Peter, Bjorn and John Get Remixed by Rap Royalty

Posted on Oct 27th 2009 5:30PM by Jesse Ship
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Listeners may have heard Kanye West's remix of Peter, Bjorn and John's 'Young Folks' and thought, "Oh, that Yeezy. He's always doing something crazy." Then Drake dropped a remix of 'Lets Call It Off.'

But hip-hop's love affair with PB&J became a full-blown trend with DJ/remixer Mick Boogie's mixtape take on the Swedish trio's latest album, 'Living Things,' with a star-studded cast of rappers -- Talib Kweli, Bun B, 88 Keys, U-N-I, Wale, Jazzy Jeff, Kardinal Offishall, GZA -- lending their lyrical talents to 'Re-Living Things.'

Stay This Way (Jazzy Jeff Remix) f. Big Pooh, Chaundon & Phil Nash - Peter Bjorn and John
Lead singer Peter Morén tells Spinner he was "really surprised" when he started hearing about interest from the hip-hop camp. "[But] it's not so weird. John, our drummer, is a big fan of Stones Throw Records and I'm a soul and funk lover," he adds. "We have a minimalist approach, which can apply to hip-hop. Hip-hop tracks usually only have a few elements on each track like, beats, bass and some melody. It's not a wall of sound and it makes each aspect pop out the louder it gets."

For his part, Mick Boogie says he's been a fan of the band for years but took cues from previous cross-pollination. "Drake's remix specifically was a great example of how to use PB&J in an urban setting but still make it organic," he says. "Most of the rappers were very excited to be on the project. I did have to put a few guys up on the band and now they are fans too."

The remix album has been a success, with downloads reportedly numbering in the hundred of thousands. That fact, Boogie says, "shows when you put good ideas together with good musicians, you can create a lasting impression on the fickle consumer and please multiple audiences at the same time."