umm, so i love hip hop, and i also love strange things, like a guy playing the banjolele. this chap goes through many of hip hop's greatest hits in quite an interesting and enjoyable fashion. it's five minutes long and doesn't touch nearly enough of hip hop. i could use five minutes more.
this also reminds me of a conversation i had with boney beasely from argyle pimps before we recorded our podcast the other night. now, we hit a little bit of it in the podcast when we discussed embracing or avoiding schtick. but, this guy, mr. b really reminds me of many of the nerdcore artists out there. it's well done, but is it hip hop? and do they really consider themselves hip hop artists? that is for them to decide, but it still leaves me wondering about how much of gimmick do we "allow" in hip hop before we start saying they're something else? and, do we apply that rule across the board, say with horror rap, nerdcore, or even a more established gimmick like gangsta rap?
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I once saw a guy get up at an LA open-mic and do his 15 minutes in a full zip-up pajama-lookin' cat suit. I don't really remember if his songs were supposed to be funny. I think it was just to stand-out/get some attention.
I guess, in a way, it worked, cuz I still remember it, but it didn't make the songs good.
I think adding an element of theater is sometimes the sugar that makes the medicine go down....but sometimes all the effort's in the sugar and the medicine ain't strong enough.
so, i showed boney this video and he hated it, at least at the time. he felt the guy was mocking hip hop and wasn't really bringing anything new/unique to the table. i wouldn't say that i agree with his perspective.
to me, i think the guy is paying homage in a unique style. i don't think it's great hip hop, but i do find it interesting.
Reminded me of this from the intro to "Breakfast Club":
if you can’t relate to this song you’re taking this shit too serious. It’s hip-hop, man, it’s-it’s fuckin’ fun.
-Z-trip, feat Murs & Supernatural,
And this, from "Old School" on Danger Doom's goofy Adult Swim album:
nobody ran to get the gat
Or felt they had to put it up in they raps to set it fat
And since when lyrical skills had to do with killin a cat?
I am lovin the stache, it is the bees knees.
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