You may or may not remember Chrono Jigga, a sublime remix of multiple different Jay-Z tracks using the music from Chrono Trigger by producer 2 Mello. Now he’s attempting the same trick again, only this time using a capellas from longtime Jay-Z rival Nas, pairing it up with music from the Castlevania series. It’s called ‘Nastlevania‘. Naturally.
Despite being a huge fan of Nas (Illmatic is my favourite album of all time) I can’t shake the feeling that this set of remixes doesn’t quite match 2 Mello’s incredible work on Chrono Jigga. There are a couple of different factors at play here. The first is that Jay-Z’s superior flow tends to suit remixes far more easily than Nas a capellas. Nas is a great lyricist but Jay-Z’s rhymes tend to work brilliantly on almost any type of music. His flow has always been his greatest strength as a performer.
Secondly, Castlevania’s music just isn’t as memorable (or as malleable) as Chrono Trigger’s. Chrono Trigger has one of the greatest soundtracks of all time, with music tailor made for tight loops and drum beats. Chrono Jigga gels fantastically, but Nastlevania feels a little more forced.
Still, it remains a cool gimmick and I can’t wait for more. Apparently 2 Mello is planning another of these remix albums. Let’s do a Notorious BIG/Super Metroid album. COME ON. YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE!
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7 responses to “You Loved Chrono Jigga, Now Listen To Nastlevania!”
Hate Jayz but love Nas so I’ll give it a bash.
I see what you mean about it being a bit forced though, doesn’t feel like it’s as tight at times, like the rhymes/beats go in and out of time.
Notorious M.E.T.R.O.I.D. would be cool, what about Ghouls and Ghostface?
GHOULS AND GHOSTFACE.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Final Fantasy
La Contra Nostra
Complete and utter garbage.
Completely disagree with the Music in CastlaVania not being as memorable as Chrono Trigger.
If anything, CastleVania is more widely known for its music than just about anything out there. Tracks like Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, and the entire SotN soundtrack aren’t highly regarded for nothing 🙂