SNL hip-hop parodies have become stale

The Atlantic

The SNL hip-hop parody, often associated with The Lonely Island, has become a resurgent genre, from "Tucci Gang" to "Permission" to, most recently, "RBG Rap." "Again and again," says Spencer Kornhaber. "A person (often white) or subject matter (usually nerdy) goes unexpectedly hard, meeting with the aggression, swagger, and raunch of rap. Sometimes it’s rowdy emcees who reveal a sensitive side, as when the 'Friendos'—three guys in dreadlock wigs who closely resemble Migos—spill their feelings to a shrink. Sometimes there’s a workaday dweeb powering up, as when the timid Bryant starts okurring like Cardi B. The subtext is that rap as it’s typically known isn’t a place for wonkiness, vulnerability, or acclaimed character actors, except in jokes." ALSO: SNL's defense of Amazon and Jeff Bezos last week raises questions about its branded partnerships with companies