'Game Of Thrones' mixtape merges hip-hop and fantasy

theGRIO REPORT - With the critically acclaimed fantasy series Game Of Thrones nearing its fourth season debut this April, the creative minds at HBO have found a new way to reach hip-hop audiences who enjoy the tales of Winterfell...

Kyle Harvey

Mar 6, 2014

With the critically acclaimed fantasy series Game Of Thrones nearing its fourth season debut this April, the creative minds at HBO have found a new way to reach hip-hop audiences who enjoy the tales of Winterfell.

They’re making a mixtape.

Titled Catch The Throne, fans will get to hear emcees like Common and Wale rap over Game Of Thrones epic soundtrack.

Comparing the way the Wu-Tang Clan introduced martial arts themes and principles into their music, Common believes fantasy and hip-hop can co-exist.

“Twenty years ago, Wu-Tang was breaking ground,” Common told the Wall Street Journal. “Nowadays, people are open to anything. There are no limitations in hip-hop culture.”

While they aren’t that many minorities actually in the Game Of Thrones cast, the Catch The Throne mixtape is still targeted at people of color.

“Our multicultural audiences are a very important part of our subscribers, and we don’t want to take them for granted,” said Lucinda Martinez, HBO’s senior vice president for multicultural marketing.

Catch The Throne is now available for download for free. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

You can check out Kyle’s musical coverage on theGrio music page, and follow Kyle on Twitter at@HarveyWins.