Wow, great thread. Some very interesting debate up in here. And I think all of the arguments presented have something compelling about them. What surprises me a little is that We've mostly thought of covers in terms of covering *lyrics*. But one of the first things that came to mind when I thought about covers was instrumentals. There are a number of instrumentals that have become so ubiquitous (because they thump; they're great for freestyling over, etc) that they regularly get turntable time, i.e. recycled for a mixtape, backing track for live in-studio freestyling session etc.

And I was thinking isn't this one of the ways to gauge the hip hop standard. It's not so much about the rhymes, but the beats. And that the beat/s can be reused for countless other emcees to catch wreck over.

Just a thought, I guess.

Of course, that's a much narrower definition of standards and it's quite a departure from standards in pop. But I do think it connects nicely with how standards are performed in jazz where sure the main theme/anchor melody would be recognisable but then the soloists may have free range to take the tune into a whole 'nother plane/sphere etc.

I think it could work; I'm just not sure it would be agreeable to all. It's kinda of riddims/versions in Jamaican music, no?

PEACE
G'