Featuring Open Mike Eagle, Jaz Kahina, Lunar C, Dan Bull, Hip-Hops Laughing Stock Documentary looks at the influence of comedy on Hip-Hop, be it battling, nerd core or the use of Hip-Hop in stand up comedy.
Now if you’ve been listening to my show, Sample Nation, you’ll know that I love Hip-Hop. So I could think of no better way to break into the world of BBC audio documentaries than commenting on the genre I hold so dear.
Hip-Hops Laughing Stock
I’ve been working on this doc now for about 8 months, interviewing MCs from all over the UK and one from the US with the help of MC/Stand-up Comic and Presenter Jester Jacobs.
We started out face to face, but then sadly with Covid everything had to move online. That did at first put the spanner in the works. But it did lead to interviews from MCs that are further afield, not just London.
I’ve put my heart into this documentary and I’m incredibly proud of the finished result. I hope you’ll give it a listen when it’s released on Monday
I’ll be streaming it live on Facebook, if you want to comment along here or just listen on BBC Radio 4 at 4pm on 21st September
Laughing Stock Blurb …
Joe Jacobs is a failing rapper trying to make a career as a stand-up comedian.
Straight out of Finchley, Joe spent a decade attempting to build a recording career as a hip-hop MC. But by his own admission he was never taken too seriously. Now he’s trying to turn the tables – instead of being the butt of other people’s jokes he is hoping to direct the laughs himself. His ambition is to succeed in stand-up, where he failed in rap – and get a gig on television.
Can he go from being a comedic rapper, to a stand-up comedian who raps?
In this documentary he meets other artists who bridge the worlds of rap and comedy. He hears about hip hop’s humorous roots from Open Mic Eagle, understands the world of rap battles with Lunar C and Jaz Kahina and meets one of the least likely success stories in viral rap videos, Dan Bull.
Mix Engineer: Steve Urquhart
Producer: James Trice
Executive Producer: Joby Waldman
Commissioned as part of the Multitrack Audio Producers Fellowship
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4
To give you an idea of what’s in the doc, I created a Spotify playlist to go with it
Hope you enjoy the piece