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			{{Infobox song
	]
			\| name =
			\| cover = <!--just the file name-->
			\| alt =
			\| type =
			\| artist =
			\| album =
			\| B-side =
			\| released = <!--{{Start date\|YYYY\|MM\|DD}}-->
			\| recorded =
			\| studio =
			\| genre = <!--do not add unsourced genres-->
			\| length =
			\| label =
			\| writer = Jason Brannon<br>Chris Crawford
			\| producer =
			\| prev_title = <!--for a singles chronology-->
			\| prev_year =
			\| next_title =
			\| next_year =
			\| misc =
			}}
			{{Infobox film
			\| italic_title = no
			\| name = Star Wars Gangsta Rap
			\| image = Star Wars Gangsta Rap title card.jpg
			\| director = Thomas Lee
			\| producer = Megan Brown<br>June Tedesco
			\| writer = Jason Brannon<br>Chris Crawford
			\| starring = Jason Brannon
			\| distributor = ]
			\| released = {{Film date\|2000\|07\|6 \|original\|2004\|07\|30 \|SE}}
			\| runtime = 3.5 min
			\| language = English
			\| budget =
			}}
			The "'''Star Wars Gangsta Rap'''" is a ] song based on the original '']'' trilogy. The song was later popularized as a ]-animated ] and was the first winner of the Audience Choice Award in the ]-sponsored ].<ref>{{cite web\| url=http://www.atomfilms.com/films/star_wars_fan_film_winners.jsp\| title=Star Wars Fan Film Award Winners\| website=Atomfilms.com\| url-status=dead\| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415093807/http://www.atomfilms.com/films/star_wars_fan_film_winners.jsp\| archivedate=2008-04-15}}</ref>

			==Version history==
	The '''''Star Wars Gangsta Rap''''' is a ] song popularized as a ] ] based on the original '']'' trilogy. It was created by the BentTV group, and currently appears on AtomFilms as part of ].
			The "Star Wars Gangsta Rap" started out as a song, written by Jason Brannon and Chris Crawford, with vocals by Brannon, drum machine by Crawford and Leonard, and keyboard by Brian Leonard. The group billed themselves as Bentframe.

			Animator Thomas Lee discovered the rap in 2000 and used it as a basis to practice his developing ] skills. This became the first (and most widely seen) version of the video. After showing the finished results to Bentframe, they together formed BentTV.
	==History==

			Due to the project's success, BentTV later created an improved version, referred to as the Special Edition, which debuted at the 2004 Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards. The audio track was not changed, but the visuals were completely redrawn, with improved color and shading and more detailed motion, all while emulating the relevant scenes in the movies more closely and adding more. The improvement in animation is analogous to ]'s 1997 Special Edition film touch-ups.
	The ''Star Wars ]'' first appeared on the internet as an audio-only file, produced by Bentframe. It was written by Jason Brannon and Chris Crawford, with vocals by Jason Brannon, ] by Chris Crawford / Brian A Leonard and ] by Brian A Leonard (who also created the current version which does not have music and sound samples from the films as the pre-original versions did).

			==Synopsis==
	Animator Thomas Lee discovered the rap in ] and used it as a basis to practice his developing Flash skills. After showing the results to Bentframe, they together formed BentTV. This became the first widely seen version of the video, and remains faithful to the audio version, except for the omission of a single line.
			<!--DO NOT add lyrics to this article, as this is a copyright violation. Please see ]-->
			Employing some of the elements of ] and ] music, stances and dancing, "Star Wars Gangsta Rap" loosely mixes plotlines from ] and its sequel '']'' (and follow-up '']'' in the Special Edition), satirically recreating several of the more famous scenes and dialogue.

			The music video starts out on the back of the ], then reveals the image of ] who claims "it's not the east or the west side." ] appears as a rapper sidekick or ] and replies "No, it's not." This continues until the Emperor says "it's the ]", at which point Vader says "You are correct." The Emperor then threatens to blow up the planets of "all you Vader haters out there."
	In ], BentTV created an improved version of the video, referred to as the Special Edition. The song was not changed (sound effects from the movies were added), but the animation was completely redrawn with improved color and shading, smoother lines, and more detailed motion, all while emulating the relevant scenes in the movies much more closely. The improvement in animation is analogous to ]'s ] Special Edition film touch-ups.

