After being successful at one medium, the hardest thing to do next is to pivot. Just ask longtime comedian Hannibal Buress, known for his observational humor ranging from topics from what to do with excess pickle juice (you flick it on sandwiches for flavor) or even the famous bit about Bill Cosby's legal issues that made a nation re-evaluate the once "America's Dad."
Instead of doing traditional standup, he's deciding to dive into hip-hop as a rapper, which isn't a joke. Fans of Buress will get to see his hybrid show of some jokes and mostly music Sept. 8 at New Brookland Tavern. It may seem out of left field for Buress to trade comedy bars for lyrical ones, but he says it's nothing new for him.
"I've been putting out stuff here and there for a minute. I recorded music before I did standup comedy, and I did standup comedy when I was 19," Buress, now 40, told the Free Times. "I talked about it for a while and didn't want to lie to myself about that."
He said you can hear the signs if you listen to his standup.
"While doing standup, my entire career was adjacent to music that maybe the general public wasn't aware of," he said. "If you listen to each one of my standups, there's some type of reference to lyrics. My live performance career, it's been very present."
Hannibal Buress will perform his hybrid comedy and hip-hop show Sept. 8 at New Brookland Tavern. (Photo from Facebook)Â
Buress also goes by Eshu Tune for his musical endeavors, and is accompanied by a live band to assist with songs like "I Lift Weights," boasting comical lyrics like: "Every day I lift! /Every day I lift! / I'm just addicted/ I just do the sh—!"
In the song, he's yelling like someone who has had a bit too much creatine (he isn't, in fact, a weight lifter), but humor is also present in songs like "Veneers," an ode to getting pearly whites.
But don't get it twisted. Despite some humorous tracks, he wants you to know he can do what all rappers want: Get respect for spitting.
"The difference with a verse, you're writing it to move yourself. There's a couple of fun songs that I do, but others I'm trying to bar out. I try to erase the skepticism early in the show," Buress said. "I have conversations after shows where people are like, 'Aw man, I thought you were gonna be terrible!'"
Buress understands the power of imagery. Even the name Eshu Tune is a name inspired by Nigerian mythology. Buress elaborated in his conversation with Free Times.
"I was trying to think of a separate name and looked up African mythology and saw Eshu was a trickster guy," Buress said. "It makes sense to have that. Cause some of the songs are funny, and yet some are grounded. The name lines up with the music."
Being on stage as a rapper wasn't something new for Buress; he once performed under the guise of MF DOOM. The late-MF DOOM persona had a reputation for not always being the one performing on stages when billed to perform. Buress talked about a moment when he acted as MF DOOM in front of unknowing fans at a Flying Lotus show during an Adult Swim's festival.Â
Hannibal Buress
"It was Flying Lotus' idea, I'm not sure if it was both him and DOOM's idea; I never met DOOM or talked to him. I did it for fun at the moment," Buress remembered. "I wish I prepped the verse better and my rap hands were better. It was one of those things I thought was fun, but never thought it would be something people would talk about now."
For now, Buress is using his comedy to supplement the music with a hybrid approach to the shows. The idea is not to be rigid, but free to do what feels good. He said incorporating his music is making the comedy side of things more enjoyable.
"I'm enjoying even doing my standup more now, too," Buress said. "This is my favorite tour out of all of my tours. The show feels fresh. And I use the comedy as fuel. I don't think anybody is on the road doing an hour standup and an hour rapping with a live band. So it's fun to be giving that experience."
The show comes amid turmoil over New Brookland Tavern's future. The beloved music venue on State Street in West Columbia's building was listed for sale in late-August, leaving the future of the decades-old locals' haunt up in the air. Special merchandise is for sale to support the business amidst the sale (and a potential move).Â
Buress' show at 11 p.m. on Sept. 8 (after the Sweet Spine show) at New Brookland Tavern in West Columbia. Tickets are $40 plus fees. Visit newbrooklandtavern.com for more info.Â
