Rappin' Ukes
August 22, 2012 8:31 PM Subscribe
Oh.
I thought this was going to be a parody of the beat-to-death, decade-old cliche of white people co-opting rap songs for "funny" cover versions, capitalizing on the rap artist's fame and song all the while winking, "but I would never actually listen to black music."
But no, it's the actual thing still.
posted by drjimmy11 at 8:45 PM on August 22, 2012 [11 favorites]
I thought this was going to be a parody of the beat-to-death, decade-old cliche of white people co-opting rap songs for "funny" cover versions, capitalizing on the rap artist's fame and song all the while winking, "but I would never actually listen to black music."
But no, it's the actual thing still.
posted by drjimmy11 at 8:45 PM on August 22, 2012 [11 favorites]
all the while winking, "but I would never actually listen to black music."
I understand what you're saying, but I think that last part is just in your head. Recontextualization across vastly differerent genres can be funny/interesting in its own right without being racist. I can't know what's in this guy's heart, and I get there's a lot of baggage there, but that's not the vibe I get.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 8:55 PM on August 22, 2012 [4 favorites]
I understand what you're saying, but I think that last part is just in your head. Recontextualization across vastly differerent genres can be funny/interesting in its own right without being racist. I can't know what's in this guy's heart, and I get there's a lot of baggage there, but that's not the vibe I get.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 8:55 PM on August 22, 2012 [4 favorites]
Just so you know 50 cent is my 65 year old mom's favorite rapper because he "likes to get hugs".
posted by Ad hominem at 8:56 PM on August 22, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by Ad hominem at 8:56 PM on August 22, 2012 [3 favorites]
That being said, I prefer Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 9:00 PM on August 22, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by Horace Rumpole at 9:00 PM on August 22, 2012 [3 favorites]
I enjoyed that for Formby's presentation and style. Then again, I still like Port O'Brien's cover of Ludacris, and their cover is so old that the band has since dissolved and become something new. Perhaps I'm behind the times.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:08 PM on August 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by filthy light thief at 9:08 PM on August 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
He may have added a ukelele but he dropped every last bit of flow. That guy has no business aping a rap song.
posted by komara at 9:33 PM on August 22, 2012
posted by komara at 9:33 PM on August 22, 2012
Horace Rumple, your favorite chap-hop artist sucks.
posted by KingEdRa at 9:41 PM on August 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by KingEdRa at 9:41 PM on August 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
The original video's been viewed 121.8 million times. At some point, we have to say this song has entered the general culture, not just the black music culture and can be subject to parody.
posted by Apropos of Something at 10:29 PM on August 22, 2012
posted by Apropos of Something at 10:29 PM on August 22, 2012
ceribus peribus: "Natasha Leggero on Hip Hop"
I'm unfamiliar with her, so I'm wondering if the borderline racism is generally part of her shtick, or if she just messed up here. Because, even beyond the grandmother "hippity-hop, they don't even sing, it's not music, pull up your pants" routine, this is pretty problematic.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 12:32 AM on August 23, 2012
I'm unfamiliar with her, so I'm wondering if the borderline racism is generally part of her shtick, or if she just messed up here. Because, even beyond the grandmother "hippity-hop, they don't even sing, it's not music, pull up your pants" routine, this is pretty problematic.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 12:32 AM on August 23, 2012
I saw him doing this live at the Edinburgh Fringe and I have to say I felt pretty uncomfortable at an overwhelmingly white room shrieking with scandalised delight at his repeated use of the n-word (bleeped out in this video). He's a fantastic banjolele player, but even if he approached this piece in a totally innocent spirit, the result was pretty much unvarnished neo-minstrelry.
posted by RokkitNite at 1:07 AM on August 23, 2012
posted by RokkitNite at 1:07 AM on August 23, 2012
I got a serious Alexi Sayle vibe off this.
(But Alexi Sayle had better source material than whatever the original he's taking off.)
posted by Mezentian at 1:15 AM on August 23, 2012
(But Alexi Sayle had better source material than whatever the original he's taking off.)
posted by Mezentian at 1:15 AM on August 23, 2012
That being said, I prefer Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer.
