# Star Wars Gangsta Rap > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Star_Wars_Gangsta_Rap > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Star_Wars_Gangsta_Rap.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Gangsta_Rap > Source revision: 1339143493 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 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](/source/Parody) song based on the original *[Star Wars](/source/Star_Wars)* trilogy. The song was later popularized as a [Flash](/source/Adobe_Flash)-animated [music video](/source/Music_video) and was the first winner of the Audience Choice Award in the [Lucasfilm](/source/Lucasfilm)-sponsored [Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards](/source/The_Official_Star_Wars_Fan_Film_Awards).[1] ## 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.[2] Animator Thomas Lee discovered the rap in 2000 and used it as a basis to practice his developing [Flash](/source/Adobe_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. The song was the top video at [Newgrounds](/source/Newgrounds) for six months.[2] 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](/source/Industrial_Light_%26_Magic)'s 1997 Special Edition film touch-ups. ## Synopsis Employing some of the elements of [gangsta rap](/source/Gangsta_rap) and [hip hop](/source/Hip_hop) music, stances and dancing, "Star Wars Gangsta Rap" loosely mixes plotlines from [the first *Star Wars* feature](/source/Star_Wars_Episode_IV%3A_A_New_Hope) and its sequel *[The Empire Strikes Back](/source/The_Empire_Strikes_Back)* (and follow-up *[Return of the Jedi](/source/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](/source/Star_Destroyer), then reveals the image of [Emperor Palpatine](/source/Palpatine) who claims "it's not the east or the west side." [Darth Vader](/source/Darth_Vader) appears as a rapper sidekick or [hypeman](/source/Hypeman) and replies "No, it's not." This continues until the Emperor says "it's the [*Dark* Side](/source/The_Force)", 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 [[Luke Skywalker](/source/Luke_Skywalker)] will join us or die. We've got [Death Star](/source/Death_Star)". Images of the Death Star appear in the background, and the line is repeated by Vader, while [Stormtroopers](/source/Stormtrooper_(Star_Wars)) dance in the background. The next verse begins with Luke Skywalker's at his family's moisture farm on [Tatooine](/source/Tatooine), with his uncle [Owen Lars](/source/Owen_Lars) issuing commands at him. Luke raps the second verse, with [C-3PO](/source/C-3PO) and [R2-D2](/source/R2-D2) appearing in the background. In the next verse, [Obi-Wan Kenobi](/source/Obi-Wan_Kenobi) tells Luke to "use the Force and run...", whereupon Luke takes his [X-wing fighter](/source/X-wing_fighter) to [Dagobah](/source/Dagobah). [Yoda](/source/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](/source/Gin_and_tonic)", then flies to Cloud City and confronts Darth Vader. Vader and Luke engage in a [lightsaber](/source/Lightsaber) duel, whereupon Vader cuts off Luke's hand, then reveals that he is his father. [Han Solo](/source/Han_Solo) appears in the final verse repeating "Knock him out the box, Luke, knock him out..." This is an homage to the [outro](/source/Outro_(music)) of the song "[Children's Story](/source/Children's_Story)" by rapper [Slick Rick](/source/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](/source/Time_(magazine))* magazine listed it as the Best Online Comedy Movie of 2001.[3][4] 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](/source/Sci_Fi_Channel_(United_States)) special on the awards. Clips from "Star Wars Gangsta Rap Special Edition" appear in the [VH1](/source/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](/source/The_Lord_of_the_Rings)* trilogy. Director Thomas Lee would later animate the video for ["Weird Al" Yankovic](/source/%22Weird_Al%22_Yankovic)'s song "I'll Sue Ya" on his 2006 album "[Straight Outta Lynwood](/source/Straight_Outta_Lynwood)".[5] "Star Wars Gangsta Rap" was previously one of many parody songs commonly misattributed to Yankovic on [peer-to-peer file sharing](/source/Peer-to-peer_file_sharing) sites.[6] In November 2009, an official sequel, "Star Wars Gangsta Rap: Chronicles", was released on Atom.com.[7] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Star Wars Fan Film Award Winners"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080415093807/http://www.atomfilms.com/films/star_wars_fan_film_winners.jsp). *Atomfilms.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.atomfilms.com/films/star_wars_fan_film_winners.jsp) on April 15, 2008. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Britton-2001_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Britton-2001_2-1) Britton, Bonnie (May 27, 2001). ["Star Wars' rap parody is Hoosier's brainchild"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-star-wars-rap-par/177332551/). *The Indianapolis Star*. pp. I4. Retrieved July 24, 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Gangsta Rap Named Online Comedy of 2001"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070216213520/http://www.starwars.com/community/fun/fanfilm/news20020122.html). *StarWars.com*. January 22, 2002. Archived from [the original](https://www.starwars.com/community/fun/fanfilm/news20020122.html) on February 16, 2007. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Silverman, Stephen M. (January 18, 2002). ["George Lucas Looks for New Lucases"](http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,623413,00.html). *[People.com](/source/People_(magazine))*.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["'Weird Al' Won't Back Down On Twelfth Album"](http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/57116/weird-al-wont-back-down-on-twelfth-album). Billboard.com. September 25, 2006. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-notalpage_6-0)** ["The Not Al Page: The most popular songs he didn't even write (or perform)!"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080728111957/http://free.house.cx/~eil/etc/notal_list.html). Archived from [the original](http://free.house.cx/~eil/etc/notal_list.html) on July 28, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Star Wars Gangsta Rap : Chronicles"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100327173313/http://www.atom.com/funny_videos/sw_gangsta_rap_chronicles/). *Atom.com*. November 10, 2009. Archived from [the original](http://www.atom.com/funny_videos/sw_gangsta_rap_chronicles/) on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2009. ## External links - ["Star Wars Gangsta Rap" video](http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/174837) - [*Star Wars Gangsta Rap*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824442/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) - [Interview with animator Thomas Lee](https://web.archive.org/web/20050424085242/http://www.newgrounds.com/ngmag/devspot/spotlight/18), Newgrounds.com, August 2004 v t e Unofficial Star Wars media Awards The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards Fan films Broken Allegiance Chad Vader Crazy Watto The Dark Redemption The Dark Resurgence Dark Resurrection Darth Maul: Apprentice Darth Vader's Psychic Hotline Duality The Formula George Lucas in Love Han Solo: A Smuggler's Trade Hardware Wars How the Sith Stole Christmas The Jedi Hunter Pink Five Pink Five Strikes Back Rebel Scum Return of Pink Five Ryan vs. Dorkman Saving Star Wars Sith Apprentice Space Janitors Star Dudes Star Wars Gangsta Rap Star Wars: Origins Star Wars: Revelations Star Wars: SC 38 – Reimagined Star Wars: The Emperor's New Clones Star Wars: Threads of Destiny Star Wars Uncut Thumb Wars TIE Fighter Trooper Clerks Troops Vader Episode I: Shards of the Past Fan edits Backstroke of the West Harmy's Despecialized Edition Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Patterson Cut The Phantom Edit Fan games Movie Battles Documentaries A Disturbance in the Force Elstree 1976 I Am Your Father The People vs. George Lucas Plastic Galaxy The Prequels Strike Back: A Fan's Journey Literature Another Hope Commander Toad Eltingville: Bring Me the Head of Boba Fett The Love Hypothesis Lucas Wars Star Warped Music One Man Star Wars Trilogy Ani "Darth Vader vs. Hitler" "The Saga Begins" "Yoda" Other The Force is with Cristal Beer Category --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Star Wars Gangsta Rap](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Gangsta_Rap) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Gangsta_Rap?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.