Image via Complex Original
Daytime television has a certain reputation. It's generally reserved for mild, perhaps even mundane, content. For good reason. Daytime television is watched by children, housewives, and the chronically unemployed. So, at the risk of trafficking in stereotypes, a regular watcher of The Ellen DeGeneres Show seems less likely to be bumping Young Jeezy in their spare time than, say, Kelly Clarkson. In their Honda Odyssey, on the way to Super Stop & Shop, before picking Becky up from soccer practice. (It's not good to stereotype people. But still.)
Times change, though. And the traditional ways of thinking that birthed those stereotypes fall away. As hip-hop culture continues to bleed into mainstream popular culture, there are fewer and fewer places left where its influence can't be detected. Even the reserved and tame realm of daytime television programming.
For example, today, this very afternoon, if you tune into The Ellen DeGeneres Show, you can watch the world premiere of Kanye West's video for his song "Bound 2." (You can already stream the video, as well as Kanye's interview with Ellen, right now, in fact.) But this is not the first time that hip-hop that infiltrated daytime TV. Far from it, in fact. As strange as the notion still may seem, there have been plenty of precedents. Whether soap operas, talk shows, or even children's shows, rappers have been on the daytime boob tube and popping. Here are the 10 Greatest Rap Moments on Daytime TV.
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Kanye West On The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Date: October 2008
2013 is The Year of The Kanye Interview. If watching Kanye this year has taught us anything about him it's that his mind must be racing a mile a minute. But seeing this clip from 2008, when the death of his mother was still a fresh wound, you can see the impact the tragedy had on him. He isn't his boisterous self and it's heartbreaking to watch.
Over the years, Kanye has been on Ellen's show a few times, but this one was special not just because of Kanye's emotional state, but because he premiered the video for "Love Lockdown" as well—marking what may be the first time a major rap artist debuted a music video on a non-music talk show. Something he did again today by premiering "Bound 2." —Insanul Ahmed
Jay-Z on The Oprah Winfrey Show
Date: September 2009
For years, Oprah Winfrey had a contentious relationship with hip-hop. Things came to a head in 2006 when she was rather inhospitable to her guest Ludacris when he visited her show along with the rest of the cast of the film Crash. After that, Luda and other rappers like Ice Cube and 50 Cent started calling out Oprah, saying she had an anti hip-hop bias.
That's why when Jay Z ended up on her show in 2009, it was a pretty big deal. They talked a number of topics, from how hip-hop has brought people together to Jay's use of the n-word. If having Oprah finally aknowledge a rapper wasn't enough, Jay even brought her to Marcy for part of their interview. Later on "On To The Next One" Jay boasted, "Meanwhile I had Oprah chilling in the projects/Had her out in Bed-Stuy, chillin' on the steps/Drinking quarter waters, I gotta be the best." However, 50 Cent was still unamused. On "Play This On The Radio" he rapped, "I don’t wanna sip tea or chit chat on your sofa/Bitch I ain't Jay Z, fuck you Oprah!" —Insanul Ahmed
Snoop Dogg Martha Stewart Meme Is Wrong
Date: December 2009
No, this wasn't Snoop's first time on Martha Stewart's show (and certainly only one of his many, many appearances on daytime shows). He had previousy stopped by in 2008 and helped make mashed potatoes. Though he was charming as ever that time, it was way funnier watching him make brownies with Martha the next year, sneaking in a series of weed references (like asking, "Why not bake them at 420 degrees?"), which may or may not have gone over Martha's head.
The second time around, memes were starting to take off on the Internet, and his appearance birthed this classic. Sadly, it's factually inaccurate. Snoop was convicted of felony possession of drugs and possession for sale in 1990. Eh, nevermind. Point is, Martha Stewart keeps it gangster. And that's what really matters. —Insanul Ahmed
Nicki Minaj on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Date: October 2011
Bubbly British YouTube sensation Sophia Grace Brownlee had her dreams come true when Nicki Minaj made a surprise stop on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The Queens rapper gave the little girl such a shock that she wouldn't let go of Minaj before the two performed "Super Bass" together, with Nicki acting as hype-girl.
As if that wasn't a rainbow of sweetness, Nicki then promised Sophia Grace and her little sister side-kick Rosie a shopping spree for books and clothes, as long as they promised to stay in school. It's adorable—and very different from her appearance earlier this year, during which she declared she hates wearing bras and inspired Ellen's risqué Halloween costume. —Claire Lobenfeld
Pastor Troy on Judge Alex
Date: January 2012
"Today ... Judge Alex figures out if Pastor Troy had a right to change his tune." Unlike most daytime TV appearances, Pastor Troy's showing on Judge Alex wasn't really promotional in nature—though it was entertaining. Citing violence at a club in Augusta, Ga., where Pastor Troy was supposed to be performing, the rapper cancelled at the last minute, costing a promoter $5000 in promotional fees—or so the promoter would claim.
