For some reason, rappers seem to really have an infatuation with pop legend Billy Joel. A few months ago, Action Bronson stated that Joel was the best lyricist of all time, so much so that he contacted him personally for permission to sample Zanzibar on Brand New Car off his 2015 album Mr Wonderful. Joel has also been sampled on tracks by Snoop, Drake, Nas and Lil Wayne.
Now, GO:OD AM rapper Mac Miller has added to this strange Venn Diagram with a cover of Joel’s 1977 ballad Vienna. Pitch-shifted and down tempo, it’s an unusual take on the classic track, published under his moniker “Larry Fisherman”.
Considering the sombre tone, it’s clear that Miller is feeling rather reflective these days. With lyrics like, “You’d better cool it off before you burn it out, you’ve got so much to do, and only so many hours in a day”, it’s a sentimental reminder to himself more than anything else – and it’s not just the holiday season.
As we recently reported, Miller has unfortunately had to cancel his upcoming Australian tour, citing exhaustion after a busy year. It’s the first time he’s had to cancel anything in five years. “I found out I was human,” he tweeted. “Fuck. I thought I was a super hero…I’m not giving up on that theory.”