DJ Danger Mouse boasted that all the music came from The Beatles

The producer mixed The Beatles' White Album with rapper Jay-Z's Black Album to make The Grey Album as a small underground "art project".

Danger Mouse said he wanted to prove "such radical things can really work".

But the Beatles' label has told the DJ and record shops to stop selling the album, which uses unauthorised samples.

"I intended for it to be for friends and for people who knew my stuff. I figured it would get passed around, and it would be this little underground thing, but it kind of took off on its own," said Danger Mouse, whose real name is Brian Burton.

Jay-Z's label, Roc-a-fella Records, did not take any action against Danger Mouse.

Damon Dash, head of Roc-a-fella, said proper permission should have been obtained but added: "I think it's hot. It's the Beatles. It's two great legends together."

Music activism site downhillbattle.org urged fans to put The Grey Album on websites for 24 hours on Tuesday to protest against EMI's block on the record.