Mario Bros. Theme Gets Lyrics Courtesy Black Thought

[Earnest Cavalli]

Mario Bros. Theme Gets Lyrics Courtesy Black Thought


You're about to hear the Super Mario Bros. theme song as you've never heard it before: With lyrics penned by The Roots' Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter.

That clip at right hails from last night's episode of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. It stars Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter (a member of The Roots, a seminal hip hop group that just so happens to be Fallon's house band) and features the musician adding his own spin to the iconic Super Mario Bros. theme music - specifically, Trotter's version includes words where the Koji Kondo original is merely a very beloved instrumental.

This is one of those cases where the entire story is in the clip, so watch that thing.

While I'm still utterly baffled as to why The Roots agreed to serve as house band on Fallon's show - qualitatively, it's like Public Enemy backing Carson in the late 80s, only with fewer oversized clocks - I've got to hand it to Trotter, those lyrics were surprisingly great. I'm hoping Nintendo sees this and ... actually, scratch that. Let's just take Trotter's effort for what it is, without the need for anyone else to interfere. If Nintendo did build off of his lyrics it would just ruin whatever impromptu creative spirit went into those rhymes, and the whole thing would almost certainly look like a ham-handed attempt to appeal to the kids of today (or whatever stereotype Japanese developers have of modern "cool"). It's best that we just enjoy this video, then move along before it's corrupted somehow.

Comments below. Say your piece.

Source: YouTube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tEuDcXPsISY]

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[SageRuffin]

Ah... hip-hop culture and video games. I never tire of seeing the two merge together.

You don't come across many songs by mainstream that are deliberately about video games, even mini-songs like this one. Most of the time you just get off-hand references such as Mr. Lif talking about playing a friend in a well-known fighting game (Thanks for checking me./Now sit down, pick up a controller, and let's play Tekken 3.), or Redman explaining how he developed pyrokinesis (I forward forward with high punches, spit the flame/Like Lui Kang/Burning your membranes/When the wind change).

Good shit. This only reaffirms my beliefs that video games of all kinds need more hip-hop influences.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Doesn't the Super Mario Bros theme song already have lyrics?

Spoiler: The proof

Behold their genius and be humbled.

 

[hazabaza1]

That was... really bad.
The lyrics weren't too awful I guess but the actual theme was really heavily modified and bad and I felt like the emphasis was only on the dude, not the actual rhythm.
Still nice to see stuff like this I guess.

 

[LetalisK]

What? That sounded nothing like the theme from Mario. Lyrics were fine, but wtf?

 

[Yan007]

Mario's theme song already had lyrics from a long time ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3aJqJUN1Xw&list=PLB5E1DC05846E2FA4

Seriously guys, do your research! lol

 

[Alfador_VII]

That was awful, but at least it's not dubstep

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I enjoyed it, but I don't think that's really adapting lyrics to the tune so much as it adapting the tune to be easier to rap to.

EDIT: And screw you guys bringing up that terrible show. It's an atrocity and you know it.

 

[Something Amyss]

Doesn't the Super Mario Bros theme song already have lyrics?

Spoiler: The proof

Behold their genius and be humbled.

Just like that!

That rap reminded me of the days when WWF used to have established artists come in and do versions of their wrestler's themes by Jim Johnston or stock production music. Most notably, the way most of them had little to do with the wrestler in question.

This had sliiightly more to do with Mario, but still.

 

[Something Amyss]

Mario's theme song already had lyrics from a long time ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3aJqJUN1Xw&list=PLB5E1DC05846E2FA4

Seriously guys, do your research! lol

And when you've done your research, DO THE MARIO!


Sorry. I'm so sorry.

 

[Frezzato]

Don't need to see that video. Any lyrics other than 'doot-doot-doot' are unacceptable.

 

[Dragonbums]

I almost thought this was going to be as bad as the 90's.
Glad the video proved me wrong.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

dang haters gonna hate

OT: yes it was obviously modified to hell and back, but the basic beat was still there, so relax...lord save us before the nintendo defense force hears of this.

 

[vid87]

It was a nice effort, but his mistake in saying it was Daisy instead of Pauline in Donkey Kong completely invalidates the song - no exceptions, no mulligans, you failed, GOOD DAY SIR!

 

[Jamous]

Son of a *****. That was an awesome rap. Good stuff all round.