Countless musicians have been inspired by The Beatles. Lady Gaga, Roger Waters, Brian May, and Jimi Hendrix are just a few big names worth mentioning. One might be surprised to hear that quite a few rappers and hip-hop artists through the years have been heavily influenced by the Fab Four as well. It’s surprising because rock music and hip-hop are quite different; but when it comes down to it, they are two sides of the same coin. Let’s look at four rap and hip-hop songs that were inspired by The Beatles!
1. “King Of Rock” by Run DMC
Who doesn’t love a classic rock and hip-hop mix? “King Of Rock” by Run DMC is a sound crossover. While many of the rap songs on this list feature samples of The Beatles, this song features a direct reference to the band.
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However, the reference isn’t entirely accurate. The lyrics “There’s three of us / But we’re not the Beatles” was a mistake on Run’s part, as he thought there were only three members of The Beatles.
2. “White Ferrari” by Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean is clearly influenced by rock music in a number of ways, and that much is obvious in the 2016 album Blonde. The song “White Ferrari” is particularly inspired by The Beatles and features a sample of “Here, There, And Everywhere” from the album Revolver.
Paul McCartney said that “Here, There, And Everywhere” was one of his favorite tracks from The Beatles’ discography, so maybe it was a tribute of sorts to the famous Fab Four member. Ocean did a beautiful job of blending the original song with his own mix and vocals.
3. “Loud” by Mac Miller
Mac Miller sampled The Beatles’ famous track “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” for his 2012 song “Loud”. The OG song is often associated with psychedelics and LSD, despite The Beatles’ attempts to convince listeners otherwise.
Miller used the sample quite well, with a level of subtlety that is commendable. Plenty of artists have sampled this particular song and depended heavily on it to make their own songs work. On “Loud”, it’s used quite respectfully.
4. “The Heart Gently Weeps” by Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is such an iconic rap/hip-hop outfit. They aren’t afraid to experiment with different genres, sounds, and lyrics, and “The Heart Gently Weeps” is one great example. This song’s title is a reference to the George Harrison-penned Beatles song “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. It’s one of the best songs on the White Album, so it makes sense why Wu-Tang Clan wanted to reference it. They sample the song as well.
Photo by Rich Fury
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