He’s been called (by us, even) “the black Mitch Hedberg,” but Brooklyn-via-Chicago comic Hannibal Buress is standing on his own with his first comedy album.
Hannibal (yes, that’s his real name) finds the absurd in the everyday on My Name Is Hannibal, from flaming cocktails and metal arms to fire SUVs and pickle juice. It’s his laid-back delivery that garners comparisons to Hedberg — but Buress’ stand-up is consistently edgier and far more constructed. The SNL writer has performed with everyone from Aziz Ansari to The Daily Show‘s John Oliver, and New Yorkers can see him weekly at his comedy revue at the Knitting Factory Brooklyn.
This week marks our 30th mixtape. We may not be getting all “XXX,” Roman-style, but we have managed to narrow the week’s choicest mp3s down to our ten favorites. Keep your eyes peeled for new material from the Arcade Fire, Maximum Balloon (Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio), and some long-lost cousins of Phoenix. Right Click + Save As individual songs, or scroll to the bottom to get the entire mixtape, after the jump.
1. Oprah‘s next move: Oprah’s Next Chapter, an hourlong evening show that will air two or three times a week and feature interviews with notable figures from around the world. [via WSJ]
2. Lil Wayne is on suicide watch in prison. Like it’s his job watching out for the other prisoners. [via US]
3. Flavorpill favorite Aziz Ansari is in talks to star in Ruben Fleischer‘s action flick followup to Zombieland, 30 Minutes or Less. [via THR]
4. We can believe it: Apple may be planning a 5- to 7-inch iPad for the first quarter of next year. [via Nerd World]
5. According to Michael Ausiello, “an unlikely romance will take shape in early May” on Lost. Any guesses who it will involve? [via EW]
1. MGMT‘s upcoming sophomore release, Congratulations, which isn’t due out until April 13, leaked over the weekend. As a result, the band is now streaming it here. [via Vulture]
2. Rumor is that Parks and Recreation‘s Aziz Ansari is in final talks to host the 2010 MTV Movie Awards. [via EW]
3. When Showtime’s Nurse Jackie returns for a second season this month, Dr. Cooper will be tweeting in character and in real time from @DoctorCoop. [via NYT]
4. A new Joyce Carol Oates short story from the latest issue of the New Yorker is online for your reading pleasure.
5. Did you see Michelle Obama‘s cameo on last night’s episode of The Simpsons? The character was voiced by none other than Angela Bassett. (video) [via HuffPo]
“Don’t fuck with the Bieb.” This immortal advice comes courtesy of Raaaaaaandy a.k.a Aziz Ansari, who apparently went through a creative scuffle with Justin Bieber during sessions for the Randy/Dave Sitek mixtape. In this video, Randy attacks Bieber for stealing his song “Baby Baby” and chronicles the painful, pistol-waving aftermath of the situation. The short glimpse of the actual Bieber’s videos are stomach-churning, but we’re also treated to hilariously incongruous intimations that he’s a weed fiend. The thought of Justin Bieber bespoiling his squeaky-clean image with a few puffs on the magic dragon seems about as likely as him peeling back his animatronic exoskeleton and revealing himself to be the fourth chipmunk inhabiting a boy-band automaton. Either way, watch the video and see what events are causing Raaaaaaaandy’s mixtape to be delayed for so long.
Rap and comedy make strange bedfellows — just ask Insane Clown Posse. But the impending release of Aziz Ansari’s mixtape reminded us of just how funny the rap-comedy genre can be when you’re actually laughing with the artist. We’ve only heard one track so far from the Raaaaaaaandy/Dave Sitek project, but it was enough for us to compile a quick list of some of our favorite rap-comedy collaborations, tongue firmly planted in cheek. After the jump, read and watch what happens when the musical sensibilities of Tupac clash with unabashed satire. Let us know which ones are your favorites.
Today at Flavorpill, we wondered if Jay Leno’s return to an 11:30 time slot means the end of the road for Conan O’Brien — or even worse, Jimmy? We visited a lost Amazon complex and looked at some “wrapped” glaciers in Switzerland. We decided that certain New Year’s resolutions should remain private. We loved Aziz Ansari’s really long but really awesome interview with Animal Collective. We decided not to hold our breath for Jack White’s solo album. We were transfixed by the superhuman dance moves of the Ross Sisters (if pressed for time, start a good minute in). We liked the Rumpus’ response to Katie Roiphe’s New York Times Book Review piece. We learned how to fashion a sled out of a wooden pallet. We laughed at this NSFW ad for the Google Nexus One. And finally, we added “butt bomb” to our always growing list of things we’re afraid might kill us.
Remember earlier this month when we told we about the strange sporting phenomenon that is chessboxing? Our pal Aziz Ansari just pointed us to this Lego recreation of Wu-Tang’s “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’” that’s seriously awesome. Our favorite character is Ghostface, but it’s also pretty funny when Ol’ Dirty Bastard loses an arm. Thoughts?
