The late great comedian George Carlin once argued that anything could be funny, and comics have always been able to draw humor from everything that the world has to offer. Hip-Hop is no exception. In its rich history, people in it and things about it have been obvious choices for comedic material.
And with the recent announcement that legendary stand up comedian Chris Rock would be hosting the 2014 BET Awards in June, AllHipHop.com decided to put together a list of the funniest stand up routines related to rap.
Rap is very serious sometimes, but these jokes prove that it isn’t a bad thing if it gets made fun of every once in a while. Because like music, laughter is also a universal language. And so, what better way to bring people together than by pointing out the funny in something that so many of them have identified with? It all just goes to show that we as people have more in common with each other than we often give ourselves credit for.
Hip-Hop can be hilarious. And when it is all said and done, who doesn’t like a good laugh?
10). Tom Segura: While the premise to this routine is about shouting with a Black dialect, the fact that White comedian Tom Segura mentions shouting that way around Big Daddy Kane makes an already funny bit even funnier. And even though Segura isn’t speaking to a Hip-Hop audience, he puts it best when he says, “If you don’t know who Big Daddy Kane is, you can go f**k yourself.”
9). Hannibal Buress: One of the demographics that some rappers make music for are strip clubs, and Hannibal reminds women at those clubs to dance to those songs because they are better suited for who they’re dancing for. And to conclude the bit, he makes fun of Odd Future for rebelling with decreasingly rebellious acts.
8). Greg Giraldo: Starting at about 45 seconds in, when Giraldo brings up Lil Jon, the issue of misogyny in Hip-Hop, rappers on MTV Cribs, and Hip-Hop video girls, it’s as if he saw Thugnificent on The Boondocks and then wrote his material. It’s just as funny as The Boondocks too.
7). Steve Harvey: After Steve tips his hat to old-school soul music in 2000’s The Original Kings of Comedy, he points out how Hip-Hop doesn’t have love in it like the music of his generation does. While it isn’t really funny, it’s a great transition into him talking about his problems with rap concerts. And that is.
6). Jeff Ross: Comedy roasts usually find speakers ripping on the dais as much as the person being roasted, but, in this case, Jeff Ross spends most of his time making jokes at the expense of the man of honor – Flavor Flav. It’s all in fun, and Flav is laughing right along with everyone else.
5). Mike Birbiglia: Everyman comic Mike Birbiglia discusses the increased anger in Hip-Hop and how it is often unnecessary. Additionally, he cites Busta Rhymes and Jay Z as two of his favorite emcees. However, Birbiglia also points out that he can’t tell jokes the way Busta raps and opts against playing Scrabble with Jay.
4). Neal Brennan: In this routine, Brennan, a White guy, discusses having Black friends and how the N-word is used on a frequent basis around him. He then talks about how he was first introduced to the term via N.W.A and follows that up with a very humorous “where are they now” dissection of the group. Brennan was a writer for Chappelle’s Show. And after hearing this, it’s easy to understand how his talent and perspective was a perfect fit for it.
3). Aziz Ansari: On his debut album, Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening, Aziz tells a story about hanging out with Kanye West. It doesn’t all present Kanye in the most flattering light, but it seems that he was able to laugh at himself in this case… Aziz later made a cameo in the 2011 music video for “Otis” alongside ‘Ye and Hov.
2). Daniel Tosh: Tosh.O gets laughs for its online video clips, but the host Daniel Tosh also adds very colorful commentary. While he has certainly addressed rap music on more than one occasion, his short stand-up and Web Redemption of the “Average Homeboy” have his best jokes about Hip-Hop thus far. Props to Bizzy Bone for appearing in the Web Redemption segment too.
1). Chris Rock: Considering he co-wrote and starred in CB4, it’s inevitable that Chris Rock would address Hip-Hop at some point in his stand-up career. And in his 2004 Never Scared special, he does that and then some. Rock expresses his passion for rap, takes it to task for the ignorance that some of it projects, and then explains why the government hates it. It’s hilarious and insightful and a wonderful homage to a genre of music that started in the Bronx and would eventually go on to be a worldwide phenomenon.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!