I made you a ghost!
March 31, 2010 1:11 PM Subscribe
If you're Jay Z, you have an Empire State of Mind. If you're Darth Vader?
Best appreciated by watching the videos in order.
How much do they spend on these damn things? That's what I wonder every time I watch one. Surely they can't make enough off banner ads to pay for all those people and props and stuff.
posted by dobbs at 1:21 PM on March 31, 2010
posted by dobbs at 1:21 PM on March 31, 2010
So many song parodies disregard rhyme schemes. This, I feel, is how Weird Al managed to build a career out of this sort of thing; he always copies the rhyme scheme, dead-on. This is why other parodies fail.
For example, look at the chorus of "Empire State of Mind": It's the same every time. In this parody, though, they change it each time. And not just the words, but the rhymes, too. That's weak, my friends. Weak.
Now look at Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" and Weird Al's "A Complicated Song". He changes the words of each chorus, yes, but the rhyme scheme says intact through the whole song. That's talent, my friends. Talent.
posted by reductiondesign at 1:21 PM on March 31, 2010 [14 favorites]
For example, look at the chorus of "Empire State of Mind": It's the same every time. In this parody, though, they change it each time. And not just the words, but the rhymes, too. That's weak, my friends. Weak.
Now look at Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" and Weird Al's "A Complicated Song". He changes the words of each chorus, yes, but the rhyme scheme says intact through the whole song. That's talent, my friends. Talent.
posted by reductiondesign at 1:21 PM on March 31, 2010 [14 favorites]
Saw this last night and thought it was pretty good. Mashing peanut butter and chocolate together is really damn tasty.
posted by P.o.B. at 1:28 PM on March 31, 2010
posted by P.o.B. at 1:28 PM on March 31, 2010
First I thought it would be stupid. Then I saw it was college humor and realized it would at least be high budget. But it was still stupid. "Empire is out to find lea" Seriously?
posted by delmoi at 1:35 PM on March 31, 2010
posted by delmoi at 1:35 PM on March 31, 2010
reductiondesign: "For example, look at the chorus of "Empire State of Mind": It's the same every time. In this parody, though, they change it each time. And not just the words, but the rhymes, too. That's weak, my friends. Weak."
I thought about posting this yesterday, but this was why I didn't. It's funny, and kind of clever at times, but the vague attempts at rhyming are awful.
posted by graventy at 1:43 PM on March 31, 2010
I thought about posting this yesterday, but this was why I didn't. It's funny, and kind of clever at times, but the vague attempts at rhyming are awful.
posted by graventy at 1:43 PM on March 31, 2010
A friend and I made a version of this song a few months back for a class project that sets the TCA cycle to it. SELF LINK WARNING
posted by battlebison at 1:43 PM on March 31, 2010
posted by battlebison at 1:43 PM on March 31, 2010
Ah the rapping nerd. The rapping granny of the new millennium.
posted by condour75 at 1:49 PM on March 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by condour75 at 1:49 PM on March 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
This one's better. The rhyming scheme works too.
"I own this town from 41st to 47th"
posted by GuyZero at 1:52 PM on March 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
"I own this town from 41st to 47th"
posted by GuyZero at 1:52 PM on March 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh hey, the lyrics!
Yeah, I love New York, it's the king of all the cities
I lived up by the guggenheim till I got myself some kiddies
Moved to Connecticut, bye George Pataki
Volvo to the dry-cleaner pickin' up my khakis
Now my shopping mall is closer, my community is gated
My shorties are all private school educated
Home theater system, 60-inch plasma
Clean suburban air much better for my asthma
Still hit the city, Times Square I keep it real
Hard Rock Cafe for their appetizer deal
M&Ms Store, Disney Store, I'm in heaven
I own this town from 41st to 47
Got tickets to The Lion King, that show is fantastic
Leave half an hour early so I can beat the traffic
I can get home really fast, driver rocks an EZ-Pass
To the land of cheaper gas and the upper middle class
posted by GuyZero at 1:54 PM on March 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
Yeah, I love New York, it's the king of all the cities
I lived up by the guggenheim till I got myself some kiddies
Moved to Connecticut, bye George Pataki
Volvo to the dry-cleaner pickin' up my khakis
Now my shopping mall is closer, my community is gated
My shorties are all private school educated
Home theater system, 60-inch plasma
Clean suburban air much better for my asthma
Still hit the city, Times Square I keep it real
Hard Rock Cafe for their appetizer deal
M&Ms Store, Disney Store, I'm in heaven
I own this town from 41st to 47
Got tickets to The Lion King, that show is fantastic
Leave half an hour early so I can beat the traffic
I can get home really fast, driver rocks an EZ-Pass
To the land of cheaper gas and the upper middle class
posted by GuyZero at 1:54 PM on March 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
Star Wars parody = not that great.
But this is good, because it gives me a chance to point out that Jay-Z is still getting all of his best ideas from Nas' first album. "NY State of Mind" was a masterpiece. "Empire State of Mind"... eh, not so much.
posted by koeselitz at 2:17 PM on March 31, 2010 [4 favorites]
But this is good, because it gives me a chance to point out that Jay-Z is still getting all of his best ideas from Nas' first album. "NY State of Mind" was a masterpiece. "Empire State of Mind"... eh, not so much.
posted by koeselitz at 2:17 PM on March 31, 2010 [4 favorites]
Whatever you think of the lyrics, that dood was pretty impressive at capturing Jay-Z's sound, including the timbre of his voice (wrought mostly by nature) and his behind-the-beat style (must be learned).
posted by nosila at 3:15 PM on March 31, 2010
posted by nosila at 3:15 PM on March 31, 2010
...Jay-Z is still getting all of his best ideas from Nas' first album...
I know...but that Nas guy was getting his ideas from a real masterpiece.
posted by cleancut at 4:08 PM on March 31, 2010 [3 favorites]
I know...but that Nas guy was getting his ideas from a real masterpiece.
posted by cleancut at 4:08 PM on March 31, 2010 [3 favorites]
I was meh until I saw Leia behind the big keyboard thing. Then I laughed, once. I guess it touched a nerve because I had the Max Rebo Band action figures.
posted by evilcolonel at 4:25 PM on March 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by evilcolonel at 4:25 PM on March 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also, why would they re-record the music when they could have just used the same samples?
posted by evilcolonel at 4:26 PM on March 31, 2010
posted by evilcolonel at 4:26 PM on March 31, 2010
I have to admire the chops of someone who can dance like that in a Stormtrooper outfit. That has to be tough!
posted by ErikaB at 4:31 PM on March 31, 2010
posted by ErikaB at 4:31 PM on March 31, 2010
I liked it, and yeah, I wondered at how high their budget has to be. Is there a place where you can rent those outifts, or do they just have them in the stockroom?
I liked the Leia thing, but if they'd actually had Max Reebo playing the keyboard, that would have been perfect.
posted by Ghidorah at 4:43 PM on March 31, 2010
I liked the Leia thing, but if they'd actually had Max Reebo playing the keyboard, that would have been perfect.
posted by Ghidorah at 4:43 PM on March 31, 2010
Terribly weak flow but the stormtrooper dancers made it.
posted by cavalier at 5:17 PM on March 31, 2010
posted by cavalier at 5:17 PM on March 31, 2010
Where Tatooine at?
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 5:42 PM on March 31, 2010
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 5:42 PM on March 31, 2010
Granite State of Mind. 603 represent!
posted by schoolgirl report at 7:54 PM on March 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by schoolgirl report at 7:54 PM on March 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
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