic Run DMC/Aerosmith collab
point being…its been done successfully, but is more miss than hit
the song has a bob dylan mixed with r.l. burnside type of vibe, would have been more successful without gzas raps
got a little daniel johnston as well, vibe is kinda chill, i don’t mind it too much
GZA spittin that Math though. Verse wasn’t bad. Skipped thru the song for it though.
the beats good and shit, so was gzas verse…just didn’t fit right. props for tryin tho.
This is rad. Black Lips never step a foot wrong…
Oh and Deen – it is the Black LIPS not Keys, if you’re gonna criticise at least get it right and Forest Ill – there is a version of this same song without the rapping.