Comedy hip hop


Comedy hip hop or comedy rap, is a subgenre of hip hop music that often incorporates satirical lyrics. While many examples of comedy hip hop are parodic, other artists incorporate humor into their more serious, hip hop styles, such as Eminem and Ludacris, this is not necessarily the case.

History

's "Christmas in Hollis" from 1987 is comedy rap, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince were solidly in the comedy rap genre with the 1988 song "Parents Just Don't Understand." 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, 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, De La Soul, Kid 'n Play, Das EFX and Fu-Schnickens and throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, rappers including Eminem, Ludacris and Afroman gained popularity, as did rappers such as Hopsin. Rucka Rucka Ali is a song artist who experiments with comedy hip hop filled with satire of racism, such as his song, "What The Black Says". "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 with the exception of a few, mainly Lil Dicky and Ugly God, the genre maintains a substantial loyal following.

International examples

Outside the English-speaking world, the genre spread in the 1990s, with bands and artists such as German group Fettes Brot, the Swedish-Finnish artist Markoolio 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 artist Falco who is considered a pioneer of German language rap and hip hop and known for satire and humor. Other famous examples include Die Fantastischen Vier, Fettes Brot, Beginner, Fünf Sterne Deluxe and Seeed.