By Ismael AbduSalaam
Grammy-winning rock band Maroon 5 is set to enter unknown territory through an 18-track mixtape, but not without support from Hip-Hop’s biggest names.
Next month, the multi-platinum group will release Call & Response: The Remix Album, a project featuring Pharrell Williams, the Cool Kids, ?uestlove, David Banner, Mary J. Blige, and many more reinterpreting Maroon 5’s biggest hits.
Maroon frontman Adam Levine, who worked on Kanye West’s sophomore release Late Registration, explained to AllHipHop.com that the remix album intrigued him, foremost as a fan getting to hear his favorite musicians redefine his work.
“I’ve always found it really interesting that a group of people looking at the same painting can all see different things,” Levine stated. “That was the idea behind this record, to take a few of our songs and have them interpreted by some of our favorite artists. We were really blown away by what they came up with.”
Early buzz from the album has centered on Swizz Beatz’ breakbeat-heavy version of “If I Never See your Face Again.”
A huge fan of the band, Swizz expects to see many more cross-genre reinterpretation albums flourish into the mainstream.
“Maroon 5 is amazing and I’ve been a huge fan for a long time,” Swizz revealed. “I’m excited to be a part of the project and can’t wait to work on the next one.”
The majority of the LP’s songs will be pulled from Maroon’s two most successful albums: Songs About Jane and It Won’t Be Soon Before Long.
Together, the albums have sold over 14 million copies and made Maroon 5 one of the most successful acts of the decade.
Additional acclaimed Hip-Hop producers for the all-star album include DJ Premier (“Secret”), DJ Quik (“Shiver”), Ali Shaheed Muhammad (“Better That We Break”), and Just Blaze (“Makes Me Wonder”).
Call & Response: The Remix Album hits stores on December 9.