Hip hop skit
Encyclopedia
A hip hop skit is a form of sketch comedy
that appears on a hip hop
album or mixtape, and is usually written and performed by the artists themselves. Skits can appear on albums or mixtapes as individual tracks, or at the beginning or end of a song. Some skits are part of concept album
s and contribute to an album's concept. Skits also occasionally appear on albums of other genres.
It is also to be noted that 'the hip-hop skit' was more or less pioneered by De La Soul
and their producer Prince Paul who incorporated many skits on their 1989 debut album 3 Feet High and Rising
.
Some skits by certain artists have the same theme throughout. For example, Eminem
regularly has conversations with his manager Steve Berman.
Hip hop and trip hop
french producer Wax Tailor
also uses skits on each album, mixing beats with 50's movies cuts.
Some common themes are: telephone
conversations or voicemail
messages, sexual acts or the sexuality of the artists, criminal acts, being harassed
, harassing others, living in the ghetto, intoxication, ridicule of other artists and ridicule of the performing artists. Another popular motif features young children, frequently of the artist, inappropriately using adult language and/or introducing the next track on the album. It is becoming more popular for skits to feature cameo appearances of other hip hop artists and comedians.
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
that appears on a hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
album or mixtape, and is usually written and performed by the artists themselves. Skits can appear on albums or mixtapes as individual tracks, or at the beginning or end of a song. Some skits are part of concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
s and contribute to an album's concept. Skits also occasionally appear on albums of other genres.
It is also to be noted that 'the hip-hop skit' was more or less pioneered by De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
and their producer Prince Paul who incorporated many skits on their 1989 debut album 3 Feet High and Rising
3 Feet High and Rising
3 Feet High and Rising is the debut album from American hip hop trio De La Soul, released in 1989.The album marked the first of three full-length collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. It is consistently placed on 'greatest...
.
Some skits by certain artists have the same theme throughout. For example, Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
regularly has conversations with his manager Steve Berman.
Hip hop and trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
french producer Wax Tailor
Wax Tailor
Wax Tailor is the alias of French trip hop/hip hop producer, Jean-Christophe Le Saoût . He started in 2004 with two EP's . The first album Tales of the Forgotten Melodies was released in March 2005, mixing hip-hop, downtempo, trip-hop with samples extracted from movies...
also uses skits on each album, mixing beats with 50's movies cuts.
Some common themes are: telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
conversations or voicemail
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
messages, sexual acts or the sexuality of the artists, criminal acts, being harassed
Harassment
Harassment covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behaviour intended to disturb or upset, and it is characteristically repetitive. In the legal sense, it is intentional behaviour which is found threatening or disturbing...
, harassing others, living in the ghetto, intoxication, ridicule of other artists and ridicule of the performing artists. Another popular motif features young children, frequently of the artist, inappropriately using adult language and/or introducing the next track on the album. It is becoming more popular for skits to feature cameo appearances of other hip hop artists and comedians.
External links
- Wefunkradio.com - Show 217 : 2 hours of hip-hop skits, interludes, intros, and bonus beats.