Last week Lil Uzi Vert released their hotly-anticipated new album Pink Tape. A 26-song journey into the worlds of rap, hip-hop, rock, metal, electro and more, it is an eclectic mix, to say the least. A look into the mind and influences of an artist who has supported the rock scene hugely over the years, it also features a surprise or two. One of those is a cover of System Of A Down’s classic track “Chop Suey!“. Tilted “CS“, it takes the original and moulds it into a chaotic and crushing tribute as much as an expansion.
And it appears that some members of System Of A Down have become aware of it and responded to it. Vocalist Serj Tankien took to Facebook to say, “Covers are always the biggest compliment to artists and songwriters”. Whilst bassist Shavo Odadjian pointed his fans towards it with a simple, “Have you heard the @liluzivert cover of Chop Suey?”
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Many rock fans in the comments seem less than pleased about the cover, citing the use of autotune as a reason for it not sticking with them. But in the grand scheme of things, this feels much bigger than just a cover. Having one of the most influential voices in modern rap want to put his own spin on a metal song and put it on an album that is heading for the top of the Billboard charts is rather significant. It is reminiscent of the crossover over culture of the early 00s, where rock bands and mainstream artists appeared on the same stages and shows, and nothing was out of bounds. Genre divides are no more, and that’s a truly wonderful place for things to be.
You don’t need to like everything that you hear, but knowing that the lines have blurred and absolutely anything is possible should fill you with excitement. And if System Of A Down are on board, then that’s good enough for us!
Pink Tape also features a collaboration with Bring Me The Horizon called “Werewolf”. It serves as a return of the favor from Lil Uzi Vert recently featuring on Bring Me’s track “AmEN“.
