(AllHipHop Reviews) We’ve seen a lot of good music from young dudes this year, but it’s always refreshing to hear legends stepping back up to the mic — especially when they’re collabing.
Talib Kweli and Styles P’s The Seven may have been overshadowed by DAMN, but their new album The Seven is a much-needed bright spot in New York hip-hop.
Styles and Talib have been in the game for a combined four decades, so we know what to expect from them for the most part. But even so, I was really excited to see them working together. I knew they would mesh well, but I was more eager to see what they brought out of each other and where they took the album.
This album didn’t disappoint. It’s a perfect combination of social commentary and hard bars, something Ghost and Kweli have absolutely mastered.
Kweli wastes no time setting the tone on The Seven. The first words we hear from him on “Poets & Gangstas,” the project’s opening track, are “Welcome to the conscious of the nation on hard beats,” a perfect descriptor for what he and Styles have created. This theme is carried on throughout the project as the veteran spitters trade vicious bars over punchy beats, touching on some of the social issues that plague the world today. I was happy to hear this theme remain consistent throughout; a large part of Talib Kweli’s appeal to me is the fact that he uses his lyrical ability as a tool to speak out against injustices and educate listeners.
I usually prefer shorter projects to have no features, but the features on The Seven were chosen well and all help to improve the respective songs. The LOX have a reunion on “Nine Point Five” a hard-hitting track that also features Brazilian-American rapper and Javotti signee NIKO IS provides a spark on the hook. Ghost and Kweli also enlist Rapsody, Common, Chris Rivers and Vic Orena, the latter two handling hooks on dope tracks.
It’s hard to pick favorites from an album filled with great songs, but there were two that stood out to me:
“Teleprompters” — Whoever made this beat knew exactly what they were doing. The drums perfectly underline dope verses from Kweli, Ghost and Common, and Vic Orena lays down a dope hook to round out this great track.
“Last Ones” — The first and last song often end up being two of the best on the album, and this is no exception. The beat is perfect for these two, and the 5-minute runtime leaves space for two verses from both spitters. The result is a hard-hitting, wordplay-filled track to finish the album and leave the listener wanting more.
At a time when the majority of artists follow trends and those trends are so far from hip-hop’s roots, these two New York legends stayed true to their beginnings and still made a great album.
I figured I’d enjoy this before I listened to it, but I didn’t know what direction they’d take it in. After a few listens, I think The Seven was a smart choice both conceptually and musically. When you think of Talib Kweli and Styles P, you think of masterfully crafted, socially conscious bars over New York beats, and that’s exactly what you get here. In an often dark world where great minds are overshadowed by pandering, Talib Kweli and Styles P shine brightly.
(AllHipHop Rumors) Although we didn’t get the back-to-back release with the rumored ‘Nation’ album, there still may be more new music from Kendrick Lamar on the way!
The legendary DJ Kid Capri makes an appearance on K. Dot’s ‘Damn’ album on both “Element” and “Love”. He also gives us a few more opening scratches on “XXX” as well.
Kid Capri recently sat down with Mass Appeal to discuss his role as the narrator on Kendrick Lamar’s “brilliant” album!
Kid explains that he refused to listen to the album until it was completely done, so he heard it for the first time just like the rest of us. He also expressed his excitement over K. Dot not “over doing” it with him allowing the album to be a great and authentic blend of the east and west coast.
The most intriguing reveal from Kid Capri was the fact that Kendrick has a lot of leftover tracks that didn’t make the cut, and they could be used for later material.
“I think they’ve got some more stuff—there are some more things—coming out later, but for right now, that’s what happened.
Yes, absolutely. There’s a gang of stuff that hasn’t been used yet. That’s why I said I think he’s doing something later on, or he might be doing something for his show, but there’s a lot of stuff that I put out there.”
Mannnnnn I would love to see Kendrick drop some bonus tracks randomly. Kid Capri also stated that Kendrick may go on tour with the album, and if he does, Capri may just join him! Hmmmmm we may see Kendrick debut some of the extra music out on tour also!
(AllHipHop News) Troubled rapper Kevin Gates will remain behind bars after he was denied bail in a felony weapons case.
The hip-hop newcomer, real name Kevin Gilyard, was scheduled to walk free from jail on March 24, after completing five months of a six-month sentence for kicking a female fan at a concert in 2015.
