Ruder still: Robbie goes hip-hop

Robbie Williams is planning to make a hip-hop LP.

Strangely, the twist in direction - albeit one telegraphed by the awful 'Rudebox' single and its parent album of the same title - was provoked by Mark Ronson, who played Robbie some bluegrass. Bluegrass to hip-hop... makes sense, right?

Says Ronson: "I used to be obsessed with the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack, and I went down to New Orleans and stalked the guy who'd done the record - Chris Thomas King. I played Robbie one of his songs called 'Gaslight', because Robbie wants to make a bluegrass/hip-hop record now."

Oh, we see: a splicing, a mix, a blend. Fresh wicked, fresh.