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| Comedic hip-hop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early-1990s to mid-2000s, U.S. |
| Typical instruments |
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| Other topics | |
| Fear of a Black Hat | |
Comedy hip-hop orcomedy rap is a subgenre ofhip-hop music designed to be amusing or comedic,[1] compared to artists who incorporate humor into their more serious, purist hip-hop styles.
Satirical hip-hop is a variant of comedy hip-hop done in a sarcastic,parodic, ordeadpan way.[2][3]
Other forms of comedy rap, such asmeme rap andironic rap, both known for their aggressive and dark comedic approaches, achieved some mainstream success during the 2000s and 2010s. Many examples of comedy hip-hop are parodic.[1]
Satirical hip-hop may be a parody of the whole genre of hip-hop and/or a form ofcritical music that uses hip-hop as a vehicle for satirical messages. Musical influence and scope vary, ranging fromgangsta rap,mumble rap,trap toalternative hip-hop. The more humorous satirical sub-genre meme rap was created with the intent of becoming viral. In the context of mumble rap, a satirical hip-hop song might involvelo-fi production, use of personas/pseudonyms (e.g.George "Joji" Miller), simplistic music videos, lazy rhymes, and intentionally stereotypical lyrics/topics.
Satire and hip-hop have been intertwined since theBlack Arts Movement period; hip-hop satire bridges popular culture forms like rap and experimental fictional forms while "exploring the complexities ofBlack American identity."[4] Hip-hop culture has also been criticized in other media, such asFear of a Black Hat (1993), a mockumentary focusing on hip-hop posturing;[5] theBoondocks episode "The Story of Gangstalicious" (2005);[6] and Spike Lee'sBamboozled (2000).[6]
Before the darker themes that are characteristic of thegangsta rap of the 1990s, comedy hip-hop, with its lighter and more humorous style, came to prominence in the 1980s,[1] carried by popular acts such as theBeastie Boys.
In the post-2000s digital era, satirical rap, especially African-American satirical rap,[7] retains a marginal status, because commenting on black cultural representations or moving away from performing black stereotypes that paradoxically cemented hip-hop's global status risks the possibility of an artist's commercial failure.[7] Some who escaped this fate include the early-1990s alternative hip-hop trio and progenitor of modern satirical rapDe La Soul (e.g. their 1989 landmark album3 Feet High and Rising, their record industry-critical 1991 albumDe La Soul Is Dead, and their 2012 song "Must B the Music") andChildish Gambino in the 2010s.[7]
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Run-DMC's "Christmas in Hollis" from 1987 is comedy rap, as isDJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's 1988 song "Parents Just Don't Understand".N.W.A andIce Cube's early albums were not as comedic and lighthearted as the Fresh Prince's but did incorporate humor.
Various influential comedy hip-hop groups began in the late 1980s, such asDJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince,De La Soul,Kid 'n Play,Das EFX, andFu-Schnickens.
"Weird Al" Yankovic has made parody tracks of popular hip-hop songs since the 1990s including "Amish Paradise" and "White and Nerdy". Another early example is with Southern California-based rapperAfroman, with his two well-known tracks "Crazy Rap" and "Because I Got High," both released in 2001, which featured comedic lyrics.
Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, rappers that used comedy in their lyrics, includingInsane Clown Posse,Eminem,Ludacris andAfroman gained popularity. InSweden, Swedish-Finnish comedy rapperMarkoolio became a platinum seller between 1998 and 2007.
The Lonely Island is an American comedy trio who released their first comedic rap song, Ka-Blamo!, in 2001. They rose to fame after joiningSaturday Night Live (SNL) in 2005, where they made many satirical songs that they described as "fake rap". One of their first videos to air, "Lazy Sunday," became an internet sensation and garnered over five million views beforeNBC took it down. The Lonely Island's brand is to make songs that sound macho but actually parody masculinity. They have collaborated with numerous mainstream artists, includingJustin Timberlake,Nicki Minaj,Rihanna, and more. Their YouTube channel has exceeded 1 billion views; they are Grammy-nominated; their albums have charted on theBillboard Hot 100; and they won an Emmy award for their song "Dick in a Box."[8] Some of their most popular songs are "I'm on a Boat," "I Just Had Sex," and "Jizz in My Pants." Since leavingSNL, they have continued to make satirical albums and are currently still active.
