User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 47 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 47
  3. Negative: 6 out of 47

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
  1. JonneC
    May 24, 2004
    2
    What a joke! What a shame that the intelligent, melodious work of the Beatles gets raped over and over again by the "music" of Jay-Z. Even the artwork shows Jay-Z in FRONT of the Beatles! In reality, he disappears in their shadow in almost every way. What a shame to reduce the genius of the Beatles to background noise.
  2. ZachS
    Sep 10, 2006
    9
    Incredible! Loved it from the beginning to the end. The only song I was partial to was Allure (track nine). 99 Problems is great and Dirt Off Your Shoulder is fantastic. If you don't have it I strongly reccomend searching your favorite (legal :p) P2P network.
  3. DjChainZ
    Apr 6, 2004
    10
    Unbelivible best Jay Z album
  4. DJUrbanCool
    Oct 30, 2006
    0
    An abomination, a total bastardisation of a work of art by a talentless idiot, sounds like a 5 year old's mixed it in his bedroom, beyond boring, beyond appalling.
  5. MichealP
    Jul 23, 2004
    8
    This musical collage is a wonderful amalgamation of cultures and color. It dissipates racial lines and brings a common truth to light: music brings people together. It's a brilliant effort regardless of commercial intent and content.
  6. GaryB
    Sep 20, 2005
    10
    As a major fan of the Beatles and a minor fan of Jay Z, I thought this work would be just a cheap rip off. How wrong was I. Dangermouse has made an enchating album which works incredibly well. I wish you could by this in the shops. It deserves to make money its sooo good!
  7. KulayM
    Jun 19, 2006
    10
    one of the most underrated, unreleased albums in hip-hop history. this album marks the ingeniousness of Danger Mouse, who would later go on to team up with MF Doom and form the group, Danger Doom.
  8. MCDish
    Jun 19, 2006
    9
    This album was dope. You had Jay-Z's rhymes that were absolutely brilliant mixed in with Danger Mouse's creative use of mixing beats from the Beatles. Rarely would you think that this would mesh for good hip-hop songs, but Danger Mouse's unique ability to take what he has and make into something unique and original just makes this a must-download and must-get album for fans This album was dope. You had Jay-Z's rhymes that were absolutely brilliant mixed in with Danger Mouse's creative use of mixing beats from the Beatles. Rarely would you think that this would mesh for good hip-hop songs, but Danger Mouse's unique ability to take what he has and make into something unique and original just makes this a must-download and must-get album for fans of both Jay-Z and Danger Mouse. Expand
  9. ColmM
    May 14, 2007
    9
    this album is teh bling!
  10. GregM.
    Apr 27, 2009
    10
    Either love it or leave it alone.
  11. AnonY.
    Apr 30, 2009
    0
    I had the misfortune of hearing this album the other day. Abysmally mixed, far too bass heavy and with scant attention paid to tuning or tonality, this has to be one of the least pleasant things I've heard.
  12. GMoney
    Jul 20, 2009
    10
    This album is an almost surreal fusion of great music. The Beatles samples don't overpower Jay-Z, they instead give him a rousing echo that can't be found anywhere else, but the halls of Danger Mouse's studio.
  13. ChrisW
    Feb 27, 2004
    10
    this album is the best rap album i have ever heard, and the way dangermouse puts together the beatles music with it is awesome
  14. TakF
    Feb 28, 2004
    8
    Quite possibly, I'm the only one in the world to NOT listen to the original Black Album in its entirety. That said, I'm able to come at this album with a completely open mind. Rather than giving a track by track accounting, let me talk directly to the *feel* of the album: ABSOLUTELY MASTERFUL. There are no unlistenable tracks here. The tracks sound as if J laid his vocals Quite possibly, I'm the only one in the world to NOT listen to the original Black Album in its entirety. That said, I'm able to come at this album with a completely open mind. Rather than giving a track by track accounting, let me talk directly to the *feel* of the album: ABSOLUTELY MASTERFUL. There are no unlistenable tracks here. The tracks sound as if J laid his vocals directly on them in the studio. I can't get that the guitar riff out of my head from "What more can I say", which is so fitting after researching the Beatle track behind it. A great deal of credit must go to DM for not just doing another remix album, but truly creating a piece of art. We'll still be talking about this album for years to come. Expand
  15. bob
    Mar 2, 2004
    7
    It's creative and a fun listen. Instant classic? Not quite, but it opens new doors and raises new questions about the nature of "new music".
  16. izraelm
    Aug 12, 2004
    10
    this album is fantastic! Knocks the black album off it's pedestal
  17. KenS
    Aug 31, 2004
    9
    This album is absolutely brilliant. It's not nearly as good as the White Album, but it destroys the Black Album. This is a wonderful mix of r&b with all the old favorite Beatle songs. Download this now, especially "Helter Skelter/99 Problems". It is a little unnerving that the Beatles are put second to Jay-Z, but its a great album regardless.
  18. DanC
    Sep 7, 2004
    10
    The fact that anyone can mix Jay-Z and the Beatles and pull it off is worth a ten!
  19. CarlosT
    Jan 17, 2005
    9
    This Album took balls to pull off. Danger Mouse must carry his testicles in a wheelbarrow
  20. David
    Dec 7, 2005
    10
    holy holy
  21. jams
    Jan 9, 2005
    7
    Very nice, with some so-so cuts. Not as good as the White Album, not as good as the Black Album, but still good enough to warrent an...ahem...purchase.
  22. jasonr
    Feb 8, 2005
    10
    Amazing! Danger Mouse is a genius. and man he's got balls
  23. Dmitriy
    Jan 26, 2007
    1
    I love Gnarls Barkley, but I don't know what the hell Danger Mouse was thinking here. He took the greatest album of all time and mixed it with Jay Z's garbage. It's not an original concept and it doesn't work.
  24. KirolosI
    Feb 6, 2007
    10
    Its brilliant. Period.
  25. johnf
    Mar 14, 2004
    2
    stop fooling yourselves. the grey album doesnt open any new doors, does not stretch musical boundaries, it doesnt even bring anything new to the table. Far too many albums like this one are created for the grey album to be rightfully getting this much attention. Indeed, it is an enjoyable listen about once. after that it is just boring and hollow.
  26. Warren
    Mar 25, 2004
    8
    The mixes were extremely clever and inventive. I haven't enjoyed a Jay-Z album in years, but I certainly could sit through this entire production with an assist from those four guys of Liverpool.
  27. [Anonymous]
    Dec 8, 2005
    0
    a piece of garbage. sounds horrible, how could anybody think this is listenable.
  28. matta
    Jul 11, 2005
    9
    Incredible. There is only one track in my mind that doesn't really work, the rest is pretty much perfect, overall, better than the original Black album(but obviously not on par with the White Album). The second best rap offering of the year(just behind madvillainy).
  29. mohank
    Dec 1, 2006
    10
    fantastic. original. most tracks are better than the original jay z versions.
  30. DanManManManMan
    Jun 23, 2007
    8
    Great, though not quite on the level of The Black Album and The White Album on their own.
  31. jackedup
    Nov 22, 2007
    9
    Honestly, i've listened to many a mashups, but this is literally close to brilliant. It may just be the drugs im on, but i am speaking from a pure place. It found new angles in jay-z songs, and placed the most beautiful parts of beatles songs (usually guitar riffs) into a song....the mixing is fucking brilliant...i regretted not listening to this 3 years ago wen i hear dabout Honestly, i've listened to many a mashups, but this is literally close to brilliant. It may just be the drugs im on, but i am speaking from a pure place. It found new angles in jay-z songs, and placed the most beautiful parts of beatles songs (usually guitar riffs) into a song....the mixing is fucking brilliant...i regretted not listening to this 3 years ago wen i hear dabout it...togehter these songs have so much meaning, you see things in them that u never found to be particularly beautiful and signifcant...go buy it, do w/e, get it...i recommned dec 4th (a song i never really liked in the first place, but love now), justify my thug, and dirt off your shoulder....oh and get the constants are changing by boards of canada..greatest song. Expand
  32. Apr 28, 2021
    8
    Danger Mouse's first solo major piece of work. If the approach of fusing two great but distant albums is definitely questionnable we have to admit that the Mouse made an interesting work here. If the title and the visuals let us think that 'The Grey Album' is a simple mixup between Jay-Z and the Beatles, beware.