			Darth Vader and the Emperor alternate rapping during the first verse, until Vader proclaims, "He <nowiki>]<nowiki>]</nowiki> will join us or die. We've got ]". Images of the Death Star appear in the background, and the line is repeated by Vader, while ]s dance in the background.
	==Visual synopsis==

			The next verse begins with Luke Skywalker's at his family's moisture farm on ], with his uncle ] issuing commands at him. Luke raps the second verse, with ] and ] appearing in the background.
	(This description corresponds to the original version, with references to the lyrics corresponding to the transcript in the next section.)

			In the next verse, ] tells Luke to "use the Force and run...", whereupon Luke takes his ] to ]. ] appears next, and he and Luke trade raps, until Luke gets back in his X-wing. During a brief intermission, he enjoys "a mighty good ]", then flies to Cloud City and confronts Darth Vader. Vader and Luke engage in a ] duel, whereupon Vader cuts off Luke's hand, then reveals that he is his father.
	The ''Star Wars Gangsta Rap'' loosely mixes the plotlines of '']'' and '']'', ] recreating several well known scenes and dialogue passages. It is quite similar in construction to a typical gangsta rap track in its backing instrumentation, the method in which the characters quickly trade off lines, and the overall exact styling of the rap.

			] appears in the final verse repeating "Knock him out the box, Luke, knock him out..." This is an homage to the ] of the song "]" by rapper ].
	The music video begins in a camera pan across the back of a ]. As Emperor ] and ] trade off their lines in the Spoken Intro, the camera pulls back to reveal three additional Star Destroyers patrolled by swooping squadrons of ].

			==Awards, legacies and sequels==
	The first ] uses ] backgrounds of dark imperial gray, accented briefly by a ] of Luke with a ], until Vader boasts "We got Death Star!" Images of the ] flash in the background, composited with a line of ], who do a gangsta rap wave, finally climaxing in the explosion of ].
			"Star Wars Gangsta Rap" is one of the most popular flash videos of all time, with more than 20 million online views. Editors of '']'' magazine listed it as the Best Online Comedy Movie of 2001.<ref>{{cite web\| url=https://www.starwars.com/community/fun/fanfilm/news20020122.html\| title=Gangsta Rap Named Online Comedy of 2001\| website=StarWars.com\| date=January 22, 2002\| url-status=dead\| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216213520/http://www.starwars.com/community/fun/fanfilm/news20020122.html\| archivedate=February 16, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\| url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,623413,00.html\| archive-url=https://archive.today/20120703135333/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,623413,00.html\| url-status=dead\| archive-date=July 3, 2012\| title=George Lucas Looks for New Lucases\| website= ] \| date=January 18, 2002}}</ref>

			The film won the Audience Choice at the inaugural Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards in 2002, and it was broadcast on the ] special on the awards. Clips from "Star Wars Gangsta Rap Special Edition" appear in the ] special ''When Star Wars Ruled the World'' in 2004.
	The spoken interlude cuts to the Lars moisture farm on ], with ] shouting commands at his nephew from the recessed farm courtyard. ] then raps the second verse, with ] and ] waving for a brief cameo for "I cleaned the droids...".

			It has inspired other similar works and imitations, notably ''The Lords Of The Rhymes'', done very much in the style of the ''Star Wars Gangsta Rap'' but instead parodying '']'' trilogy.
	The ] into the third verse superimposes the ] of ] over Luke's ] flying to ]. In the third verse, ] hops down off a log, and raps to the camera until the end of his opening when he lifts the X-Wing. Luke and Yoda trade off raps about whether or not he should go to ], the floating ] appearing in the background for the corresponding line, before cutting to Luke's X-Wing taking off from the surface of the planet.

			Another BentTV ''Star Wars'' parody cartoon was created in 1999. It is a fake advertisement for a ''Star Wars Christmas'' CD hosted by Han Solo.
	The second interlude takes place inside Luke's ] as he enjoys a "mighty good ]". When he arrives at Cloud City, he and Vader duel with their lightsabers, battle-posing in time with the beat of the rap, until they begin the fourth verse. A series of close-ups frames their exchange until Vader begins his repeat of "I'm your father", when the waving Stormtroopers return to mock a crying Luke.

