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(4) Beethoven
We’ll yield the floor to the Encyclopedia Britannica on this one: “Widely regarded as the greatest composer who ever lived, Ludwig van Beethoven dominates a period of musical history as no one else before or since.” Despite being famously deaf, Beethoven became the definitive figure in music’s transition from the Classical era into more Romantic tendencies. So, yeah, he was pretty good.
(13) The RZA
The Wu-Tang Clan’s de facto leader and production guru burst onto the household scene with his eclectic blend of kung fu movie samples and sparse piano loops on the Clan’s 1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers). After that, his resume is as solid as anyone’s in hip-hop: Produced classic Wu solo records like Ghostface Killah’s Ironman and Raekwon’s masterpiece Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…. Provided the original music for Quentin Tarantino’s smash Kill Bill. Made a scene-stealing comedic appearance arguing with Bill Murray in Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes. The man himself said it best: “I be tossin’, enforcin’ my style is awesome. I’m causin’ more Family Feuds than Richard Dawson.”
The Breakdown
Beethoven’s got the academic prestige, but the RZA has the street cred. Beethoven’s got the Ninth Symphony, but the RZA’s got Wu-Tang Forever. Beethoven’s got a spot in history, but the RZA once wrote a song about shooting Satan. This one’s closer than you think.
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Comments (7)
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The RZA may have street cred, but Beethoven was deaf. To write music without hearing it seems pretty genius to me. Plus, I just can’t get enough of Symphony No. 6.
posted by nutmeag on 3-17-2009 at 9:16 am
I just can’t believe you put one of the members of the Wu Tang Clan in the Tournament of Genius and it wasn’t GZA, AKA ‘The Genius.’ Seriously, though, the tournament idea is fun.
posted by Jim on 3-17-2009 at 9:53 am
Beethoven Vs. Beathoven-
I am going to give this one to Beethoven, but to RZA’s credit, Beethoven didn’t go deaf till after he was famous. RZA was born with a speech impediment and still had the balls to rap on his beats.
posted by David on 3-17-2009 at 10:04 am
hmmm @ it being closer than I think…the 80% – 18% poll results look just about right to me!
I’m sure RZA is very talented, but will he be noted for his accomplishments in a hundred years?
posted by Gretchen on 3-17-2009 at 10:22 am
Impressive as Beethoven’s output is, he didn’t drag eight of his buddies out of the Shaolin slum by their collective bootstraps. Also, his grasp of the Supreme Mathematics was probably poor.
posted by Colin on 3-17-2009 at 2:45 pm
I’d have given it to RZA if he had been deaf and Beethoven had just had a bad limp.
posted by thesabinkid on 3-17-2009 at 5:04 pm
Totally giving it to the RZA.
posted by hey kid on 3-19-2009 at 9:46 pm