# The Rapsody Overture

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.

## 1997 Track listing

| # | 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 |

## 1998 Track listing

New version with different track listing on April 21, 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 |