What happens when you cross the music of a living guitar god and a rap icon who has been dead for 16 years? Answer: “Ramblize,” a mash-up that combines the rap of Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize” with Jimmy Page’s guitar riff from Led Zeppelin’s classic “Ramble On.” The track, which apparently dates back to 2011, was shared November 15 on Jimmy Page’s website and announced from his Twitter account with a cryptic message, “On this day Biggie Smalls.”
[audio:https://global14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/▶-Ramblize-by-JimmyPagecom.mp3|titles=▶ Ramblize by JimmyPagecom]
SoundCloud: Ramblize
“Ramblize” combines Biggie’s 1997 “Hypnotize” rap with Page’s acoustic guitar from “Ramble On” (a song that was released in 1969 on Led Zeppelin II), as well as snatches of John Bonham’s percussion (the light tapping drumbeat you hear was allegedly created by Bonham tapping his bare hands on a guitar case) and Robert Plant’s vocals. For good measure, the song also tosses in the irresistible “Biggie, Biggie, Biggie, can’t you see?” chorus from “Hypnotize.”
Page has dabbled in hip-hip before, famously on “Come with Me,” a mash-up that combined Puff Daddy’s vocals with Page’s guitar parts from “Kashmir.” (The song was featured in the forgettable 1998 Godzilla remake.)
The genesis of “Ramblize” is unclear. Although Page officially released the track on his Twitter account, a version on YouTube is stamped with a 2011 posting date, which raises an obvious question about where, when, and how the track was created. And yet the news media such as Rolling Stone and XXL have hungrily devoured the musical morsel in recent days, providing Page and Notorious B.I.G. some viral buzz. Why? Because:
• Jimmy Page is a legend. When Jimmy Page speaks, the news media listen.
• Jimmy Page maintains a mystique caused by his infrequent digital appearances. His website is gated, and his official Twitter account is fairly quiet. As a consequence, what information you do receive from him carries more gravitas.
• Notorious B.I.G. has created a legacy and posthumous career, having lived fast, died young, and been credited with reinventing “East Coast rap for the gangsta age.”
It’s likely that we’ll start seeing more content from Page as he promotes the forthcoming remastering of the Led Zeppelin catalog. As for Notorious B.I.G.: he might have died years ago, but he never really left.
What do you think of the mash-up?