Let’s face it, this cross-genre mash-up started back with Aerosmith and Run DMC (”Walk This Way”) and has been attempted every so often since, often providing less than stellar results. Typically, these types of collaborations come across as forced, lacking chemistry, and representing yet another gimmick pushed onto consumers to create a spark in sales. This isn’t to say that cross-genre collaborations are an avoidable concept, but there has not been a  rap/rock collaborative project that really represented the best of both worlds. During this holiday season, music fans will have one more thing to be thankful for: a rap/rock project featuring some of the best from both genres. BlakRoc, a collaborative effort between Akron, Ohio’s Black Keys and some of hip-hop’s best (such as Mos Def, Q Tip, Pharoahe Monch, RZA, ODB and Ludacris). Recently, URB.COM caught up with the man between the drum kit, Patrick Carney, to find out how this project came together, what it is like working with hip-hop legends, as well as talking about some of their favorite hip-hop tracks.

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