Fueled by Napster's file-sharing revolution in the early 2000s, the mashup made it possible to hear two songs you hate at the same time — and not just in nerdy tape traders' bedrooms but on the dance floor. Pittsburgh producer Girl Talk's Night Ripper became a genre template in 2006, and the movement has yet to hit another high-water mark since.
Now hear the Hood Internet, a Chicago mashup duo with a penchant for infectious, ironic juxtapositions of ghetto and indie. Prolific, clever, and occasionally brilliant, THI focuses on combinations that sound good rather than stooping to a clever song title. Often venturing outside the realm of pop familiarity to create their danceable orgies of sound, projects like the duo's recently released TrillWave have as much Aesop Rock as Young Money. Who knew Birdman sounds just as at home on a Washed Out loop as he does paired with Mannie Fresh? The Hood Internet is undoubtedly the perfect soundtrack for anybody with eclectic tastes and a short attention span. Need more convincing? You can download virtually everything they've ever released for free at thehoodinternet.com.
