The Bard Represents
Monday, December 3rd by scott maliaGiven how Shakespeare has been interpreted, reinterpreted (and, in some cases, ruined), it is surprising hip-hop takes on Shakespeare do not recur more frequently. In St. Louis, the city that launched hip-hop phenom Nelly (and his crew the St. Lunatics), a hip-hop reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors is being staged. Dubbed The Bomb-itty of Errors, the play seeks to maintain the fast-paced humor of one of The Bard’s earliest comedies while filtering it through a hip-hop aesthetic.
Now, lest you think that I write this blog merely to bemoan alternative takes on Shakespeare, let me be clear: I like when Shakespeare (or Shakespeare-based) productions mix it up. For me, a concept is justifiable simply if it works. Shakespeare done underwater in the nude spoken in Pig-Latin does not seem to have much of a point other than trying to be cute. Merging Shakespeare and hip-hop seems like a genuinely inspired collaboration. First and foremost, hip-hop is a genre that is all about rhythm and flow, making it an ideal contemporary milieu to update The Bard’s works. Secondly, underneath some of the best hip-hop (and, no, Fiddy, this does NOT include you), is a sharp sense of humor. Rappers who simply spit about money, bling, and ho’s are even more played out than the phrase “played out.” Smart hip-hop entertainers like Kanye West comment on these conventions with wit and humor. In that vein, a Shakespearean comedy rewritten in hip-hop slang doesn’t seem like such a big stretch after all.
December 4th, 2007 at 8:23 am
Methinks the Bard himself would attend, smile, and say, “Most excellent!” (or something more appropriate and hip-hop-ish!)
Seriously, I don’t get the idea that Shakespeare was a guy to take himself or others too seriously. I think he would be pleased that people were reinterpreting his plays for the 21st century.
(By the way, Will, if you’re currently rolling over in your grave, my sincere apologies…I’m just going with what I feel!)