Judge Alex ruled on the promoter's behalf, ultimately, although he dropped the cost to Troy down to $2000, since the promoter didn't get receipts for, say, the DJ. This wouldn't be the only time Troy would appear on Judge Alex's show; he skipped out on another performance in order to catch the BET Music awards a few months later. —David Drake
Riff Raff on One Life to Live
Date: May 2013
RiFF RAFF is no stranger to the small screen. Our introduction to the eccentric rapper came via a spot on MTV's chivalry competition From Gs To Gents, but it was a cameo on the soap opera One Life To Live that solidified him as much more of a calculating art-freak than we had ever known. Guesting as a character named Jamie Franko, RiFF RAFF reinvented the diss song wheel, going on the show as a shot at the actor James Franco, right after the release of Spring Breakers.
Franco citing Dangeeruss, another white rapper, as the main inspiration for his character Alien ticked off RiFF RAFF, so he pulled from Franco's bag of tricks—Franco's recurring role on General Hospital—and one-upped him. It's a true wonder of hyper-meta weirdness...which is why we gave him his own show! Complex TV's original series "RiFF RAFF REAL" will premiere this Thursday. —Claire Lobenfeld
Will Smith Plays Hip-Hop Jeopardy On The Queen Latifah Show
Date: September 2013
The moment Will Smith graces the set of The Queen Latifah Show, you're reminded why he's a superstar. It’s one thing to see him running and crying on the silver screen every summer, but it's a totally different thing to see him completely mesmerize middle-aged women with his infectious persona and yellow-ass sweater.
In the interview, talking about his family, Will Smith hints at the Jaden Smith we've all come to know (and his seemingly endless stream-of-consciousness on Twitter). With their shared background in hip-hop, the hostess challenges The Fresh Prince to a rap battle, which turns out to be an episode of Jeopardy, hosted by the ageless swag lord himself, Alex Trebek.
In an unlikely turn of events, Tribek steals the show from Will by just being alive (peep the 20:05 mark). Oh yeah, Queen Latifah was there too. —Brandon Jenkins
Ice-T on Sesame Street
Date: June 2013
Ice-T: "I love the word 'rhyme.' Don't you love the word 'rhyme?' I love the word 'rhyme' so much I even love words that rhyme with the word 'rhyme.' Like 'time,' 'chime,' 'mime,' and 'sublime.' I love the word 'rhyme.' Rhyme..."
Director: "Cut! That's a keeper. Thanks everybo—"
Ice-T: "You know what's another word I love? I love the word 'bitch.' Don't you love—"
Director: "No, Ice. No, no. We got it, man, we're good..."
Ice-T: "Man, shut the fuck up!"
Director: [Blinks.]
Ice-T: "Yeah. I like the word 'fuck,' too. But, yeah, back to rhymes. I like rhymes that tell the truth, y'know what I'm sayin'? About life on the street. Rhymes like 'My life is violence/Violence is my life/Peace is a dream/Reality's a knife...' That one's from a song I wrote called 'Colors.' It's about gangs. What's your favorite color? If you go to L.A., you better be careful which color you wear depending on what neighborhood you're in. I also like acronyms, and initialism. Do you like shit like that, too? Like, rather than take the time to say a whole long sentence like, 'Hey, girls, let's get buck naked and fuck tonight,' I'll shorten that last part down and make an acronym for it using the just the first letter of every word. So it'll come out 'L.G.B.N.A.F.' So then I'll be like, 'Girls, L.G.B.N.A.F.' Word." —Dave Bry
Macklemore on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Date: August 2013
Ellen has been associated with “firsts” well before she earned her own talk show. She bravely became television's first openly gay actress in 1997 by coming out on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Later that year, her character also came out on her self-titled sitcom. This year, her talk show served as the platform for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis to perform their gay rights anthem “Same Love” for a national TV audience.
You can’t really tell from the footage, but we're sincerely hoping that Mary Lambert received some type of acclaim for her mesmerizingly beautiful chorus, inspired by her actual experiences growing up lesbian. This moment of praise would be the exact opposite of Macklemore’s VMA acceptance speech for Best Video With A Social Message, where he delivered a heartfelt address complete with pauses for crowd applause, totally cannibalizing any moment for Mary Lambert to weigh in. He did however offer her a courteous handshake. Nice one Mack. —Brandon Jenkins
Lil Wayne on Katie
Date: September 2013
Four years after their inaugural meeting, which produced the classic line “I am a gangster, Miss Katie,” Lil Wayne and Katie Couric met again—this time for the season premiere of her talk show, Katie.
Touching on some topics we’ve heard before, Lil Wayne discussed his family and plans to retire. Despite the familiar subject matter, we see a different Weezy sitting across from “Miss Katie.” Now an avid skateboarder, Wayne has toned down some of his gangster narrative. Perhaps the sting of jail, health scares, and focus on family have tempered him some. But the interview isn’t without a little flashback to his former self as he recants the time he prepared to bring a gun to school. A gun his mother copped for him.
The old shock of seeing Lil Wayne and Katie Couric sitting together on television is trumped by the warmth of wintessing what seems like a genuine friendship. A gangster, and a gentleman, Miss Katie. —Brandon Jenkins