Eminem has what every comic dreams of having from day one of their career. In a recent XXL interview, Josh Johnson made a case for why Slim Shady would kill it. The Emmy-nominated Daily Show writer knows exactly what he’s talking about when it comes to this.
Comedy Meets Hip Hop Culture
Josh Johnson is one of the most prominent artists in comedy and stand-up right now. He works as a writer for The Daily Show and tours the world with his own show, the Flowers, delivering hilarious and poignant social commentary.
Johnson built his name by talking about what is happening in the world right now. Obviously, rap and its culture are integral to our world. Hence, it is often an important part of Josh’s routine. For example, he turned Young Thug’s trial into pure comedy gold for his fans. Similarly, he made the Drake and Kendrick beef easy for everyone to understand, and the video with this explanation blew up online. Ultimately, his work shows how closely these two worlds actually connect.
The Emmy-nominated writer shared thoughts on how closely comedy and hip hop intertwine during a Zoom call with XXL. For example, he explained how both art forms let people express themselves in really personal ways. Similarly, he sees hip hop creating bonds with fans that most pop music just can’t match.
Personal Mount Rushmore
As for the rappers with whom Josh built emotional bonds, his answer is shorter than he would like it to be. The top 5 rappers is just not enough, but Josh has managed to boil it down to this number. The list has changed from the previous report, but Eminem is still there:
“It gets harder and harder every year. The more I discover, the more that I want that Mount Rushmore to be the size of Congress. There’s Kendrick Lamar because of how I discovered him and the fact that he still has such longevity. Eminem is definitely in there. Discography-wise, Ye. Missy Elliott as well. Journey-wise, I’m interested in everything Chance The Rapper does”.
Timing Matters
Among other skills, Johnson is good at breaking down rap drama for wide audiences. Yet his respect for Eminem goes deeper than making jokes about hip hop news. Specifically, he sees real craft in how Eminem puts bars together with perfect timing. Meanwhile, that same skill would make Eminem a natural fit for delivering punchlines on a comedy stage, Josh argues.
When asked which rappers could actually do stand-up, only two names came up in his answer: Eminem and 50 Cent. That tells you something about how rare this kind of talent really is in the game.
Here’s what makes Eminem special, according to Johnson’s view of things from both worlds: “He’s got good timing”. Many rappers can write clever lines, but not all of them have that natural sense of when to hit. In addition, Eminem knows exactly how long to make you wait before the payoff lands hard. However, it has little to do with being fast with words, despite what some people think. It’s about knowing when to pause, when to speed up, and when to let something sink in deep. Clearly, these are the exact same skills that make great comics different from just okay ones. Also, timing is the one thing you can’t fake or learn from a book alone.
The Right Mindset
Then there’s 50 Cent, who brings a totally different kind of funny to the table. “I also think 50 Cent for content”, Johnson explained to XXL about his other pick. “The way he roasts is like it’s coming from a place that is so deeply funny”. Additionally, Johnson pointed out that Fif’s attacks work just like a real comic. “When he goes in on somebody, it’ll be like, Wow, this is crazy, and this is what a comic would do”.
Hip hop and comedy share a lot of the same ground when you look closely, Josh says. Both deal with real things like love, loss, wanting more, and feeling unseen. Also, your point of view has to feel like it matters more than anyone else’s. And obviously, you need both guts and real skill to make it work and last. Eminem has all of that. But ain’t we grateful that he has chosen rap as his main craft.
