Comedy hip hop
| Comedy hip hop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Hip hop, comedy |
| Typical instruments | Beatboxing, vocals |
| Derivative forms | Satirical hip hop |
Comedy hip hop or comedy rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that is comedic in nature, often incorporating satirical lyrics. While many examples of comedy hip hop could be considered a parody of the hip hop genre, in the case of artists who merely incorporate humor into their more serious, purist hip hop styles, such as Eminem, this is not necessarily the case.
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince could be the first artist credited with starting the comedy rap genre with songs such as "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble", "Parents Just Don't Understand", "I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson" and "You Saw My Blinker". N.W.A. and Ice Cube's early albums were not as comedic and lighthearted as The Fresh Prince but did incorporate humor.
Before the darker themes that are characteristic of the Gangsta 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 the Beastie Boys. Various influential comedy hip hop groups began in the late 1980s, such as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Kid 'n Play Das EFX and Fu-Schnickens, and throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, rappers including Hopsin, Eminem, Jon Lajoie, Afroman, and The Lonely Island gained popularity. Rucka Rucka Ali is an artist who experiments with comedy hip hop while touching on social issues such as racism, as in his song, "I Can Do Whatever I'm White". "Weird Al" Yankovic has made entries to this music genre, along with Nerdcore. "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis is also a well known song of comedy hip hop. While few rappers make comedy hip hop their focus such as Lil Dicky, the genre maintains a substantial loyal following.
References
- ↑ allmusic. "about comedy rap". Retrieved 30 December 2012.
