What ever happened to Jay-Z? The rapper has just turned 40 and although he’s been laying low, he’s thriving. Over the past few years Jay-Z has unintentionally started a new trend: mixing rap with other genres of music. For a while now, rapping has been accompanied with melodies and chords in the background, but now DJs are frequently combining songs from different genres.

After The Black Album was released in 2003, Jay-Z released an a cappella version onto the web. The a cappella version was intended to be edited by anyone without using Jay-Z’s name. This bold act was controversial because it defied mainstream copyright culture. Different DJs have used Jay-Z’s voice in combination with artists such as Weezer, creating Jay-Zeezer, and Radiohead, making Jaydiohead.

Most famously, Danger mouse mixed The Black Album with unauthorized songs from The Beatles’ The White Album, to make The Grey Album. Although this endangered DJ Danger Mouse's career, the album was wildly popular among teens. Surprisingly, Jay-Z's booming, angry voice worked well as a voice over for The Beatles’ gentler melodies. One popular song, which mixes “What More Can I Say” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” repeats the verse of the Beatles song over and over and never reaches the chorus while Jay-Z’s song progresses through its form.

The addition of Jay-Z transformed the original album into an album that brings him to center stage. These folk and rock artists only provide a background for Jay-Z’s rhymes. BHSEC student and rap appreciator Willem Koppel thinks The Grey Album was very original, but he prefers the classic Black Album. But he concedes that “specific songs on The Grey Album are better that the originals.” Other Jay-Z listeners believe that The Grey Album is much more interesting to listen to.

Jaydiohead is another Jay-Z mashup that has recently been placed in the spotlight. It is a medley of what the kids call “rap’ and what Pitchfork calls “indie.’ The melodies of Radiohead complement and enhance the harsh voice of Jay-Z, creating an unexpected aural treat.The album sounds like one piece, not two edited together. Although Radiohead adds a lot to Jay-Z’s music, Jaydiohead, like The Grey Album, mostly showcases Jay-Z.Radiohead’s vocals add a lot to their tracks; “No Karma” and “Change Order,” are favorites among listeners partly because of Thom Yorke’s singing.

Even skeptics should listen to Jaydiohead. First, it’s free to download on jaydiohead.com (but hurry up before the RIAA shuts it down!). Second, you’ll like it if you are a Jay-Z fan, a Radiohead fan, or maybe even if you’re neither.Regardless of your taste, Jay-Z’s voice is still living, even at 40.