Dan Black, a spunky Londoner, first acquired fame with his single “HYPNTZ” in which he took the lyrics to Biggie’s “Hypnotize” and sang it over the drum sample from Umbrella. His singing of The Notorious BIG’s lyrics resulted in a quirky but memorable melody and it became a modest success on YouTube.
“Symphonies” is basically a re-imagining of “HYPNTZ”, with Biggie’s lyrics removed completely and replaced with surrealist lyrics that those Englishmen do so well. Miraculously, Dan Black manages to pull this track off, neither sounding like a wannabe rapper or an ignorant hipster. It’s easy to imagine American record labels fretting over the North American release of Dan Black’s material and throwing in Kid Cudi for good measure; however, Cudi fits in well in the track and only lifts it further into the ether. It’s an enjoyable track.
Dan Black – Symphonies Feat Kid Cudi
Bonus Electro Remix:
Symphonies (Dada Life Remix).mp3