However, as the 31-year-old’s release was being processed by authorities at Polk County Jail in Florida, they found an outstanding weapons-related warrant and he was placed back in his cell.
Gates was then released to travel to Illinois, where he turned himself in to police in Cook County on March 29.
He was held in custody until a hearing at Bridgeview Courthouse on Wednesday (April 19) when the judge refused to grant the rapper bond.
It’s not clear why his request was denied, but the ruling means he will have to stay at Kendall County Jail until further notice.
(AllHipHop Music) Hailing from Toronto aka T Dot, the boy Devontee continues to warm up the streets. Fresh off the single “Master P” Devontee drops the visual for his critically acclaimed single “Nino”. Inspired by the Iconic film “New Jack City” and the malevolent character Nino Brown, Young Devontee shows us bars and cinematic visuals illustrating what NEW TORONTO looks like.
Nino is off the upcoming EP “Young Devontee” dropping May 2017.
Former welterweight world champions Andre Berto and Shawn Porter are ready for war. The pair hosted a media workout at the famed Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn to promote their world title eliminator showdown this Saturday, April 22 at Barclays Center.
The Premier Boxing Champions fight is televised live on Showtime Boxing begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT. In the undercard, champion Jermell Charlo will face challenger Charles Hatley. A Showtime Extreme bout begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT hosting four-time world champion Amanda Serrano.Serrano hopes to become the first female and the first Puerto Rican to win titles in five weight classes as she takes on Dahiana Santana for a vacant 118-pound title.
Here are some quotes from the fighters at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn:
ANDRE BERTO
“This is what we work hard to get to. All the weeks that we put into training camp have been tremendous. As athletes, we spend a lot of time trying to fine tune our craft for a reason. We’re looking to see the harvest on Saturday night.
“I really had a tremendous training camp. I tried to stay away from everything else as much as I can. I’m dialed-in right now.
<
d##>”You’re always going to have people with you and against you in this sport. Our job is to work hard and do the best we can in the ring and give the fans a great show.
“My focus right now is on this fight night on Saturday. Everything that comes after it will take care of itself. I just have to make sure all my energy is used towards getting this win.
“There are a lot of great world champions out in camp with me and we all work hard and feed off of each other.
<"I've been ready waiting for the call for a big fight and this came together and I couldn't be happier. It's going to be a great night.
“I took a little bit from his fight with Keith [Thurman]. We’ve seen the tape and we’ll try to use it logically. We’re focused and ready to go to work.”
<SHAWN PORTER
“The fans here are real. The energy is always great. There’s so much history in this gym and in this city. It’s always an honor to be a part of it.
“We prepared for everything. We’re prepared for 12 rounds. We’re prepared to throw the right punches to slow him down and knock him down. We’re prepared to outbox him or to be aggressive and take the fight to him.
“This is a very important fight for me. I’ve watched Berto since the amateurs and on into the pros. I’ve seen him do it all. I’ve seen the best of his career and the worst. I’m going to do what it takes to end up on the right side of this.
“People have definitely seen a great deal of my talent in the last fight with Thurman. People know what I can do in the ring but I’m always working on taking it to another level.
“I don’t feel pressure to make this an exciting fight. I love that people are looking forward to watching me fight. When I do what I do, people know that it’s going to be exciting. I never have to worry about that part.
“I was at the Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia and I thought that it could have been me that night. But I’ve reminded myself that my time is coming and this is the first step towards that.
“I’m going to let Keith Thurman know that I’m coming for him. I’m going to make sure that he knows that I want him. I’m going to do everything I can to get that fight after I get past this one.”
JERMELL CHARLO
“There are some things I have in my arsenal that the world hasn’t seen yet. I’m going to show everyone a little bit more than last time.
“I’m ready to go 12 rounds. I’m excited about this fight. I’ve picked up a lot of things in training and I’m ready to shine.
“I want to make a statement with a knockout, but if it doesn’t happen, I’m ready to do what I have to do. I can’t put too much pressure on myself, I just have to take care of business.
“From growing up in the boxing world, I’ve had to slowly realize how big of a stage I have. I try to help out young fighters on how to get to this point.
“Charles Hatley is a good fighter. He comes with pressure and he likes fighting. He’s got a good style and he can bob and weave and be slick.
“I’m excited about fighting in Brooklyn for the first time. Everyone knows the fans in New York are great because they’re real and they know their stuff. I’m hoping to give them something to remember.
