Ricky Gervais is known primarily for being a caustic, controversial comedian who sometimes brings beer on stage to comfort him during awkward stretches at high-profile hosting gigs. However, what most people may not know if that Gervais is actually a massive hip-hop fan - so much so that he's actually become a fan of how funny some of the lyrics written by legendary emcees can be. He recently sat down to chat with DJ Whoo Kid on his radio program The Whoolywood Shuffle and touched on the comedic genius of several big-name rappers, but one in particular stood out.
As you're able to see in the clip below, Ricky Gervais starts off by acknowledging the immensity of Tupac's "Hit 'Em Up," a classic track from the rapper's 1990's heyday. "What a way to start a song," exclaimed the comedian, referring the opening line that reads as follows: "I ain't got no motherf**kin' friends/That's why I f**ked yo' bitch, you fat motherf**ker!" "When I first heard that, I just thought, 'Who is this guy'?", continued Gervais, with Whoo Kid chuckling along with delight. Next, the former cast member of the British version of The Office put forth the notion that most people don't know just how funny rap can be.
"Like Eminem, he makes jokes," the comic explained. "He makes jokes in the songs and it's really great, it's about big issues." He went on to say that rap lyricism has become a platform to not only express one's sense of humor, but also apply that skill to those massive issues in society and attack them with a more nuanced tool than others may possess. Even though rap is pretty mainstream now, relative to where it was positioned culturally maybe 20 or 25 years ago, Gervais still remembers how impressed he was when he was first introduced to the genre. "I was just blown away that rap was this new art form that came out... And going back even further, the first time I heard 'The Message' by Grand Master Flash, I thought, I've never seen this in pop."
What's the best punchline you've ever heard in a hip-hop song? Let us know below.