A few weeks ago, I tried to make the claim that no one will ever be bigger than The Beatles, but it appears I’ve been challenged by the rap-duo Rae Sremmurd, comprised of brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi. If you don’t think duo's name looks like English, you’re right — it’s their label, "Ear Drummers," backwards. The Mississippi natives first hit the radio waves in 2013, with tracks like “No Flex Zone” (2014), “No Type” (2014), “Come Get Her” (2014) and “Throw Sum Mo” (2014). If you’ve ever heard any of those songs, you might know what I mean when I say, "There’s a time and a place," and it’s probably not over baked brie with the whole family at Thanksgiving appetizers. If you’re up on your meme culture, you’re also familiar with the viral hit “Black Beatles” (2016),which was the soundtrack to the mannequin challenge videos earlier this month. In the style of the Harlem Shake, the trend quickly spread from high schoolers to A-list celebrities. There’s no rhyme or reason as to why the Rae Sremmurd song was chosen, yet it’s currently No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Unsurprisingly, Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi are rapping about their new-found fame reaching a “Beatles-level” craze.The first frame of the music video shows ecstatic female fans at their concert,not unlike clips of fans during Beatlemania. It’s even complete with an Abbey Road-style rooftop performance montage. So, I thought, perhaps there’s a more profound connection. Naturally, I had to interview the biggest Beatles fan I know: my dad. First, I explained why I was asking him to appreciate Rae Sremmurd, which involved me trying to explain what the mannequin challenge is, which also required me to explain what an “internet meme” is ... Anyway, before I even played the song, my father brought up an interesting point, and that is that The Beatles were actually influenced quite a bit by Motown music. Some of their earlier work includes covers like “You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me” (1962), originally by their idols Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, or The Marvelettes' “Please Mr. Postman” (1961). Even with the smash success that was their single-take recording of The Top Notes' “Twist and Shout” (1961), the four boys from Liverpool struggled to perfect the art of soul. But I digress. Long story short, my dad wasn’t extremely impressed with “Black Beatles.” His comments were, “There’s no melody,” and “It’s not that clever.” Perhaps this is how 1950’s teenagers felt when their parents told them to “shut off that dang rock’n’roll music!”
There’s a line in “Black Beatles” about Swae Lee “rockin’ John Lennon lenses,” and I showed my dad a photo of the two side by side. He said, “One is cool, and one is a wannabe.” So there you have it, folks. Alas, my lingering question is, what would the real Beatles think about being objectified by this hip-hop banger? We don't have to wonder because Paul McCartney has made a mannequin challenge himself. Your move, Ringo.
