In a recent episode of Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion, Method Man sat down in a barbershop, where he dropped tidbits of knowledge. When he got into label politics, he shared his thoughts on artists signing to labels owned by other artists.
“I always felt like you can’t sign to somebody who still trying to be an artist,” He said. “It’s hard. They can’t give you the time or attention that you probably need and deserve unless you are your own machine.”
By “machine,” he clarified that he was referring to artists like Drake, Lil Wayne, and Rick Ross.
Also in the episode, Method mentioned that he hated being seen as a sex symbol following the release of his 1995 hit single, “I’ll Be There For You / You’re All I Need,” which featured Mary J. Blige.
“I fought that ‘All I Need’ sh*t,” he recalled. “I didn’t wanna put it out ’cause it was at a point now where, when we were doing these shows [with] Wu-Tang, I would come out and it’d be girls screaming. Now, for me, it’s like, I’m grimy, same-clothes-for-three-days-in-a-row; who wants to go the sex symbol route at this point?”
Johnny Carson. David Letterman. Jay Leno. Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy Kimmel. Stephen Colbert. What do all those television personalities have in common? Sure, they’re all late-night television hosts… but what else do they have in common? You see it. Even if you don’t want to admit it just yet, you do. Let’s face it: Late night is a very white occupation. And sure, there have been some exceptions; Arsenio Hall, Joan Rivers, and Chris Rock spring to mind. But for the most part, the space has been dominated largely by older, white, straight, male, former stand-up comics. And before you scroll down to the comments to write “nuh-uh,” just hear me out.
Until very, very recently, there was one huge exception to this trend: Showtime’s Desus & Mero. However, last night, the show’s creators announced on Twitter that after four seasons, the show is coming to an end. Even worse, its two hosts, Daniel Baker aka Desus Nice and Joel Martinez aka The Kid Mero, were splitting up to pursue separate creative endeavors after nearly a decade of collaborations which included the Desus vs. Mero and Bodega Boys podcasts, the Desus & Mero talk show, and even an anime, Neo Yokio. The show’s cancellation isn’t just a loss of a beloved, underrated comedic pairing — it’s a loss for hip-hop as a whole.
Bodega Hive: The illustrious @desusnice and @THEKIDMERO will be pursuing separate creative endeavors moving forward. #DESUSandMERO will not be returning to SHOWTIME. It’s been a good run, fam.
— DESUS & MERO on SHOWTIME (@SHODesusAndMero) July 18, 2022
Before Desus & Mero, it’s hard to find too many examples of hip-hop culture in the late-night TV space. Sure there was Arsenio Hall, doing his best to bring the fashion, music, and voice of the streets to America’s living rooms in the early ’90s. But while The Arsenio Hall Show was a landmark in bringing hip-hop to mainstream audiences, it was also watered-down, polished, and presented in a way that the whole thing slicker and more palatable to those audiences. It also largely avoided political topics, although the show did come under fire for booking — or not booking — some guests that audiences found controversial.
And certainly, hip-hop music remains a draw on late-night, with The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon employing a house band that comes from the rap world in The Roots. Rappers with new projects to promote are often booked as musical guests, performing their viral hits on shows like The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel Live! But more broadly, the Desus & Mero show was a chance to see hip-hop as a culture on TV, in a space that not many of us get to touch. They were not buttoned up. They didn’t wear suits. Their set was modeled after a New York bodega, the type of place where you’d actually find rappers hanging out.
Decked out in fitted caps and Timberland boots, they spoke in the sometimes coded slang of the streets, with all the swagger born of growing up in The Bronx. They interviewed the rappers that the bigger shows wouldn’t; in the past year, they’ve had guests like Baby Keem, Bobby Shmurda, Cordae, and Nas — both the Queens legend who made Illmatic, and the Fox News frustrating Lil Nas X. They debuted underground crooner RMR’s “I’m Not Over You” video. And they got their non-rapper guests to open up about not just their favorite rappers (watch Yo-Yo Ma play DMX!), but all sorts of down-to-earth topics. They interviewed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in their shared borough, taking the format beyond the confines of the studio.