“I’ve studied this sport a lot. My size is going to have a big effect on him. My size is going to wear on him as we get to the later rounds. I’ve experienced a lot of things in the world of boxing.”
JULIAN SOSA
“Training camp went very well. We added a few things to camp based off of the last fight. I felt like there were a few flaws that I needed to correct. We had extra strength and conditioning, more miles on the road and some sparring with more advanced competitors. I can’t wait until fight night.
“Having guys like Richardson Hitchins and Jonathan Alonso in the gym with me is great. They’re hungry fighters just like me. It gives me motivation, but we’re also competing. We all want to do better than each other. I love the atmosphere.
“Being able to perform at Barclays Center in my hometown in Brooklyn is really humbling. This is a great platform for me. All I can do to show my appreciation is train really hard and when fight night comes, I just have to shine.”
RICHARDSON HITCHINS
“My first fight was more than a dream come true. But I’m looking to steal the show every time I’m in the ring. This is going to be another special performance. I’m going to put on a show.
“I’ve had a great training camp. I didn’t really take any time off after my last fight. I feel strong. I’m grateful that my team has me busy and I’m ready to keep going.
“It feels good to be fighting in front of my hometown fans once again. I love seeing everybody come out and support me. It’s going to be a great fight on Saturday night.
“I grew up with guys like Julian so having them in my professional camp is great. We’ve been doing this forever and just motivating each other to get better. We have fun every day in the gym.”
For more information, go to: www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
(AllHipHop Music) David Banner has been a bit quiet recently but he returns with a vengeance. And he has brought company. Banner, Black Thought of The Roots and What The Duck align and drop “Who Want It.” You already know there are lyrics galore and neck breaking beats on this one. David Banner goes in on religion, the media, the internet and even the New World Order. As usual, the music is a bit meaty for mental babies to digest, but a hearty meal for those that have the faculties.
(AllHipHop Rumors) The silly beefs in Hip-Hop these days. I’ll tell ya! Mysonne has been going at Troy Ave heavy over calling himself NuPac and some other stuff. I definitely understand where he is coming from, because Tupac was lightning in a bottle. Never be another. Troy Ave has gone back and pulled up Mysonne’s rap sheet from when he went to jail. Mysonne did real time in jail. Maybe not 25 years, but real time to me. Anyway, Troy Ave opted to go funny with it and promote his new album in the same post. Check it.
(AllHipHop News) Rap star 50 Cent is producing two new high profile series in a new deal announced with Crackle and Sony today (April 19) during the Upfronts in New York.
50 and his company G-Unit films have a new deal with Crackle, which is a subsidiary of Sony.
50 linked with former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy Joe Halpin, who wrote the script for the brand new series.
The rapper said Halpin, who has written flicks like (“Hawaii Five-O,” “Ice,” “The Lottery”), adds more reality to “The Oath” through his unique experiences as a former cop.
According to a synopsis for the “The Oath,” the 10-episode scripted series focuses a group of law enforcement officers who also belong to a secret society within the police force.
“In order to stay both out of jail and alive, they will all need to re-examine the principles that guide them and speculate as to whether they can trust the badged criminals that operate amongst them,” according to a synopsis for “The Oath.”
“I am very excited to be partnering with Sony Pictures Television Networks and Crackle. To be able to bring this story to life is something I’m looking forward to and Joe Halpin’s personal experience will make this unlike anything that’s been seen before,” 50 Cent said during the Upfronts at Sony Square NYC in Manhattan.
The second series 50 Cent and Crackle are working on together is currently titled “RPM,” although the name of the rapper’s latest crime drama has not been finalized.
According to the synopsis “RPM,” is about a car salesman in a crime-riddled area of Boston, who starts driving for an organized crime group when he gets into a financial bind.
“RPM,” which is a one-hour scripted series, written by Leo Leo Sardarian.
The news comes on the heels of the phenomenal success of 50’s series “Power” for Starz, which set a number records for the network.
“Regrets n’ Cigarettes is a song about the ups and downs that we all go through. Positives and negatives come together internally to form our dispositions and opinions. Sometimes we feel like we are on top of the world, other times we feel like we can’t get any lower – it’s a beautiful struggle.” – ShortMoscato
Sean and Questlove took part in a Michel Gondry-directed digital short where they discuss their musical inspirations.
Other acts provided their voices, likeness, and musical inspirations to behind-the-scenes videos, curated playlists/mixtapes, digital ads, billboards, and murals in their hometowns across the country.
