Posted 2013-01-09, evaluated by the judges panel


The Joker returns and 2P debuts on a rap/hip-hop Zelda track with some well-crafted lyrics & beats. I'll confess, the first time I listened to the beginning of this mix, I was scratching my head a little and not really feeling it, but it's REALLY grown on me in repeated listens, and certain lines - "But it's not what you know, no it's who you know" - have legitimately stuck with me. 2P's voice/delivery are unique and take some getting used to, but his sleepy-quick style actually fits the rising & falling bell arpeggios and legato string lines quite well. All I gotta say is, if you don't dig the first thirty seconds, KEEP LISTENING because by the time the track's over, if you're anything like me, you may be turned around. Joker writes:

"In all my years playing Zelda, the Select theme has always been a source of peace & serenity. Nostalgia even. So, with Skyward Sword about to be released I was reminded me of just how awesome & serene the theme was and remembered a track I made a long time ago with a awesome lyricist named Phil (his last name escapes me). We ended up making a great winter themed hip hop track with an uplifting message. This is a resub from long ago, & hopefully it was worth the wait."

2P adds:

"I wrote the lyrics and performed them for this ReMix. The lyrics are in general about appreciating the people in your life that make you happy to be alive, and are told through the eyes of a university student living off campus. I wrote this at the beginning of my junior year, a year in which I was always busy and always tired. Sometimes you get overwhelmed or weighed down by school or work or whatever, but if you can just step away from it all with some good friends occasionally, then often you may feel like you got your footing right again and you're ready to keep it pushing. That's what these lyrics are about."

Sooooooo glad David resurrected this mix & improved it, because the more I listen to it, the more I appreciate just how well the lyrics & style fit with the source. Mixes like this tend to stir up some controversy, but I hope most can take a minute and dig a little deeper and grok what this collaboration has produced. Palpable writes:

"It reminded me a lot of Neblix's debut and similar songs in that it built vertically on a familiar riff. There's a lot of subtle additions like chord changes and harmonies. That was an excellent way to add depth because the focus here is the vocal and anything too crazy would distract from that. I found myself liking this a lot, the source was well-suited to rap. Great lyrics too."

Ditto that; just reading 2P's short blurb about his lyric had me nodding my head, and I like that the tone manages to be earnest & positive - pretty rare these days - without being cheesy or artificial. Great mix that takes a bit to get started & requires some acclimation, but bodes well for creativity & distinct style in 2013; kudos to The Joker and 2P for making something memorable, authentic, nostalgic, and motivational!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 11 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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AustNerevar
on 2014-10-20 23:25:54

Man, I LOVE this piece. I don't normally enjoy pure rap tracks, but this one is just awesome. The only other rap song I've enjoyed this much was

.
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Salluz
on 2013-03-01 05:24:49

All of this talk about positive rap makes me wanna hear it. Doing so now.

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YoshMaster
on 2013-02-28 22:27:16

Now THIS is what Rap was all about in the beginning! POSITIVE lyrics!!

LOVE this!

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AMKalmar
on 2013-01-24 16:10:29

I don't usually listen to rap or even music with lyrics but I like this. Probably won't go on any of my favourite playlists but it's one of those songs I'll enjoy coming across occasionally.

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Crono3of3time
on 2013-01-19 02:08:12

I was very distracted while listening to this song.

Do you have a Pop Filter for your microphone?... or am I hearing the hiss of braces? Eh. Those S's are rather poignant.

If you could tone those down at the recording stage, you'd have something quite nice to listen to.

Eh. I know its probably unintentional, but the intro says:

"to come and sit in my presence, and yes, it is so precious"

Which implies:

"you are not precious, so you should value me more than yourself"

It's a spike of arrogance that feels completely out of place with the rest of the song.

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Crulex
on 2013-01-16 13:53:33

Quite the nice beat you have there. The rapping takes a second to get used to, sure, but the lyrics and delivery are pretty damn good in my opinion. Cool to hear the fountain used for a good ReMix like this one.

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Daemos
on 2013-01-14 19:49:54

not being a fan of Rap I enjoyed this lot more than I normally would, I think it was the message that swayed.

Excellent job.