And, in perhaps the biggest coup for the show to date, the duo interviewed former President Barack Obama, who roasted them as naturally as if they were having the conversation on a neighborhood stoop, rather than an empty rented auditorium undoubtedly surrounded by Secret Service agents. Whatever your feelings on the man’s politics, you have to admit that the moment lent legitimacy to hip-hop (and vice versa) in a way that, whether we want to admit it or not, is nice to see after three decades of politicians and pundits blaming rap culture for everything from school shootings to the overall decline of polite society.
So, pour one out for Desus And Mero. They showed that hip-hop could belong in yet another space that wasn’t made for it, that didn’t make provisions for it, and that mostly overlooked it. They brought us — our voices, our faces, our fashion, our outlook, our language, our interests, our culture — to millions of American homes. Late-night might have gotten a little less colorful without them, but those two guys from the Bronx undoubtedly opened a door — and the next Desus and Mero are likely right around the corner.
Iggy Azalea was the talk of Twitter last night when a fan page posted a thread comparing her music and visuals to other artists that have had similar ideas. The Australian-born rapper was signed to T.I. ‘s label, Grand Hustle, in 2012 and even collaborated on the song “No Mediocre,” but the two parted ways […]
After having to postpone his Toronto concert due to a nationwide Rogers outage, The Weeknd was able to launch his After Hours Til Dawn tour in Philadelphia last week, even going above and beyond to fly out a young fan who was heartbroken by the 6ix show’s postponement so he didn’t miss out on the fun.
Unfortunately, though, the show didn’t go on without incident as a report from CBS3 Philly reveal that a concertgoer tragically died after falling dozens of feet off of an escalator just before 11 PM on July 14th.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
The deceased has since been identified as 32-year-old Hugo Sanchez. Officials say that he was sitting on an escalator rail at Lincoln Financial Field when he fell approximately 40 feet and was rushed to Thomas Jefferson University.
Not long after arriving and receiving medical attention, Sanchez was pronounced dead. At this time, the incident appears to have been an accident, though there’s still an ongoing investigation to rule out any other possibilities.
Live Nation has not yet responded to requests for comment, and the event venue is declining to comment out of respect for the late man’s family.
The Weeknd has not addressed the tragedy himself, though he did share some photos from the Philadelphia tour opener on his Instagram feed. “We finally did it,” he wrote in the caption, reflecting on the long-delayed tour finally making its debut.
“Thank you for helping me ring in the tour. Last night was emotional for all of us. I could feel every single one of you. Next stop, NEW YORK!”
RIP Hugo Sanchez; tap back in with HNHH later for any updates on the situation.
The tragic news of 28-year-old Jak Knight’s passing took the internet by shock last week, and now, the comedian’s cause of death has been confirmed after an autopsy by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.
As PEOPLE reports, the late star was discovered on an embankment in L.A. on Thursday (July 14) after having suffered a gunshot wound. Upon further investigation, it’s been declared that Knight’s cause of death was suicide.
Jak Knight performing at the TBS Comedy Festival in 2017 — Jason Kempin/Getty Images
The Big Mouth writer and voice actor’s family announced the news that same day, causing hundreds of tributes for the deceased to come pouring in from friends and fans alike.
“Rest In Peace Jak Knight,” Eternals actor Kumail Nanjiani tweeted. “Hilarious comedian and great guy. I can’t believe it.”
Chance the Rapper, Workaholics actor Blake Anderson, The Boys star Jack Quaid, and Broad City‘s Hannibal Buress were among others to speak out about their fond memories of the late multihyphenate.
Before his untimely death, Knight’s most recent project was the Peacock original series, Bust Down, which he co-created and co-starred in alongside Sam Jay, Chris Redd, and Langston Kerman.
If you didn’t tap into the first season, the comedy show follows a group of four friends working low-wage jobs at a Gary, Indiana casino. Freddie Gibbs was tapped for a guest spot, and many viewers raved about the hilarious antics played out on the feel-good watch.
Other credits on Knight’s resume include Black-ish, Lucas Bros. Moving Co., First Time Female Director, and Pause with Sam Jay.