Pandora also launched a Premium option which is now available to all listeners via the App Store and Google Play.
“Yeah, you can now find and play specific songs. And albums. But, Pandora Premium is so much more than music on-demand,” says Pandora co-founder Tim Westergren in a statement. “With Premium, you can find the music you love, but maybe more importantly, the music you love finds you.”
In his new book, Charlamagne Tha God presents his comic, often controversial, and always brutally honest insights on how living an authentic life is the quickest path to success. Beginning with his journey from the small town of Moncks Corner, South Carolina to his headline grabbing interviews with celebrities like Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, and Hillary Clinton, he shares how he turned his troubled early life around by owning his (many) mistakes and refusing to give up on his dreams, even after his controversial opinions got him fired from several on-air jobs. Combining his own story with bold advice and his signature commitment to honesty at all costs, Charlamagne hopes this book will give others the confidence to live their own truths.
The co-host of The Breakfast Club radio show has been promoting his book on several media outlets.
(AllHipHop News) Damon “Dame” Dash sat down with Hip Hop Motivation to discuss creating a movie about Roc-A-Fella Records.
The co-founder of the late 1990’s, early 2000’s Hip Hop record company said he does not plan to make the type of film the public may be expecting.
“There’s a lot that people didn’t see, and that would be the part I’d be showing. So you don’t know what I’m going to show you,” Dash stated. “Why would I just make a re-creation of what everybody saw? I want to make things that no one knew.”
Roc-A-Fella was once the label home of Jay Z, Kanye West, Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel, Cam’ron, DJ Clue, and others.
Previously, Dash produced films such as Paid In Full, State Property, and Loisaidas.
The partnership established Jay Z as a producer for several movies and television projects including Spike’s critically acclaimed docu-series about Kalief Browder.
Weinstein did an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, and the Oscar-winning producer discussed how he got into business with the Brooklyn-raised rapper.
“We’ve know each other socially and we’ve always talked about doing something together. I think we understand each other,” said Weinstein. “People look at Jay Z and they don’t say, ‘That’s a well-read guy,’ and people look at me and think the same thing, but we’re both extremely well-read. That’s the surprise of the whole thing, and it’s what makes it work. He’s one of the most brilliant men I know.”
The two entertainment heavyweights have also acquired the rights to Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, a book written by the late teenager’s parents Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.
“Jay Z looked at the parents and said: ‘I’m responsible if this is no good. I will do whatever it takes because they’re gonna hold me up on this. I’m not gonna let you down, and I’m not gonna let me down.’ End of conversation,” stated Weinstein.
(AllHipHop News) A violent incident at a Tampa area nightclub may not only cause legal trouble for Chris Brown, the R&B star could take a financial hit as well.
According to TMZ, Brown was hired to perform at the club for an hour, but he only stayed for 5 minutes after allegedly punching a photographer at the location.
The establishment is now requesting the “Party” singer return the $30,000 advance payment for bailing out on the event.
Apparently, Brown would have been able to leave the event early if the Virginia native felt he was endangered.
However, the club argues since CBstarted the fight he could not have been afraid in that situation.
They have apparently tried to reach out to the performer about the money but have yet to hear back from his camp.
As this latest public drama plays out, Brown continues on his nationwide “The Party Tour” with upcoming dates in Virginia, DC, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn.
(AllHipHop News) A woman injured at a Tyga concert has demanded the rapper’s company pays the $250,000 she’s owed in compensation.
Shyanne Riekena sued Tyga Music, LLC after a light stand fell and hit her in the head during a concert in Grand Rapids, Michigan five years ago. She claims she was left with a four-inch gash on her head, and suffered head trauma and back injuries in the accident.
Knight also allegedly made criminal threats against the woman during the reported attack.
Both pleaded not guilty, and were ordered to stand trial last year.
But on Monday (April 18), Williams accepted a no-jail plea deal, pleading no contest to one felony count of second-degree robbery, according to TMZ.com.
The 45-year-old was immediately sentenced to three years of formal probation and 54 weeks of anger management classes, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.
The Death Row Records co-founder is awaiting trial on charges of murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run following a dispute in Compton, California in January, 2015, when he struck and killed his friend Terry Carter before injuring actor Cle Sloan as he tried to race away from the scene.
(AllHipHop News) Battling has been part of Hip Hop culture from the very beginning.
