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Krayzie Bone reacts to Flatbush ZOMBiES' "Glorious Thugs," a reworking of Biggie and Bone thugs-n-harmony’s “Notorious Thugs,” a cut featured on The Notorious B.I.G.’s second album, 1997’s Life After Death.
"I think it’s pretty cool, man,” Krayzie Bone says during an exclusive interview with HipHopDX. "When I heard the beat, I was just anxious to hear their lyrics. I like the way they did the whole spin off of some of the actual lyrics that we did and then went off displaying their own little flow. You can tell that it was definitely Bone influenced. I think it’s pretty dope. I like it.”
Krayzie Bone says he had not heard of the Flatbush ZOMBiES prior to yesterday (January 14), but that he’s appreciate of how Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick The Architect reworked “Notorious Thugs.”
Although “Glorious Thugs,” which was released Monday (January 11), isn’t a cover because the Brooklyn, New York trio use new lyrics while rapping over a beat similar to that of “Notorious Thugs,” Krayzie Bone says he’s a fan of the general practice of artists reworking the material of other acts.
“It’s been a part of music for years,” Krayzie Bone says. "R&B artists, they remake each other’s songs all the time, so why can’t we do it in Hip Hop?”
Snoop Dogg Makes Covers Prominent
Even though Rap songs were first released in 1979, it wasn’t until 1993 that covers of Rap songs became prominent. That’s when Snoop Dogg broke a then-unwritten Rap rule by covering Doug E. Fresh and M. C. Ricky D’s “La-Di-Da-Di,” reimagining the 1985 song as “Lodi Dodi.” (M. C. Ricky D later changed his name to Slick Rick.) Snoop Dogg’s song appeared on his blockbuster debut album, Doggystyle, which sold more than 5 million copies.
Snoop Dogg has also covered other Rap songs, notably a rendition of Biz Markie’s 1988 song “Vapors” on 1996’s Tha Doggfather album and Dana Dane’s “Cinderfella Dana Dane,” which became “Snoopafella,” a cut from Snoop's platinum 1999 album, No Limit Top Dogg.
Krayzie Bone says he appreciates how covers bring new attention to older material.
“I think it brings longevity to the song,” he says. "It helps everybody involved, in a way. I think it’s a good thing. It should be done more. I love remaking people’s songs, so hey, why not?”
Flatbush ZOMBiES’ Erick The Architect also wants people to know that he didn’t sample “Notorious Thugs” for “Glorious Thugs.”
"just for the record guys, I did not sample Biggie,” he wrote on Twitter Monday. "I remade the beat I love the original so much."
Flatbush ZOMBiES is gearing up for its next project, the 3001: A Laced Odyssey album, which is set for a March 11 release, according to Mass Appeal.
just for the record guys, I did not sample Biggie. I remade the beat I love the original so much