In rapper Flo Milli’s new single, samples of Zero Mostel’s ‘If I Were a Rich Man’
Zero Mostel. Image by Getty Images
(JTA) — The rapper Flo Milli uses part of the classic “Fiddler on the Roof” song “If I Were a Rich Man” in her latest single titled “Roaring 20s.”
The 20-year-old rising star, whose real name is Tamia Monique Carter and is not Jewish, uses the chorus of the Zero Mostel recording of the song.
Carter, who is from Mobile, Alabama, earned acclaim for her debut mixtape released this year. Here’s her explanation of the song from a press release: “Born in 2000, and having my breakout year in 2020, I feel like I’m living in the new age of the Roaring Twenties. One of the most familiar symbols of the Roaring Twenties was the birth of the new independent woman, known in those years as a flapper. My lyrics, my style, and my lifestyle all resonate with that freedom and I AM the Roaring Twenties.”
This isn’t the first time that “If I Were a Rich Man” has made an appearance in a pop song. Singer Gwen Stefani’s “Rich Girl,” which uses strains from the classic song, topped the charts in 2005.
Listen to Flo Milli’s full track below. (Warning to those concerned: The lyrics are very R-rated.)
The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Dive In
-
Fast Forward On his first trip to Auschwitz, New Jersey governor urges vigilance against rising antisemitism
-
Fast Forward Survivors of the Holocaust and Oct. 7 embrace at Auschwitz, marking annual March of the Living
-
Fast Forward Could changes at the FDA call the kosher status of milk into question? Many are asking.
-
Fast Forward Long Island synagogue cancels Ben-Gvir talk amid wide tensions over whether to host him
Most Popular
- 1
Opinion The dangerous Nazi legend behind Trump’s ruthless grab for power
- 2
Opinion I first met Netanyahu in 1988. Here’s how he became the most destructive leader in Israel’s history.
- 3
News Who is Alan Garber, the Jewish Harvard president who stood up to Trump over antisemitism?
- 4
Culture Did this Jewish literary titan have the right idea about Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling after all?
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward On his first trip to Auschwitz, New Jersey governor urges vigilance against rising antisemitism
-
Fast Forward Survivors of the Holocaust and Oct. 7 embrace at Auschwitz, marking annual March of the Living
-
Fast Forward Could changes at the FDA call the kosher status of milk into question? Many are asking.
-
Fast Forward Long Island synagogue cancels Ben-Gvir talk amid wide tensions over whether to host him
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
Republish This Story
Please read before republishing
We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines.
You must comply with the following:
- Credit the Forward
- Retain our pixel
- Preserve our canonical link in Google search
- Add a noindex tag in Google search
See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.
To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.