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The Rapsody Overture
Remix album by Various Artists
Released
1997
Recorded
1997
Genre
Hip hop, classical
Label
Mercury Records, Def Jam Records
Producer
Voelker Brothers
The Rapsody Overture: Hip Hop Meets Classic is a concept album of remixes consisting of hip hop and classical, which combined American rappers with European opera singers. It was released in 1997 by Mercury Records and distributed by Def Jam Recordings.
"Prince Igor" was a #1 hit across Europe in 1998, a duet between American rapper Warren G and Norwegian singer Sissel. Sissel sang an aria from Alexander Borodin's opera Prince Igor during the chorus, while Warren G rapped.
The Xzibit track "E Lucean Le Stelle" contains a sample from Giacomo Puccini's E Lucevan Le Stelle, though it is misspelled.
Track listing edit:
#
Name
Artist(s)
Vocals
Composer
Time
1
"Intro"
1:15
2
"E Lucean Le Stelle"
Xzibit
Giacomo Puccini (E Lucevan Le Stelle)
3:51
3
"Dear Mallika"
LL Cool J
Heike Therjung & Kathy Magestro
Léo Delibes (The Flower Duet)
4:05
4
"E Lucean Le Stelle" (Reprise)
Puccini (E Lucevan Le Stelle)
1:45
5
"Delilah"
Reverend Run of Run-DMC
Gabrielle Fiodoresku
Saint-Saëns (Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix)
4:00
6
"Prince Igor"
Warren G
Sissel Kyrkjebø
Alexander Borodin (Polovetsian Dances)
4:20
7
"Belle Nuit"
Mother Superia
Heike Therjung & Kathy Magestro
Jacques Offenbach (Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour)
3:45
8
"Präludium"
Jay
Chris Weller (Piano)
Johann Sebastian Bach (Prelude No.1 in C Major BWV846)
2:05
9
"Ach So Fromm"
Jay
Robert Gionfribbo
Friedrich von Flotow (M'apparì)
4:56
10
"Syrinx"
Redman
Dieter Voelker (Guitar)
Claude Debussy (Syrinx)
3:34
11
"Vissi D'Arte"
Onyx
Kathy Magestro
Puccini (Vissi d'arte)
4:29
12
"Schwanensee"
Scoota
Dieter Voelker (Guitar)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Swan Lake)
3:02
13
"Recondita Armonica"
Nikki D
Kim Chung Park
Puccini (Recondita armonia)
4:26
14
"Nessun Dorma"
Mobb Deep
Kim Chung Park
Puccini (Nessun dorma)
3:32
Track listing edit:
New version with different tracklisting on April 21st 1998
#
Name
Artist(s)
Vocals
Writer(s)
Time
1
"Intro"
1:15
2
"E Lucean Le Stelle"
Xzibit
Giacomo Puccini (E Lucevan Le Stelle)
3:51
3
"Dear Mallika"
LL Cool J
Heike Therjung & Kathy Magestro
Léo Delibes (The Flower Duet)
4:05
4
"E Lucean Le Stelle" (Reprise)
Puccini (E Lucevan Le Stelle)
1:45
5
"Grâce"
Expression Direkt
4:06
6
"Dear Mallika (D.O.N.S. Alternative Mix)"
LL Cool J
Heike Therjung & Kathy Magestro
Léo Delibes (The Flower Duet)
4:11
7
"Prince Igor (Ries Class Jazz Extended)"
Warren G
Sissel Kyrkjebø
Alexander Borodin (Polovetsian Dances)
6:05
8
"Prince Igor"
Warren G
Sissel Kyrkjebø
Alexander Borodin (Polovetsian Dances)
4:22
9
"Belle Nuit"
Mother Superia
Heike Therjung & Kathy Magestro
Jacques Offenbach (Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour)
3:45
10
"Präludium"
Jay
Chris Weller (Piano)
Johann Sebastian Bach
2:05
11
"Ach So Fromm"
Jay
Robert Gionfribbo
Friedrich von Flotow (M'apparì)
4:56
12
"Syrinx"
Redman
Dieter Voelker (Guitar)
Claude Debussy (Syrinx)
3:34
13
"Vissi D'Arte"
Onyx
Kathy Magestro
Puccini (Vissi d'arte)
4:29
14
"Schwanensee"
Scoota
Dieter Voelker (Guitar)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Swan Lake)
3:02
15
"Recondita Armonica"
Nikki D
Kim Chung Park
Puccini (Recondita armonia)
4:26
16
"Nessun Dorma"
Mobb Deep
Kim Chung Park
Puccini (Nessun dorma)
3:32
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