November 2003 : Jay-Z releases the Black Album, a hip-hop blockbuster produced by certified hitmakers such as Timbaland, Just Blaze and The Neptunes. A few days later, the songs' acapellas are pressed up and hit the streets. All around the world, an endless amount of producers starts remixing the whole LP. The Black Album turns into the Brown Album (Kev Brown), The White Albulum (Kno) or the much discussed Grey Album (Danger Mouse)...

November 2004 : french producer K-Tharsis can't fight his urge to make his own version of Jay's last album, even if every producer and his cousin have already killed the concept. One song after another - from the Sade's inspired 'Moment of clarity' to a cinematic rework of 'PSA' - the young beatmaker crafts "13 Problems", a personal and coherent project, that enlights S. Carter's mind-blowing verses.

"I love the 13 problems ! It's very cinematic, but laid back -- like a melodrama. I've listened to it a few times front to back because it feels like an album. Most of the other remixes seemed to tackle each song as a separate entity, but 13 Problems just carries a singular vibe all the way through. Very cool shit. "
- kris ex (journalist, author of 50 Cent's biography, "From Pieces to weight")