Guy Picciotto = Rap Superstar

July 6, 2011 10:49 PM

Music fans have known for a long time that Ian MacKaye's post-hardcore group Fugazi and the members of Shaolin-based hip-hop collective The Wu-tang Clan were really just two sides of the same awesome-sauce coin. So enter the mash-ups of -- wait for it -- WUGAZI!

Only two songs are available, but it sounds like more are coming. The first is "I'm So Tired" and "C.R.E.A.M." The latest is "Sweet and Low" and Method Man's "Release Yo Delf."

The cover art for both tracks is subtly amazing as well.

posted by bardic (27 comments total)

Also possibly of interest - Fugazi vs. Destiny's Child "Independent Room"
posted by blaneyphoto at 11:19 PM on July 6, 2011 [3 favorites]

Some things were just made for each other. I look forward to the rest of the songs.

blaneyphoto -- I heard that last week and all I could think was how remarkably well those two songs worked together.
posted by spiderskull at 11:57 PM on July 6, 2011

Somewhere, Ian is spinning around and grimacing disapprovingly. Yes, I know he's alive.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 11:59 PM on July 6, 2011 [5 favorites]

Ian's got a wider musical palate than people give him credit for. I'd like to think he finds this as awesome as I do.
posted by bardic at 12:19 AM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Loving the second one so much.
posted by salvia at 12:21 AM on July 7, 2011

Killer.
posted by chronkite at 12:23 AM on July 7, 2011

Beautiful. Just right.
posted by team lowkey at 12:50 AM on July 7, 2011

2 things:

1. FU-gang-CLAN

2.For some odd reason, it reminds me of this really strongly. Same something in the background.
posted by hal_c_on at 1:24 AM on July 7, 2011

These sound ok. Better as a concept than to actually listen to as music, but then the same could be said for every mash-up ever created.
posted by drjimmy11 at 1:31 AM on July 7, 2011

I hope this leads to the inception of Blu-Tang Man: Chef Raekwon in full Blue Man makeup, performing his solo rap material while banging on pots and pans with various kitchen utensils.
posted by p3t3 at 4:53 AM on July 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

I am aware of at least one music fan who did not know this.
posted by tommasz at 5:00 AM on July 7, 2011

Ian MacKaye once described the idea behind Fugazi as 'reggae meets the Stooges' so this seems completely in step with that.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 6:02 AM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

When I was in high school I was in a post rock jazzy thing called Fujazzy.
posted by dobie at 6:48 AM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I can't listen to it at work, so can someone report to me whether this hits that same deliciously spare production level that the original Wu-tang tracks hit? Because if not I will be sad.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:04 AM on July 7, 2011

Wow, this is actually pretty good... Looking forward to Waiting Room + Protect Ya Neck...
posted by the painkiller at 7:19 AM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Well I for one never knew Fugazi had a song with piano in it until just now. And they were one of my fave bands through the 90s.
posted by Hoopo at 7:48 AM on July 7, 2011

When I was in high school I was in a post rock jazzy thing called Fujazzy.

Well I for one never knew Fugazi had a song with piano in it until just now. And they were one of my fave bands through the 90s.

I was gonna make a comment in the other open MacKaye interview/Fugazi thread about the arc of the musical career, but this is as good a place as any.

At some point, they kinda did become Fujazzy. And then they came back to finish with perhaps the most classic (?!) of all of their albums.

"I always like to think of it as a sports team or something. Teams are constantly trading people, but we never had to. We know how to play."

...

but anyway, yeah ... two songs?! :D
posted by mrgrimm at 8:36 AM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Ian's got a wider musical palate than people give him credit for. I'd like to think he finds this as awesome as I do.

Joe is the soul of the band and Brendan is the heart (making Ian and Guy the mouth and hands? ;), and it shows in the second mashup. I don't think the band is bullshitting when they say they write the songs together (I always figured the "credits" as listed (usually Ian or Guy) were for the lyrics.)

or from the interview with Guy linked ^^^:

"I think one thing people don't understand is the democracy that is the band. I think people have the perception that there are leaders in the group or that one of us controls everything, but if people could only see the way we practice. It's really intense. It's an insane, four-way communication laser beam barrage where all of us are working really hard with each other.

One of these guys deserves more credit. "I think many people don't realize that our drummer, Brendan, writes a lot of our music," says Guy.
I think many people don't realize that our drummer, Brendan, writes a lot of our music. Everyone contributes stuff, but no less than anyone else."

blaneyphoto -- I heard that last week and all I could think was how remarkably well those two songs worked together.

