Spring Break
'Zelda' street cred
Stephen Ortiz
Issue date: 3/19/09 Section: Focus
So what exactly is "Ocarina of Rhyme?" Why, it's one of the coolest mash-up albums ever created by Team Teamwork, and it's entirely free (do a Google search for it; you'll find it pretty fast). The formula is simple: 10 hip-hop cuts over 10 classic "Legend of Zelda" tunes with some editing, drum loops and other mixtape effects that make for a head nodding good time. Here's a track-by-track breakdown.
1. "Virginia (Lost Woods)" Clipse - With a sped up "Lost Woods" anthem, cut and laced with cymbals, this Clipse hometown jam lightens up, despite the heavy source material.
2. "Still D.R.E. (Getting Treasure" Dr. Dre - This is the album's best example of how mash-ups don't always work. The "Getting Treasure" sound clip is fine a few times a dungeon, but end on end it is just irritating.
3. "No Hook (Meeting the Owl)" Jay-Z - Possibly the best track on the album. Jay's flow fits the pace of the music so well that it feels organic.
4. "Knockin' Doorz Down (Hyrule Field)" Pimp C - On its own, the "Hyrule Field" song wouldn't stand well with the southern drawls of Pimp C and company, but the added drums bring it to a whole new level.
5. "I Used to Love Her (Hyrule Market)" Common - Common's classic ode to hip-hop finds new life with a sped-up "Hyrule Market" theme. The fast beat can be off-putting considering the slow, head nodding pace of the original, but it definitely works.
6. "No Jumpercables (Goron Village)" Aesop Rock - This one's odd; the Goron theme is one of the strangest (yet most beloved) in the "Zelda" repertoire, yet Aesop rhymes a bit too fast for the music. A poor match up.
7. "Fumbling Over Words (Battle)" Edan - The addition of bongo drums over the "Battle" music seems rushed and lowers the quality of such a great rhyme, but points for taking the risk. It's just a tweak shy of being right.
8. "Vomit (Horse Race at Lon Lon Ranch)" MF Doom - Like Aesop Rock's "No Jumpercables," but the other way around.
9. "IMC (Zora's Domain)" Spank Rock - The music itself is a bit too loud, and drowns out Spank Rock's lyrics, but "Zora's Domain" is just perfect for rhyming over. If the vocals' volume was a bit higher, it would compete with for best track.
10. "Still Tippin' (Great Fairy's Fountain)" Slim Thug and Mike Jones - I'll be honest - this version of Slim Thug and Mike Jones' "Still Tippin'" is superior to the original. The Houston, barebones beat just didn't cut it; what these two needed was an elaborate instrumental to really shine.
1. "Virginia (Lost Woods)" Clipse - With a sped up "Lost Woods" anthem, cut and laced with cymbals, this Clipse hometown jam lightens up, despite the heavy source material.
2. "Still D.R.E. (Getting Treasure" Dr. Dre - This is the album's best example of how mash-ups don't always work. The "Getting Treasure" sound clip is fine a few times a dungeon, but end on end it is just irritating.
3. "No Hook (Meeting the Owl)" Jay-Z - Possibly the best track on the album. Jay's flow fits the pace of the music so well that it feels organic.
4. "Knockin' Doorz Down (Hyrule Field)" Pimp C - On its own, the "Hyrule Field" song wouldn't stand well with the southern drawls of Pimp C and company, but the added drums bring it to a whole new level.
5. "I Used to Love Her (Hyrule Market)" Common - Common's classic ode to hip-hop finds new life with a sped-up "Hyrule Market" theme. The fast beat can be off-putting considering the slow, head nodding pace of the original, but it definitely works.
6. "No Jumpercables (Goron Village)" Aesop Rock - This one's odd; the Goron theme is one of the strangest (yet most beloved) in the "Zelda" repertoire, yet Aesop rhymes a bit too fast for the music. A poor match up.
7. "Fumbling Over Words (Battle)" Edan - The addition of bongo drums over the "Battle" music seems rushed and lowers the quality of such a great rhyme, but points for taking the risk. It's just a tweak shy of being right.
8. "Vomit (Horse Race at Lon Lon Ranch)" MF Doom - Like Aesop Rock's "No Jumpercables," but the other way around.
9. "IMC (Zora's Domain)" Spank Rock - The music itself is a bit too loud, and drowns out Spank Rock's lyrics, but "Zora's Domain" is just perfect for rhyming over. If the vocals' volume was a bit higher, it would compete with for best track.
10. "Still Tippin' (Great Fairy's Fountain)" Slim Thug and Mike Jones - I'll be honest - this version of Slim Thug and Mike Jones' "Still Tippin'" is superior to the original. The Houston, barebones beat just didn't cut it; what these two needed was an elaborate instrumental to really shine.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Sleaze
posted 3/21/09 @ 4:55 PM EST
I also created a mixtape of the same name.
http://ketchup-plz.blogspot.com/2009/03/sleaze-ocarina-of-rhyme-mixtape.html
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