Don't make me put on my Fighting Trousers.
posted by Virtblue at 2:03 AM on August 23, 2012 [2 favorites]
Don't make me put on my Fighting Trousers.
posted by Virtblue at 2:03 AM on August 23, 2012 [2 favorites]
I really enjoy Nina Gordon's cover of NWA's "Straight outta Compton". The combination of her soothing voice and the harsh lyrics is fascinating.
Jonathan Coulton's "Baby Got Back" is also quite fun and genre bending.
posted by autopilot at 4:06 AM on August 23, 2012
Jonathan Coulton's "Baby Got Back" is also quite fun and genre bending.
posted by autopilot at 4:06 AM on August 23, 2012
The Gourds cover of Gin and Juice is my favorite cover ever. It edged out Duran Duran's 911 is a Joke, even.
posted by artychoke at 6:32 AM on August 23, 2012
posted by artychoke at 6:32 AM on August 23, 2012
Oh goodness. This is incredibly charming and delightful!
posted by peacrow at 7:17 AM on August 23, 2012
posted by peacrow at 7:17 AM on August 23, 2012
komara: “That guy has no business aping a rap song.”
I agree, but for some 50 Cent has had a number of hits and has generally been successful.
posted by koeselitz at 8:38 AM on August 23, 2012 [3 favorites]
I agree, but for some 50 Cent has had a number of hits and has generally been successful.
posted by koeselitz at 8:38 AM on August 23, 2012 [3 favorites]
Brutal viking metal transformed into zesty bluegrass banjo (with Spanish breakdown).
posted by FatherDagon at 8:49 AM on August 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by FatherDagon at 8:49 AM on August 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
all the while winking, "but I would never actually listen to black music."
It seems to me that this is a "bit" that wouldn't work at all if the source song weren't uber-familiar to both performer and audience. I can't even begin to imagine how it would be supposed to work if the subtext were as you posit.
If anything is having fun poked at it here it's the old-timey George Formby Sr. style comic song format which is so obviously inappropriate a vehicle for the song that is being squeezed into it.
posted by yoink at 9:21 AM on August 23, 2012
It seems to me that this is a "bit" that wouldn't work at all if the source song weren't uber-familiar to both performer and audience. I can't even begin to imagine how it would be supposed to work if the subtext were as you posit.
If anything is having fun poked at it here it's the old-timey George Formby Sr. style comic song format which is so obviously inappropriate a vehicle for the song that is being squeezed into it.
posted by yoink at 9:21 AM on August 23, 2012
If anything is having fun poked at it here it's the old-timey George Formby Sr. style comic song format which is so obviously inappropriate a vehicle for the song that is being squeezed into it.
Pretty sure thats the "beat to death cliche" drjimmy was talking about.
posted by lkc at 12:54 PM on August 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
drjimmy11: “Oh. I thought this was going to be a parody of the beat-to-death, decade-old cliche of white people co-opting rap songs for ‘funny’ cover versions, capitalizing on the rap artist's fame and song all the while winking, ‘but I would never actually listen to black music.’ But no, it's the actual thing still.”
Oh goody, we get to talk about offensive racial stereotypes? Let's talk about this one: in 50 Cent's video for "In Da Club," he apparently intimates that he as a black man was created by a white guy in a lab.
posted by koeselitz at 1:27 PM on August 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh goody, we get to talk about offensive racial stereotypes? Let's talk about this one: in 50 Cent's video for "In Da Club," he apparently intimates that he as a black man was created by a white guy in a lab.
posted by koeselitz at 1:27 PM on August 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
I thought this was going to be 'Bring The Noise' by the Unholy Trio! [I googled the song and it showed up as an mp3 download on Amazon.. Incidentally it's "out of stock"? How can an mp3 be "out of stock"?!]
posted by Mael Oui at 8:22 PM on August 23, 2012
posted by Mael Oui at 8:22 PM on August 23, 2012
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posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 8:42 PM on August 22, 2012