The Worst Beatle

So today, after listening to an offbeat mashup between Kid Cudi and Snoop Dogg's That Tree and M.I.A.'s Paper Planes, I realized why mashups get such a bad rap.

Even listening to pleasant combinations can feel cheap.

But this is one of the better mashup albums -- probably the best so far this year. The secret is that the dark, sparse production of the xx highlights Biggie's famous delivery.

I got to admit: it made me appreciate the xx debut more. And isn't that the point of mashups? To recontextualize music so that we appreciate it more.