Yesterday, New York’s Vulture put up a post briefly outlining the history of white rappers, thanks to recent activity Asher Roth and Eminem making the whole enterprise two-thirds of the way to trend-piece worthiness. Friends of Idolator Christopher R. Weingarten and Sasha Frere-Jones spent much of yesterday afternoon picking over the list, noting omissions like Malcolm McLaren’s “Buffalo Gals” and Wham!’s “Wham! Rap”–but no point was more salient to this raised-on-morning-zoo observer than Weingarten’s 140-character rant about how Andy Milonakis was for some reason singled out, while “Rappin’ Rodney” and Joe Piscopo got ignored. After the jump, Chris helps me give crucial ’80s novelty raps their due.
Chevy Chase, “Rappers’ Plight” (1980)
1980! Right on the heels of “Rappers’ Delight”! This was actually found while doing further research for the piece, but you can see why we had to add it.
Mel Brooks, “It’s Good To Be The King” (1982)
This track got genuine street play, not to mention an answer record from Sylvia Robinson that was released on Sugar Hill.
Rich Little, “President’s Rap” (1982)
Tracks from Little’s The First Family Rides Again, set to the “Genius Of Love” beat. In an alternate universe, a cover of this would include Mariah Carey as (Hey, she might not get the jokes, but she’d love the beat.)
Rodney Dangerfield, “Rappin Rodney” (1983)
The guy in the Cubs uniform is a nice touch.
Shawn Brown, “Rappin Duke” (1984)
Brown is actually not white. But the Duke? The whitest guy ever.
Joe Piscopo (with Eddie Murphy), “Honeymooners Rap” (1985)
This song features scrathing by DST (the guy who did Rockit) and gamecalls by John Zorn.
Darrell Hammond & Christopher Snell, “Elmer Fudd And Bugs Bunny Wappin’” (1989)
Yes, that Darrell Hammond.
White People In Rap: A History [Vulture]
Darker Shade Of White [Sasha Frere-Jones @ The New Yorker]
“Rappin’ Duke” made a big enough impression on my fellow Brooklynite Christopher Wallace that he dropped a two-line homage to it in the middle of “Juicy.”
And who could forget Sam Whipple as Jughead in the live-action 1990 TV movie “Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again”?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBojt6fDVvw
No mention of one of my favorites, David Johansen’s “King of Babylon”: “I am the king of Babylon/I’m on an ego trip. What you on?”
You forgot to mention the Beastie Boys! Just kidding! (just kidding!)
DEE DEE KING.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5-G2_1Zj6c
*sigh* i was gonna mention dee dee, but i’ve been trying to get my commenter kinks all worked out. but yeah, that shit was fuh-fuh-fuh-funkeee. so much so that the whole world has collectively forgotten it.
Adam & the Ants - Ant Rap
oops, coulda shoulda included the awesome video link as well (also, i feel i’ve evidently missed some shakeup whilst vacationing, my comment awaiting moderation when i’ve already been commenting here ever so long confuses my tiny brain…)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgQYp1UDn1k
oh man … tom hanks and dan aykroyd!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT_QRKfv8H4
(also it sucks that even canadian channels can’t spell ‘aykroyd’)
“We’re white guys, we take no crap when we deliver our…white rap.” Anybody else remember that SNL skit? Was it Dick Butkis?
Also: In 1983, Contemporary Christian artist Steve Taylor released “Bad Rap (Who You Tryin’ To Kid, Kid?)” which actually contains some awesome lyrics:
Now L.A. hip and N.Y. chic
Been dancing lately cheek to cheek
While Midwest good ol’ boys like me
Should all be playing catch-up, see
Subscribe to the Village Voice in throngs
And guess who gigs at Madame Wong’s
Well drop your pens and pant designs
And drop six words in your open minds:
Who you tryin’ to kid, kid?
And then after that it gets all Christiany, connecting abortion to kiddie porn, etc. But I still love that “drop your pens and pant designs” line.
What about Rap Master Ronnie?