			Director Thomas Lee would later animate the video for ]'s song "I'll Sue Ya" on his 2006 album "]".<ref>{{cite web\| url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/57116/weird-al-wont-back-down-on-twelfth-album\| title='Weird Al' Won't Back Down On Twelfth Album\| publisher=Billboard.com\| date=September 25, 2006}}</ref> "Star Wars Gangsta Rap" was previously one of many parody songs commonly misattributed to Yankovic on ] sites.<ref name="notalpage">{{cite web \|url=http://free.house.cx/~eil/etc/notal_list.html \|title=The Not Al Page: The most popular songs he didn't even write (or perform)! \|access-date=December 29, 2010 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080728111957/http://free.house.cx/~eil/etc/notal_list.html \|archive-date = July 28, 2008}}</ref>
	For the outro, the composition of Vader and the troops transitions to ], who appears in the background over animation of the ] aiding in the ] trench run, until the video fades to black and the credits.

			An unofficial sequel, "Star Wars Gangsta Rap 2", featuring far more explicit lyrics was made, followed by "Star Wars Gangsta Rap 3". Both were made incorporating references to the ].
	==Lyrics==

			In November 2009, an official sequel, "Star Wars Gangsta Rap: Chronicles", was released on Atom.com.<ref>{{cite web\| url= http://www.atom.com/funny_videos/sw_gangsta_rap_chronicles/\| title= Star Wars Gangsta Rap : Chronicles\| website= Atom.com\| date= November 10, 2009\| access-date= November 10, 2009\| archive-date= March 27, 2010\| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100327173313/http://www.atom.com/funny_videos/sw_gangsta_rap_chronicles/\| url-status= dead}}</ref>
	(Vader with Sidious/Emperor)<BR>
	It's not the east or the west side.<BR>
	No it's not! <BR>
	It's not the north or the south side. <BR>
	No it's not! <BR>
	It's the Dark side. <BR>
	You are correct! <BR>
	Keep frontin' the Empire, <BR>
	To all you Vader-haters out there, <BR>
	We'll blow your planet up! <BR>
	<BR>
	What is thy bidding my master? <BR>
	It's a disaster, Skywalker we're after. <BR>
	What if he could be turned to the Dark side? <BR>
	Yes, he'd be a powerful ally, another Dark Jedi. <BR>
	He will join us or die! <BR>
	<BR>
	We got death star!(Death Star!) x 8 <BR>
	And you know that we got it.(Death Star!) <BR>
	And you know that we got it.(Death Star!) (fade after) <BR>
	<BR>
	(Owen) <BR>
	Luke, get your butt over here right now! <BR>
	And quit monkeying around with that dang landspeeder, <BR>
	where are them two droids I asked you to clean, boy? <BR>
	You cleaned your room? <BR>
	<BR>
	(Luke) <BR>
	Uncle Owen, I know I'm on probation, <BR>
	I cleaned the droids, <BR>
	Can I go to the Toshi Station? <BR>
	I gotta lay away on the power converter, <BR>
	But now you treating me like a scruffy nerfherder! <BR>
	<BR>
	(Obi-Wan) <BR>
	Luke, use the Force and run, <BR>
	Run to Dagobah, Run to Dagobah, <BR>
	Luke, use the Force and run, <BR>
	Run to Dagobah, Run to Dagobah. <BR>
	<BR>
	(Yoda) <BR>
	I'm Yoda, <BR>
	I'm a soulja, <BR>
	I'll mold ya, and fold ya, <BR>
	I thought I told ya! <BR>
	Don't be unwise judge me not by my size, <BR>
	You wont believe your eyes, <BR>
	Watch the X-wing rise! <BR>
	<BR>
	(Luke) <BR>
	Yoda, why you being a playa-hata? <BR>
	You know I still must confront Lord Vader! <BR>
	<BR>
	(Yoda) <BR>
	But Luke, not ready are you! <BR>
	<BR>
	(Luke) <BR>
	But there's a city in the clouds where they keeping ma crew, <BR>
	A Jedi's gotta do what a Jedi's gotta do, <BR>
	so now Vader, I'm coming for you! <BR>
	<BR>
	(Luke in X-Wing) <BR>
	Yea, that's right R-2., <BR>
	I just set a new course. <BR>
	We're going to cloud city. <BR>
	Ah. Thats a mighty good Gin an' tonic <BR>
	Why don't you mix me up another. <BR>
	<BR>
	(Lord Vader) <BR>
	Impressive, now release yo' anger, <BR>
	You must have sensed that yo' friends are in danger. <BR>
	<BR>
	(Luke) <BR>
	Oh! why did you slice off my hand? <BR>
	<BR>
	(Lord Vader) <BR>
	It's imperative that you understand. <BR>
	Obi-Wan would never bother, <BR>
	Telling you about your father. <BR>
	<BR>
	(Luke) <BR>
	He told me enough, he told me you killed him! <BR>
	<BR>
	(Lord Vader) <BR>
	Then there is something, I must reveal him. <BR>
	I am yo' fatha, <BR>
	I'm yo' fatha, <BR>
	I am yo' fatha, <BR>
	I'm yo' fatha, <BR>
	I am yo' fatha, <BR>
	I'm yo' fatha, <BR>
	I am yo' fatha, <BR>
	I'm yo' fatha'! <BR>
	<BR>
	(Han Solo) <BR>
	Knock him out the box, Luke, <BR>
	Knock him out! <BR>
	Knock him out the box, Luke, <BR>
	Knock him out! <BR>
	Knock him out the box, Luke, <BR>
	Knock him out! <BR>
	Knock him out the box, Luke, <BR>
	Knock him out! <BR>
	Knock him out the box, Luke.<BR>

