Tragic losses, grizzly murders, brutal tales of revenge — many hip-hop lyrics already have a lot in common with the plotlines of slasher flicks. This mix takes the correlation one step further, compiling a sweeping range of rap tracks featuring horror movie soundtrack samples. The drama of Cage’s “Weather People” is exponentially increased by his use of Goblin’s score to Suspiria, while Project Pat’s “Red Rum” makes use of the sinister music from The Shining. “See you in the club, now we walkin’ you out/ Shoulda thought twice ‘fo you went and opened your mouth,” raps Busta Rhymes in “Gimme Some More.” The lyrics are ominous, to be sure, but when heard over Bernard Herrmann’s music from Psycho, the circumstances seem decidedly more dire. While it’s a cheeky concept, the mix flows surprisingly well, with John Carpenter’s Halloween theme (sampled six times!) serving as a recurring motif to tie the whole thing together. -- Adam Rothbarth