Whether it was DJs competing to see who could rock the party the best, graffiti artists attempting to tag the most locations, or emcees trying to prove he or she is the best on the mic, Hip Hop is competitive at its core.
One new school rapper is not on board with the idea of successful rappers going head-to-head with bars.
In a Complexcover story by Touré, Vince Staples shared his belief that all rap battles are corny, except when violence takes place.
The article reads in part:
Who won the Remy/Nicki beef?
Sh-t is corny.
The whole sh-t?
That sh-t is f-cking corny.
Isn’t beef a part of hip-hop?
It’s f-cking corny.
Did you think the Cube/N.W.A. beef was corny?
It was f-cking corny.
Jay Z and Nas was corny?
F-cking corny.
Back to the beginning, KRS versus—
Corny. Well, probably not corny ’cause somebody actually got beat up in those.
Oh. So if somebody gets beat up then it’s not corny?
I’m not gonna go book studio time to talk about you.
This is a part of hip-hop that fans love—it’s traditionally part of hip-hop.
So watch a Smack battle. They’re much better at it. King of the Dot. You have the UW League in New Jersey. So many battle leagues. Go watch some Charlie Clips. I don’t wanna see people demean one another for no reason when they can have a phone conversation. Especially when they’re actually successful musicians. There is battle rap. I am a fan of that, but as far as the spitefulness of it? ‘Cause battle rappers are actually like all friends for the most part, and they write it, have fun, and talk about it on Facebook later. It’s real f-cking cute, but all that other sh-t they can get the f-ck out of here. That sh-t is corny as f-ck. It’s like, “I’m gonna say really hurtful things about you for the sake of hip-hop.” Oh.
Numerous Hip Hop greats have been involved in a public lyrical face-off at some point in their career.
Kool Moe Dee, KRS-One, Roxanne Shante, LL Cool J, Ice-T, Common, Eminem, Lil Kim, 50 Cent, Jadakiss, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, The Game, T.I., Drake, Meek Mill and many more rappers have battled on wax.
(AllHipHop Features) Many comedians toil in night spots and at festivals for years in order to hopefully have the chance to present their jokes as part of an hour-long event. Possessing 60 minutes as the center of attention for an audience is almost like an unofficial initiation rite for stand-up comics.
Keith and Kenny Lucas have finally crossed those comedic burning sands. After creating the Lucas Bros. Moving Co. animation series and hosting The Super Late Morning Show web series, the twin brothers teamed with Netflix to present the Lucas Bros: On Drugs comedy special.
The pilgrimage to completing On Drugs began years ago when the Lucas Bros made the decision to leave their potential careers in law for a shot at the stage. They’ve since appeared on the Rob Lowe-led The Grinder and Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show. Kenny and Keith’s filmography also includes standout roles in 22 Jump Street starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, and Ice Cube.
With On Drugs, the spotlight shines directly on the two New Jersey natives. Viewers get to take a trip into the minds of Kenny and Keith as the siblings humorously ponder out loud about politics, religion, race, sports, and of course, marijuana.
I recently spoke with The Lucas Bros by phone and quickly recognized the simpatico nature of their relationship (they even finished each other’s sentences at times). It’s clear these satirists have a bond that came as a birthright. And it appears comedy was truly in their blood from the start as well.
AllHipHop: This is a monumental moment for a comedian. How does it feel to have that hour-long special under your belt?
Keith: It feels great. We started eight years ago, and we’ve always had this as a goal. To finally accomplish it, it’s an amazing feeling.
Kenny: It feels like a rite of passage. You always have doubts on whether you’re perceived as a legitimate comedian. Once you’ve complete the hour, it’s like, “Okay, I can do this.” I really enjoy it, and I hope that people can appreciate the work we put into it.
AllHipHop: Netflix has become a popular platform for comedians. Why did you guys decide to air On Drugs on Netflix?
Kenny: We presented the idea of On Drugs to Netflix about a year ago. They liked it and made an offer to us. I felt, because it’s a platform that reaches an international audience, it felt more reasonable to align with them. HBO does too, for sure, but I know with Netflix it’s sort of implicit in their process to be global.
Keith: Netflix is making a very aggressive push into the stand-up world. We pitched them an idea and they loved it. It just felt like it was the right time and place. And we wanted to be a bit more experimental and thought Netflix would allow for that.
AllHipHop: Can you elaborate more on the idea of [the special] being experimental?