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WesternZypher
on 2013-01-10 17:14:50

Sounds like you could hear it on the radio on Hot 97 any day now. NIce.

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The Joker
on 2013-01-10 01:11:11

2p is the one that was in Minnesota. Not sure if he's still there or not.

I especially like the line "Now summer's almost over, the weather's growing colder, Approaching frozen sojourns - A Minnesota soldier."

Which one of you is from the area?

That aside, it's _really_ nice to hear a rap piece with a positive message, as mentioned in the writeup. Well played!

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BardicKnowledge
on 2013-01-09 18:08:44

I especially like the line "Now summer's almost over, the weather's growing colder, Approaching frozen sojourns - A Minnesota soldier."

Which one of you is from the area?

That aside, it's _really_ nice to hear a rap piece with a positive message, as mentioned in the writeup. Well played!

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djpretzel
on 2013-01-09 16:44:19

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo , 1998, N64)
Music by Koji Kondo
Songs:
"Great Fairy's Fountain"

Tags (8)


Genre:
Hip Hop
Mood:
Mellow
Instrumentation:
Strings,Vocals: Male,Vocals: Rapping
Additional:
Lyrics > Lyrics: Original
Origin > Collaboration
Origin > Resubmission

File Information


Name:
Legend_of_Zelda_Ocarina_of_Time_Solace_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,127,461 bytes
MD5:
7cca4ef63409359dbdc4817d703ca93a
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
3:29

Outside on the corner where I caught the bus
Thinking in my head 'it's colder than I thought it was...'
Sometimes life is like that, and you just quiver your lips
Whisper a wish, hoping someone might give us deliverance
Now deliver this message: think I can live with this mess if
You could just give a few seconds to come and sit in my presence and yes
It is so precious, yes, it is a blessing, next
I'll attempt to express it with every heavy breath

Cause just to make it worth it, and just to make it real
You always made it perfect, and that's the way I feel
Sometimes we think too much, and we lose control
But it's not what you know, no it's who you know
Days that will not end, I'm sure you've had them too
Wishing you're still in bed, and yet we have to move
This is what passion do, this is what passion does
And so my plan is to, start sending back the love.

Snowflakes fell like a gift from the skies and
Teardrops swelled when I lifted my eyes and
It was surely just brightness that had 'em form in me
While the storm in the streets was adorning the trees, and
It clothed each branch with a layer of the purest snow
And this miracle was a little less than a year ago
Now summer's almost over, the weather's growing colder,
Approaching frozen sojourns - A Minnesota soldier.
Backpack on my shoulder days are shorter I spend most alone
Still growing older feeling lonesome though I'm close to home
On the city bus dozing both eyes closing on the open road
My soul is folding though I'm holding on and so it goes
And sometimes when it's dark, I look up at the stars
Think about how small we are, but at least we have hearts
Getting passed by speeding cars, on these streets of ours
I want to be the cause, for someone's grief to pause

Cause just to make it worth it, and just to make it real
You always made it perfect, and that's the way I feel
Sometimes we think too much, and we lose control
But it's not what you know, no it's who you know
Days that will not end, I'm sure you've had them too
Wishing you're still in bed, and yet we have to move
This is what passion do, this is what passion does
And so my plan is to, start sending back the love.

And I can't even get emotional, cause even though this road is negotiable, this' the road I
Chose, going solo feeling so low and I don't know the things I'm supposed to know but
So, I know some brothas that I roll with, in the same role with the same goal and they stay focused.
So just forget saying that you gon' quit, its a long way to go I'ma need y'all to go with.
I got your back like the shirt tag side, no matter what it is yes sir that's right
Even when you act like a dirt bag I, done been there before for sure that's why
I keep no accounts of flaws, keep holding out for y'all
People is all we are, you know I'm down by law

Cause just to make it worth it, just to make it real
You always made it perfect, and that's the way I feel
Sometimes we think too much, and we lose control
But it's not what you know, no it's who you know
Days that will not end, I'm sure you've had them too
Wishing you're still in bed, and yet we have to move
This is what passion do, this is what passion does
And so my plan is to, start sending back the love.

Cause just to make it worth it, and just to make it real
You always made it perfect, and that's the way I feel
Sometimes we think too much, and we lose control
So this Solace is for all the fools we know.

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