    Where Jay-Z's vocals are purely copied and pasted, the Beatles' work is
    Danger Mouse's first solo major piece of work. If the approach of fusing two great but distant albums is definitely questionnable we have to admit that the Mouse made an interesting work here. If the title and the visuals let us think that 'The Grey Album' is a simple mixup between Jay-Z and the Beatles, beware.

    Where Jay-Z's vocals are purely copied and pasted, the Beatles' work is only sampled, sometimes subtly, sometimes reworked, sometimes obviously used. The hardest part of reviewing 'The Grey Album' is to identify where are the boundaries of Danger Mouse's complement. The mixing and production can be as rewarding and clever (as on 'Dirt Off Your Shoulder' and 'Public Service Announcement') as messy and drafty (as on '99 Problems'). If I already highlighted Jay-Z's lyrics and flow (as I reviewed his 'Black Album') we have here to exceed his performances in order to enjoy Mouse's abilities. In overall it's a terrific, varied and electric piece of art.
    Expand
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 16
  2. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Dangermouse's actions have breathed creative life back into a 35-year-old record while inventing a completely new work of hip-hop art.
  2. Spin
    100
    While the novelty factor alone makes it worth the download time, it works as a cohesive album long after the initial shock wears off. [Apr 2004, p.91]
  3. The diversity of the mixes on The Grey Album also is a testament to how carefully Danger Mouse has cut and pasted together his unauthorized sonic pastiche.