Kenny: We tried to make it both a political special but also a very personal one. We tried to connect the two. We also dabble with animation within the stand-up special.
Keith: We also took more of a deconstructionist approach. So we would deconstruct jokes within the set as opposed to just delivering jokes which I don’t think has been done before. Maybe it has because I haven’t watched every special in the world. It’s also two of us.
Kenny: I was thinking about the visuals. I wanted to play around with the set design. Like Robin Harris had a cool set design for one of his first specials. But I wanted to make it super stupid like having Richard Nixon in the background. Why would anybody want that? I didn’t care. Let’s just make it kind of weird.
AllHipHop: Richard Nixon played a big part in the special. Yet you took it light on Donald Trump. Why did you avoid doing more jokes about the current president?
Kenny: The special is about how the War On Drugs had an impact on our lives, both personally and politically. Because Nixon started the War On Drugs, it felt more logical to focus on Nixon. Trump’s policies are still new and I don’t know what impact they are going to have on me directly, but I do know the War On Drugs decimated my family. My father got arrested because of the War On Drugs. We were born right in the middle of the crack epidemic. It made more sense to focus on the father of the War On Drugs…
Keith: As opposed to the son. Trump is a result of some of Nixon’s policies. We could have focused on Trump, but let’s take it back to see…
Kenny: To see where it all started. The modern mass incarceration starts with Richard Nixon, and I think it’s important for people to know that.
AllHipHop: You briefly mentioned [Attorney General] Jeff Sessions at the end of the special. He’s come out as being very anti-marijuana. Are you worried a new aggressive War On Drugs might pick back up with him in the Justice Department?
Keith: Absolutely, I don’t think we can take anything the Administration says lightly any longer. So if Jeff Sessions says he’s anti-marijuana and wants to see a lot of the policies curbed, I believe it’s going to happen. I’m not going to pretend any longer that they’re going to pivot. I don’t think this special is going to change policy, but it is going to get our viewpoint out there. Like, “Marijuana is not that bad. It’s not as bad as Sessions is making it out to be.”
Kenny: The Drug War, in general, has been an abysmal failure. It’s been a waste of money. It destroyed lives. It’s almost a genocidal policy. I don’t want to dabble in specifics, but you see white kids smoking weed, doing cocaine, and taking Adderall. I’ve done more drugs with white people than people of color. Then you see the sentencing disparities. It’s atrocious.
AllHipHop: I just have one more political question. I noticed something interesting while I was watching the special. One of you guys wore a [Barry] Goldwater pin and the other guy had a John Kerry pin. Was there a message you were trying to convey?
Keith: Let’s just say, our political beliefs aren’t completely fixed. They can cancel out.
Kenny: The political parties – they’re all the same. I don’t believe there’s one that’s looking out for the best interest of people of color. I honestly believe they don’t really care.
Keith: You think about the War On Drugs. You start with Nixon, then you go to Reagan, and then you go to Clinton. Clinton was a warrior. Even Obama got some people arrested with Drug War policies. Democrats and Republicans have both been complicit in destructive drug policies.
AllHipHop: It seems like there are moments of improvisation during your routines. If that’s the case, how much improvising takes place during your performance?
Kenny: Our writing process is quite rigid… not rigid. We do spend a lot of time with the formal qualities of a joke. But when we perform, we try to improvise a lot more.
Keith: I would say 80-20, 85-15. Most of it is written. We know where the punchlines are headed, but we like to allow for some breathing room just in case. Like, let’s say, for instance, a joke doesn’t land. We like to have some sort of improvisational moment that allows for us to pick up the joke.
Kenny: And if something happens in the audience that makes you shift your position, you want to be able to respond with something that’s funny. So we allow for improvisation.
Keith: More often than not, we’ll make a late game adjustment that feels like improvisation.
AllHipHop: I enjoyed your use of callbacks. I saw Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special. I feel like he had a great callback too with the Cosby joke. Do you have personal favorite callback jokes?
Kenny: I was going to go with Seinfeld when George starts eating a lot of shrimp and his co-workers tell a joke about him, and he spends the whole episode trying to get back at his co-workers. Another one I love is The Serenity Now [episode] when they just keep saying “serenity now.”
Keith: And they also callback “hoochie mama.”
Kenny: Anything with Seinfeld. They were so great at the callback. I became obsessed with it because of Seinfeld.
AllHipHop: You didn’t start doing stand-up until law school. Were you studying comedy before that?
