M: I really enjoyed the nature of the spawn movie soundtrack from about 25 years ago. The idea of two artists, from different genres, coming together to make a song appeals to me. Can you give me about 10 album or songs suggestions along the same line?

G: Here are 10 albums and songs with a similar cross-genre collaboration vibe:

Albums:

  1. Judgment Night Soundtrack (1993) – The blueprint for Spawn’s soundtrack, blending rock/metal with hip-hop.
  2. Loud Rocks (2000) – A collection of rock and hip-hop collaborations featuring Wu-Tang Clan, System of a Down, and others.
  3. Collision Course – Jay-Z & Linkin Park (2004) – A mashup album blending rap and nu-metal.
  4. Reanimation – Linkin Park (2002) – A remix album featuring hip-hop and electronic artists reworking LP’s Hybrid Theory.
  5. The Road Mix: Music from The O.C. Mix 5 (2005) – Includes alternative/indie and electronic remixes.
  6. The Black and White Album – The Hives (2007) – Features collaborations with Pharrell Williams and others.
  7. Man With a Movie Camera – The Cinematic Orchestra (2003) – Jazz, electronica, and hip-hop-inspired instrumental collabs.
  8. Santana – Supernatural (1999) – Carlos Santana teams up with artists from different genres.

Songs:

  1. "Bring the Noise" – Public Enemy & Anthrax (1991) – One of the earliest rap-metal collaborations.
  2. "All of the Lights" – Kanye West ft. Various Artists (2010) – A multi-genre collaboration blending hip-hop, R&B, and electronic elements.

Would you like more obscure picks or something from a specific genre pairing?

M:

I may ask for more later, thank you. If I do, I’m looking for songs initially created by merger. Not remixes, although I appreciate those and mashups. Speaking of which, what can you tell me about the band sunset, which I believe was Sir Mix-A-Lot and the presidents of the United States working together? I’ve looked for their stuff, but can’t find any, and would like a quick recap of what happened and why I can’t find any recordings beyond the few that I gathered from the Internet back in thelimewire era.

G: Subset was a short-lived collaborative project between Seattle rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot and the rock band The Presidents of the United States of America (PUSA) that existed between 1999 and 2000. The group combined rock and hip-hop elements, reflecting the members' diverse musical backgrounds. They embarked on a brief tour and recorded several songs; however, they never officially released an album. citeturn0search20

Due to the absence of official releases, Subset's recordings remain scarce. The tracks you obtained during the LimeWire era

M: What is the legality of that? Like I said, I have found a couple things including “something wicked“ which was, honestly, one of my favorite songs ever.

G: Legally, it's a gray area. Since Subset never officially released an album, their recordings exist in an unofficial capacity—meaning they were likely never sold, copyrighted as a published work, or made available for purchase through legitimate channels.

From a copyright standpoint:

Practically speaking, since there’s no way to buy the songs legally, and they were only available through live performances or leaks, sharing them is unlikely to attract legal action. It’s similar to unreleased demos or bootlegs that circulate among fans. That said, if the band members ever decide to officially release them, then ownership and copyright issues could become more relevant.

M: That parts irrelevant since if it ever became official, I would go out and buy a copy anyway

G: Yeah, in that case, you're just keeping something that was never properly released, which is more of an archival issue than a piracy one. It’s not like you’re dodging a sale or depriving the artists of revenue. If anything, you’re preserving something that might otherwise be lost.

If you ever wanted to share it, that’s where things get tricky, but for personal enjoyment, it’s basically in a legal gray area that no one is likely to care about unless they officially release the material.