Oh, you youngsters. That was one of the first mashups I ever heard, I think (OK, exaggeration... (it's this one, of course), but mentioned at least 6 years ago right here on the blue by User #1). It's *OK* but I think you could mash up a bunch of shit with Waiting Room and it would rock. I don't see any lyrical connection between the two songs.

That's likewise how I feel about Wugazi. *OK*, but "I'm So Tired" is an unusual Fugazi song, and "Sweet and Low" is down tempo as well. I'd be more excited if we had a hardcore track to listen to. (Or the whole album -- at their current rate, these guys will be done with it in ... January 2017? ;) I'm not holding my breath.

(Smells like Bootylicious is another legendary mashup that works better in a meta-lyrical sense. (Aren't they both from Soulwax/2 Many DJs?)

The old Soulwax co uk Sounds site throws up all sorts of malware warnings, so I'll just throw this one out instead.)

Now I'm off to find other Fugazi mashups ... I bet there are some bad ones out there...
posted by mrgrimm at 9:08 AM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Also, just because I don't think they've been officially named, the two tracks are:

1. Sleep Rules Everything Around Me
2. Sweet Release

Also, serendipitously, speaking of Soulwax, they just launched Radio Soulwax on Monday.

More info here:

The long and short of it is that what Soulwax are planning to unveil defies explanation and any subsequent description is likely to do it an injustice. That said, here are some words anyhow: As the press release goes, “Electronic music pioneers & internationally renowned DJs will unveil ‘RADIO SOULWAX‘, a pioneering online & app driven radio Station to launch globally on 4th July 2011 with an initial six full hours of curated experimentation.” Sure, but what does it do?

“It will continue to provide a total of 24 themed albums, each containing a one hour mix of exclusive and uniquely created audio & visual content. These will be unveiled weekly over 18 weeks finishing on streamed directly into your home or device… Free online to all, marking a new era in mixtape culture, home music consumption, direct to fan distribution and in the sharing of these experiences via new technology.”
posted by mrgrimm at 9:14 AM on July 7, 2011

I bet there are some bad ones out there...

Speaking of the devil ... "So Emo" - Fugazi vs. Whitney Houston (Repeater + So Emotional)
posted by mrgrimm at 9:15 AM on July 7, 2011

I think you could mash up a bunch of shit with Waiting Room and it would rock.

Whoops, already proven wrong - "Eazy Emo" - Fugazi vs. Sean Paul. (Mashup != playing two songs at the same BPM at the same time.)
posted by mrgrimm at 9:18 AM on July 7, 2011

Fugazi vs. Black Rob vs. Dr. Octagon vs. Rihanna
posted by mrgrimm at 9:25 AM on July 7, 2011

Mental note: The bad idea-ness of playing mashups after midnight with the wife in the room + the bad idea of playing rap after midnight with the wife in the room = I better go find a pillow because she's not letting me take mine from the bed to use on the couch.

It's so totally worth it, especially if I can hear something with Shame or Clan in the Front.
posted by theichibun at 9:17 PM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Fugazi was a staple of my college years (thanks in no small part of their $5 (or so) ticket prices for live shows.

But I was really surprised and a bit miffed when I saw the movie "Donnie Brasco" and learned that the word "Fugazi" rhymes with "hazy" instead of (my preferred pronunciation) rhyming with "Ozzie."

I still prefer my pronunciation though, and so do all my friends.
posted by ShutterBun at 1:39 AM on July 8, 2011

But I was really surprised and a bit miffed when I saw the movie "Donnie Brasco" and learned that the word "Fugazi" rhymes with "hazy" instead of (my preferred pronunciation) rhyming with "Ozzie."

Nah, I can't buy that. The slang word, yeah, might be fuGAYzi, but everyone in the history of the world has called the band fuGAHzi. (Wouldn't "fugazi" normally be pronounced "fuGAHzi" in Italian? i.e. the "a" is usually short; and the "e" is used for the that "long a" sound of English. But IANFII.)
posted by mrgrimm at 9:11 AM on July 8, 2011

Fugazi vs. Ian Dury and the Blockheads
posted by mrgrimm at 9:16 AM on July 8, 2011

Full album went up on the main site on July 13. Here's a mediafire link.
posted by mrgrimm at 11:16 AM on July 28, 2011