ABSTRACT
Hip-hop artists produce comedy out of apparently unlikely material: the criticism of their work and their art form. Part of this reason is historical. Over the course of its development, hip hop attracted significant censure, as a number of musical, political, and legal authorities denounced the music and its influence. Turning this liability into a surprising strength, artists recast the controversies to their advantage. They bait their critics, mocking their confusion and rebutting their charges. At their most successful, hip-hop artists create a sophisticated comedy capable of multiple effects, characterized by quick generic shifts and the skillful use of rhyme and other verbal techniques, and exhibiting an impressive self-consciousness about their art form and its history.