	==~~Legacy~~==		==References==
			{{reflist}}

	The ''Star Wars Gangsta Rap'' is one of the most popular Flash videos of all time, which is notable for a project that never received heavy public recognition or TV airplay, such as '']''. It was given the Audience Choice Award in the voting for the ] ].

	It has inspired other similar works, notably ''The Lords Of The Rhymes'', done very much in the style of the ''Star Wars Gangsta Rap'' but instead parodying '']'' ].

	In addition to the Special Edition, BentTV created and released on ] a second '']'' parody cartoon during the 2004 ] season - a fake advertisement for the ''Star Wars Christmas'' ] hosted by ], as well as a ] to the rap. The sequel song is cruder and less related to the ''Star Wars'' plot, and no official video has been produced. The Newgrounds site also host different versions of the raps, including a version made with clips from the ''Star Wars'' films instead of original animation.

	==External links==		==External links==
			*

			* {{IMDb title\|0824442\|Star Wars Gangsta Rap}}
	*
			* , Newgrounds.com, August 2004
	*
	*
	* - Interview with animator Thomas Lee
	*
	*


	{{Non-canon Star Wars}}		{{Non-canon Star Wars}}

	]		]
	]		]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]

Latest revision as of 01:42, 18 December 2024

"Star Wars Gangsta Rap"
Song
Songwriter(s)	Jason Brannon Chris Crawford

2000 film

Star Wars Gangsta Rap

Directed by	Thomas Lee
Written by	Jason Brannon Chris Crawford
Produced by	Megan Brown June Tedesco
Starring	Jason Brannon
Distributed by	Atom Films
Release dates	July 6, 2000 (2000-07-06) (original) July 30, 2004 (2004-07-30) (SE)
Running time	3.5 min
Language	English

The "Star Wars Gangsta Rap" is a parody song based on the original Star Wars trilogy. The song was later popularized as a Flash-animated music video and was the first winner of the Audience Choice Award in the Lucasfilm-sponsored Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards.

Version history

The "Star Wars Gangsta Rap" started out as a song, written by Jason Brannon and Chris Crawford, with vocals by Brannon, drum machine by Crawford and Leonard, and keyboard by Brian Leonard. The group billed themselves as Bentframe.

Animator Thomas Lee discovered the rap in 2000 and used it as a basis to practice his developing Flash skills. This became the first (and most widely seen) version of the video. After showing the finished results to Bentframe, they together formed BentTV.

