The parody. While the chart-topping team-up between Jigga and Alicia Keys didn't seem especially ripe for mockery, a number of songs and videos have come over the horizon in the past few months that have gently nudged the song and also made its pop culture footprint even bigger.The latest "Empire State of Mind"-biting track to take over the Internet is "Newport State of Mind," a track put together by rapper Alex Warren, singer Terema Wainwright and filmmaker Morgan-Jane "MJ" Delaney. The tune pays tribute to the Welsh town of Newport, and even though many of the references will be totally alien to American audiences, that didn't stop "Newport State of Mind" from becoming a viral hit (if only to hear Wainwright croon like Keys in her charming Welsh accent). The full title is "Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind)" ("Ymerodraeth" is the Welsh word for "Empire").
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| It's the latest in a long line of parodies, some of which have been more successful than others. On the excellent end of that spectrum is "Galactic Empire State of Mind," an incredibly sharp parody that runs through the plots of the original "Star Wars" trilogy. It features Darth Vader in the Jay-Z role and Princess Leia taking the Alicia Keys portion. Dreamed up by the folks at College Humor, it contains rhymes like "Get me to Cloud City/ I got Lando on payroll" and "Hell, I made wearing black more famous than that Jay-Z can." | |||||
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There's also "Newark State of Mind," which pays tribute to one of the country's least glamorous cities in a tongue-in-cheek way. (In the narrative, the rapper is forced to live there because he lost his job and had to move out of Brooklyn.) Also excellent: "Minnesota State of Mind," which doesn't contain the sharpest rapping but does have references to the Canadian border and big trees. And in case you can't get enough, check out "Huge Dork," which features chorus lines like "A huge dork. Every figure from 'Lord of the Rings'. They're still in their packaging/ You're such a huge dork. The big bad wolf used to frighten you. And now he's your tattoo." Clearly, this tune has legs.
