A rock/rock hybrid project with big potential, BlakRoc started as a collaboration between the Black Keys and Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder Damon Dash. Blending Dan Auerbach’s and Patrick Carney's macho take on sparse, bluesy soul beats with Dash’s A-list rap connections, the debut album was recorded in Brooklyn and featured guests Mos Def, Q-Tip, Billy Danze, Jim Jones, Ludacris, Nicole Wray, NOE, Raekwon, RZA, and Pharoahe Monch, as well as pre-recorded vocals by Ol' Dirty Bastard. Fittingly, the album, simply titled BlakRoc, was released on “Black Friday,” November 27, 2009, on the Black Keys' and Damon Dash's own startup label BlakRoc. ~ Jason Lymangrover