Due to the project's success, BentTV later created an improved version, referred to as the Special Edition, which debuted at the 2004 Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards. The audio track was not changed, but the visuals were completely redrawn, with improved color and shading and more detailed motion, all while emulating the relevant scenes in the movies more closely and adding more. The improvement in animation is analogous to Industrial Light & Magic's 1997 Special Edition film touch-ups.

Synopsis

Employing some of the elements of gangsta rap and hip hop music, stances and dancing, "Star Wars Gangsta Rap" loosely mixes plotlines from the first Star Wars feature and its sequel The Empire Strikes Back (and follow-up Return of the Jedi in the Special Edition), satirically recreating several of the more famous scenes and dialogue.

The music video starts out on the back of the Star Destroyer, then reveals the image of Emperor Palpatine who claims "it's not the east or the west side." Darth Vader appears as a rapper sidekick or hypeman and replies "No, it's not." This continues until the Emperor says "it's the Dark Side", at which point Vader says "You are correct." The Emperor then threatens to blow up the planets of "all you Vader haters out there."

Darth Vader and the Emperor alternate rapping during the first verse, until Vader proclaims, "He will join us or die. We've got Death Star". Images of the Death Star appear in the background, and the line is repeated by Vader, while Stormtroopers dance in the background.

The next verse begins with Luke Skywalker's at his family's moisture farm on Tatooine, with his uncle Owen Lars issuing commands at him. Luke raps the second verse, with C-3PO and R2-D2 appearing in the background.

In the next verse, Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke to "use the Force and run...", whereupon Luke takes his X-wing fighter to Dagobah. Yoda appears next, and he and Luke trade raps, until Luke gets back in his X-wing. During a brief intermission, he enjoys "a mighty good gin and tonic", then flies to Cloud City and confronts Darth Vader. Vader and Luke engage in a lightsaber duel, whereupon Vader cuts off Luke's hand, then reveals that he is his father.

Han Solo appears in the final verse repeating "Knock him out the box, Luke, knock him out..." This is an homage to the outro of the song "Children's Story" by rapper Slick Rick.

Awards, legacies and sequels

"Star Wars Gangsta Rap" is one of the most popular flash videos of all time, with more than 20 million online views. Editors of Time magazine listed it as the Best Online Comedy Movie of 2001.

The film won the Audience Choice at the inaugural Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards in 2002, and it was broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel special on the awards. Clips from "Star Wars Gangsta Rap Special Edition" appear in the VH1 special When Star Wars Ruled the World in 2004.

It has inspired other similar works and imitations, notably The Lords Of The Rhymes, done very much in the style of the Star Wars Gangsta Rap but instead parodying The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Another BentTV Star Wars parody cartoon was created in 1999. It is a fake advertisement for a Star Wars Christmas CD hosted by Han Solo.

Director Thomas Lee would later animate the video for "Weird Al" Yankovic's song "I'll Sue Ya" on his 2006 album "Straight Outta Lynwood". "Star Wars Gangsta Rap" was previously one of many parody songs commonly misattributed to Yankovic on peer-to-peer file sharing sites.

An unofficial sequel, "Star Wars Gangsta Rap 2", featuring far more explicit lyrics was made, followed by "Star Wars Gangsta Rap 3". Both were made incorporating references to the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

In November 2009, an official sequel, "Star Wars Gangsta Rap: Chronicles", was released on Atom.com.

References

"Star Wars Fan Film Award Winners". Atomfilms.com. Archived from the original on 2008-04-15.
"Gangsta Rap Named Online Comedy of 2001". StarWars.com. January 22, 2002. Archived from the original on February 16, 2007.
"George Lucas Looks for New Lucases". People.com. January 18, 2002. Archived from the original on July 3, 2012.
"'Weird Al' Won't Back Down On Twelfth Album". Billboard.com. September 25, 2006.
"The Not Al Page: The most popular songs he didn't even write (or perform)!". Archived from the original on July 28, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
"Star Wars Gangsta Rap : Chronicles". Atom.com. November 10, 2009. Archived from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2009.

External links

"Star Wars Gangsta Rap" video
Star Wars Gangsta Rap at IMDb
Interview with animator Thomas Lee, Newgrounds.com, August 2004

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