Best Imitation of Themselves: Jay-Z, Wilco and Daft Punk Share Similar Interests

On Ben Folds Five's self-titled debut album, Folds let us know, while fronting a band and album sporting his name, that he does the best imitation of himself. But he wasn't the first to do this, nor will he be the last. Call it vain if you will, but self-shout-outs are a frequent staple of popular music, and frequently they're quite effective. A few months back, we saw Peter Gabriel team up with Hot Chip to cover Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," a song that references Gabriel. Midway through the song, right after name-dropping himself, he lyrically quips, "And it feels so unnatural to sing your own name." On the occasion of Jay-Z's new single, we ponder a few of our favorite meta music moments:

Jay-Z Creates Noise With His "Moment of Silence"
Auto-Tune has been a major player in some of the biggest hip-hop hits of the past couple years. We've seen the device put to use on Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" and Kanye West's 808s and Heartbreak. Thanks to T-Pain, we've even seen it on a boat. But Jay-Z seems to think that enough is enough. His forthcoming album, Blueprint 3, isn't due until September, but in the past week, Jay released "D.O.A (Death of Auto-Tune)" via NYC radio station Hot 97. On the horn-and-guitar-led track, he calls himself the "only rapper to re-write history without a pen," and proclaims, "This is death for Auto-Tune / Moment of silence .... Get back to rap, you T-Painin' too much!"

Wilco (The Ultimate Self-Promotion)
We like that Wilco band OK around these parts. And thanks to the impending "Wilco (The Song)" from Wilco (The Album), we no longer have to worry if the band appreciates itself or its fans. "Wilco will love you, baby," frontman Jeff Tweedy sings on the song. That's what we like to see: folks sharing the love.

Daft Punk is Playing "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House"
Ever since Kanye West rapped over Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger," many folks may have forgotten about another notable homage to the French robotic duo, "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House" from LCD Soundsystem's 2005 self-titled debut. Daft Punk, however, did not forget. In a move that seems so perfect, so inevitable, that we have to wonder why it took four years to happen, the pair has remixed "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House" by mashing it with its own "Around the World."