In 2008,Odd Future membersTyler, the Creator andJasper Dolphin released theirsole EP under the short-lived comedy group name "I Smell Panties."[9] The duo used elements ofgangsta rap andSouthern hip-hop in a comedic way when performing as I Smell Panties. Tyler then released a track in 2011 called "Come Through Looking Clean," a joke song performed under a character named "Young Nigga."[10] The song parodies the "Bling Era" of mainstream hip-hop that was popular during the 2000s and draws heavy inspiration from the music ofLil B.[citation needed] The Young Nigga character would later be re-used on various skits in the 2012Adult Swim programLoiter Squad, which was created by and starred members of Odd Future. In February 2016, Tyler revealed that his 2011 breakout viral single "Yonkers" was made as a joke song attempting to parody the style ofNew York rappers (hence the title. named after thecity of the same name).[11]
Michigan-based Internet celebrity and rapperRucka Rucka Ali became famous in the late 2000s and early 2010s for creating pop song parodies (including parodies of popular hip-hop songs) containing lyrics forshock value. He often includespolitically incorrect and juvenile references toethnic stereotypes, topical subject matter, anddark humor. His music also tends to make use of comedic portrayals of celebrities and his several alter egos espouses stereotypical qualities of specific ethnic groups. Some critics have labeled Ali as a racist as a reaction to his songs, although his humor is heavily influenced by mainstream comedy television shows such asSouth Park,Family Guy, andChappelle's Show, and has jokingly defended his brand of humor by claiming that he's affirming the stereotypes he's constantly referencing in his songs as factual.[12] His videos and YouTube channels are frequently removed (since he started creating music videos, he has had 17 YouTube channels deleted for terms of service violations),[13] but arereuploaded by his fans.
"Thrift Shop" byMacklemore & Ryan Lewis broke into charts internationally in 2012.
In the mid-2010s, Ryan Harryman, aSan Jose State University student and member ofthe school's water polo club team,[14] became a viral sensation on the Internet under the stage name "3PAC."[15] He was known for his self-produced music videos, bombastic and aggressive comedic rap songs, anddiss tracks targeting mainstream rappers likeEminem and2 Chainz, as well as YouTube gaming channelPewDiePie.[16] 3PAC made a guest appearance onThe New CALassic, a comedy hip-hop mixtape performed by Internet music criticAnthony Fantano (under his "Cal Chuchesta" alter ego) that was released in August 2015.[17][18] Harryman died at the age of 24 in October 2015 after suffering severe brain damage during a water polo practice.[14]
In 2015, American rapperHopsin released a song called "No Words", a satirical song making fun of "mumble rappers". In the song, Hopsin only speaks in unintelligible gibberish while using expensive cars, guns, drugs, and women in bikinis in the music video to imitate modern rappers.
In 2017, YouTube personalityFilthy Frank released a music project titledPink Season, the second album performed under the name "Pink Guy". Some songs on the album fun at hip-hop music as a whole, among other things. The track "Hand On My Gat" for example, features a character named PolitikZ that acts as a caricature forhardcoreunderground rappers;[19] that character's previous appearance was on the Filthy Frank video "BAD INTERNET RAPPERS" (uploaded in November 2014),[20] where he performed a song called "Real Hip Hop" that directly parodied the stereotypical anti-mainstream andpolitically charged attitudes of underground rappers.[21][22] ThePink Season album reached number one on theiTunes charts and peaked at 70 on theBillboard 200.[23]
In April 2018, Internet personality and music criticAnthony Fantano began releasing more satirical hip-hop tracks under his Cal Chuchesta alter ego, releasing the tracks "Coin Star"[24] and "Don't Talk To Me."[25]
In the late 2010s, new artists in the genre such asLil Dicky andUgly God were also gaining popularity, helping the genre to maintain a substantial loyal following. There has also been an uprising in meme rappers such asYung Gravy andZack Fox.[citation needed]
Yuno Miles is a comedic rapper who gained prominence in 2021 for his "bizarre" lyrics and off-beat rhythms.[26]
Outside the English-speaking world, the genre spread in the 1990s, with bands and artists such as German groupFettes Brot, theSwedish-Finnish artistMarkoolio and the French group Svinkels.
German hip-hop, in particular, is known for its use of humorous, satirical and ironic lyrics which can mock the heaviness and seriousness of US gangster rap. This tradition can be traced back to Austrian artistFalco. Falco is considered a pioneer of German language rap and hip-hop; he is also known for satire and humor. Other examples includeDie Fantastischen Vier,Beginner,Fünf Sterne deluxe,Money Boy andSeeed.
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