Tae-K’s Arcade Mixtape

by John M. Ellison IV

Mash-up: A mash up/blend bootleg remix is when an artist/remixer combines two or more vocal or instrumental tracks and fuses them together into a new track. The can be traced back to the audio experiments of Xenocrony by Frank Zappa and before that.

Video Game Music or “VGM”: VGM is the background music that’s heard in video games. Video game music was originally, based off of a few audio channels and based off of the sine wave of a synthesizer. But, with the development of gaming technology, sound and graphics have become a lot more sophisticated. As of recently, “VGM” has been gaining a following of its own. In fact, OCremix is a community of people that remix video game music. In most cases, the re-arrangements are done and are well received.

Washington, DC’s Tae K is a mash-up artist has compiled his VGM-driven rap remixes into the “Arcade Mixtape.” This isn’t a surprise, at some points gaming and hip-hop isn’t that far from each other. Using samples and music from Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, Legend of Zelda and the Mega Man series he creates a fun and in some cases nostalgic atmosphere that combines some of rap’s coolest verses with 8 and 16-bit sine wave synthesizer sounds.
The tracks on this mix are…
01 Wu-Tang Clan – Da Mystery of Chessboxin TKRMX II
02 Busta Rhymes & Brand Nubian – Let’s Dance TKRMX
03 Beastie Boys – Triple Trouble TKRMX
04 Lil Wayne – A Milli TKRMX
05 T-Pain, Huey, Bow Wow – Pop Lock N Drop It TKRMX
06 Clipse – Mr. Me Too TKRMX II
07 50 Cent – Hustler’s Ambition TKRMX
08 Lupe Fiasco – I Gotcha TKRMX III
09 Blackalicious – Make You Feel That Way TKRMX
10 DR. WILY II [young jeezy - and then what TKRMX]
11 CHARGEMAN [kid sister - pronails TKRMX]
12 HARDMAN [t.i. - rubberband man]
13 FIREMAN [dead prez - hell yeah TKRMX]
14 SNAKEMAN [dmx - get it on the floor TKRMX]
15 BOSS [biggie - gimme the loot/sucidal thoughts/going back to cali]
16 50 Cent – Amusement Park TKRMX
17 Eminem, Lloyd Banks, 50 Cent – Warrior TKRMX
18 Fort Minor – Remember The Name TKRMX
19 Game – One Blood TKRMX II
20 Cee-lo & Timbaland – Call Me TKRMX

I really enjoyed track 15 entitled “BOSS.” “Boss” combines three boss themes of the Mega Man series with three verses from “Gimme the Loot”, “Suicidal Thoughts” and “Goin’ Back to Cali“by Notorious B.I.G. The best blend on this track is the one that features a verse from “Gimme the Loot.”
With this project, I see the potential of an insurgence of video game driven or “Chip tune” driven rap productions and video game driven pop. In fact, with songs like “Icebox” produced by Timbaland and with “Game Over” by Lil’ Flip using sounds from Pac-Man. Also in the rock/pop world, aside from “allegedly” borrowing from “If I Could Fly” by Joe Satriani, Viva La Vida is supposed to be inspired by music from the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. In retrospect, it’s already starting to happen.
The only downside about this is when it comes to the music used on this project, I noticed some of these tracks aren’t directly from the game themselves; some of these are remixes and not the original track. But, with the tracks that do use the original music. I noticed that they’re additional drum patterns and drum loops so the tracks can keep time with the vocal. The additional production work is simple, but glues the tracks together well. Aside from the remixed tracks that can be somewhat dodgy at times, for gamers, fans of mash-ups and hip-hop, this is worth the space on your MP3 player.

Tae-K’s Myspace page
Tae-K’s Blogspot