August 1, 2013, 8:32 pm | In
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The other day I stumbled upon this video on YouTube titled "Folsom Prison Gangstaz". It appeared in a search and, for obvious reasons; the title caught my eye and warranted further examination. "Folsom Prison Gangstaz" is an interesting mashup of two songs that were cleverly weaved together by DJ Topcat into what is called "Folsom Prison Gangstaz". What is a mashup you ask? A mashup is a song that is created by blending multiple existing pre-recorded songs. Usually a mashup takes the lyric track from one song and mixes it over the instrument track from another but this isn't always the case. Other names for mashups include bootlegs, mesh, or a blend.
In the case of "Folsom Prison Gangstaz", Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" was mixed with Eazy E's "Luv 4 Dem Gangsta'z". It is definitely an interesting mix of old school Country ("Folsom Prison Blues" was released in 1955) and somewhat more modern Gangsta Rap ("Luv 4 Dem Gangsta'z" was released in 1994). Almost 40 years apart!
I already know that there are going to be two basic options with this mashup. There are going to be the group people who think that these two genres shouldn't mix and that mashups like this desecrate one of the songs (depending on who you're a fan of). Then there is going to be the group of people who are okay with it and think that it is great to mix two genres that are typically like oil and water(we have all heard the joke "what do you get when you mix country and rap", right?). Regardless of your opinion, you have to admire the influence of Johnny Cash. The music of Johnny Cash has reached into every nook and cranny of the music genome influencing and inspiring countless numbers of singers, songwriters, DJs, rappers, etc. The overall effect of Johnny Cash on the music world is immeasurable and will resonate for as long as music is being made. So if you are part of the group that didn't like "Folsom Prison Gangstaz", enjoy the bigger picture which is that Johnny Cash was awesome and his influence will live on forever. If you were part of the other group, well then you have two things to enjoy!
You will notice that I didn't give an opinion on this matter. Would you like to guess which group I belong to? Regardless, I would love to hear your comments on this subject so please be sure to share your thoughts.
In the case of "Folsom Prison Gangstaz", Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" was mixed with Eazy E's "Luv 4 Dem Gangsta'z". It is definitely an interesting mix of old school Country ("Folsom Prison Blues" was released in 1955) and somewhat more modern Gangsta Rap ("Luv 4 Dem Gangsta'z" was released in 1994). Almost 40 years apart!
I already know that there are going to be two basic options with this mashup. There are going to be the group people who think that these two genres shouldn't mix and that mashups like this desecrate one of the songs (depending on who you're a fan of). Then there is going to be the group of people who are okay with it and think that it is great to mix two genres that are typically like oil and water(we have all heard the joke "what do you get when you mix country and rap", right?). Regardless of your opinion, you have to admire the influence of Johnny Cash. The music of Johnny Cash has reached into every nook and cranny of the music genome influencing and inspiring countless numbers of singers, songwriters, DJs, rappers, etc. The overall effect of Johnny Cash on the music world is immeasurable and will resonate for as long as music is being made. So if you are part of the group that didn't like "Folsom Prison Gangstaz", enjoy the bigger picture which is that Johnny Cash was awesome and his influence will live on forever. If you were part of the other group, well then you have two things to enjoy!
You will notice that I didn't give an opinion on this matter. Would you like to guess which group I belong to? Regardless, I would love to hear your comments on this subject so please be sure to share your thoughts.
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