A completely necessary read for anyone that considers themselves a fan of comedy.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that Patrice O’Neal was one of the greatest comics that never achieved the fame and full potential he deserved. The world was slowly catching up to realizing his brilliance but was still unprepared for it.
Last night I rediscovered Ill Communication during my workout while my iPod was on shuffle. It was a pleasant surprise. So much so that I went on a Beastie Boys binge throughout the evening, going so far to even tweeting a hacky joke that the video for “Sabotage” is what I aspire to be in life.
This morning? “Grooveshark’d” a Beastie Boys mix while getting ready and listened to the entirety of Paul’s Boutique as I drove an hour to work. Definitely on a kick.
And then the news broke.
The only waxing I’m going to do in regards to the guy’s impact on music in general is the fact that his contributions to the state of music as a whole are severely understated. Many people may criticize such a comment for being “mournful hyperbole” or something of the sort, but I genuinely believe that he is 1/3 of a huge reason that hip-hop has managed to cross the boundaries of racial and cultural differences in music and become one of the foundations of popular music today.
I had the pleasure of seeing MCA’s last performance ever when I went to Bonnaroo in 2009. Simply put: amazing.
I suppose I’m an albatross for deaths. I was the jerk who introduced all his friends to Patrice O’Neal the week before he died. I’m going to go watch the entire IMDB page of Sarah Jessica Parker until I can replicate the results and use my powers for good.
RIP Bryan “Tazar” Coffee (August 1, 1933 – May 4, 2009)
Ron Bennington deconstructs the Wizard of Oz.
Not only does he perform what are probably the best interviews on radio, but Ron Bennington is an absolute genius of comedy.