Keith: We weren’t studying it religiously. I was studying philosophy and logic. But I was always obsessed with sitcoms, stand-up, and comedy in general. We’d been watching it since we were young, consuming all sorts of comedy. That’s what you do when you’re in the ghetto to take your mind off the calamities of the world. It felt like an easy transition. Once we dropped law and just focused on it, we became better students of comedy.
Kenny: There are so many overlaps between philosophy, law, and comedy that I didn’t know until I became more advanced as a comedian. Comedy is nothing more than syllogistic logic. It’s a premise and a punchline, that’s it. That’s all logic is.
Keith: You use the tools of philosophy to understand both. Once we made that transition into comedy, we had already studied so much philosophy and law that our minds were…
Kenny: Sort of wired…
Keith: To joke construction.
AllHipHop: You guys make a lot of references to Biggie. Who are some of the other emcees you would list among your favorites of all time?
Kenny: You got Nas and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Bone Thugs had a huge influence. Contemporaries – Kendrick [Lamar]. I got into 21 Savage because of my younger brother. Remy Ma, Schoolboy Q, Big Pun, Wu-Tang, Biggie. That East Coast 90’s Hip Hop…
Keith: Schoolboy Q, OutKast, Kanye West.
Kenny: I love all Hip Hop. It’s the greatest cultural force human history has ever seen.
Keith: And it’s from n-ggas.
Kenny: It’s from black people. It’s ours and no one can take that away from us. As much as they try to take it away from us to appropriate it, they can’t.
AllHipHop: I know you’re also big fans of Bret Hart. “The Montreal Screwjob” – do you think it was a work or a shoot?
Keith: There’s a lot of theories on that one. I want to believe it was the greatest work of all time. I want to believe that Vince [McMahon], Bret, and Shawn [Michaels] conspired to bring down WCW and propel WWE to great heights. But I think that Vince McMahon was being duplicitous and legitimately screwed Bret over. And Bret was too p#####.
Kenny: Vince gave Bret a lot of money. And Bret wanted to leave with the title…
Keith: Well, he didn’t want to leave with the title, but Vince wasn’t sure what Bret was going to do because Vince was paranoid about whether Bret was going to leave. Vince made the decision that just so happened to be best for business. As a utilitarian, I’m like, ‘It kind of sucks that my favorite wrestler was screwed over.’ But in the grand scheme of things, it was kind of necessary. We don’t get DX, we don’t get the Stone Cold [Steve Austin]/McMahon feud, and we don’t get the Mr. McMahon character without the “Montreal Screwjob.” From a historical standpoint, it was a good thing for wrestling. At the time it sucked for Bret, but he’ll be remembered forever because of that moment. It’s one of the greatest moments in wrestling history. I think he needs to be proud of it.
AllHipHop: What else are you guys working on?
Kenny:We’re currently developing an animated project with TBS. We just have a lot of ideas percolating. We want to work on a sitcom. Maybe a multi-cam. Who knows? It really depends on how I’m feeling. Whatever I do next, I just want to be happy with what I’m doing. That’s my approach.
(AllHipHop News) Beyonce’s lawyers have asked a judge to dismiss a bizarre lawsuit filed against the pregnant singer by the family of a late New Orleans, Louisiana comedian.
The suit suggests Beyonce illegally sampled a spoken word performance by Messy Mya in her Formation video.
Barre can be heard saying, “What happened at the New Orleans”, and, “B##ch, I’m back by popular demand”, in the promo, and his sister claims the samples infringe the rights of two of her late brother’s comedy works. His voice does not feature in the audio version of the Lemonade album track.
In a new motion to dismiss, Beyonce’s attorney Mary Ellen Roy argues Angel Barre has overstated the use of her brother’s work in the Formation video, insisting it amounts to just 10 seconds, and falls within the protection of the fair-use doctrine.
Furthermore, Roy states: “While beyond the scope of this motion, Pretty Bird (production company) licensed the YouTube Videos from Mr. Barre’s family before plaintiff Angel Barre had herself appointed as the administrator of the Estate of Anthony Barre weeks after the Music Video’s premiere – presumably for the purpose of bringing this action.”
Beyonce isn’t letting the legal drama get her down – the pregnant star was spotted celebrating Easter with her mother Tina Knowles and best pal Kelly Rowland over the weekend.
The trio posed for a picture Tina posted on Instagram on Easter Sunday.
