Rap meets comedy, and the beat laughs on
"Hoodie Ninja"
"Nrrrd Grrrl"
MC Chris brings comedy and hip-hop beats to the Picador tonight.
Brooklyn’s MC Chris is at the forefront of a new hip-hop movement garnering plenty of attention across the country. Mixing rap with comical lyrics, he has created a slew of new material being exposed to an ever-growing fan base.
His brand of hip-hop already possesses the basic elements of the genre’s traditional output, yet adds the fresh lyrical content of a humorous, almost dorky nature. MC Chris (formerly Christopher Ward) will show off his skills today at the Picador, 330 E. Washington St. Also performing are Whole Wheat Bread and I Am the Dream. The event will begin at 6 p.m., and tickets are $12.
“I’ve loved hip-hop since I was in high school, and I basically imitated my heroes,” MC Chris said. “I grew up in a fairly white, upper-middle-class neighborhood, and at that time, that music was still considered to be very alternative and underground.”
MC Chris already has several albums to his credit, his most recent being *Part Six Part One*, released in March, and the upcoming (and aptly titled) *Part Six Part Two*. He first emerged onto the scene with his 2001 début, *Life’s a Bitch and I’m Her Pimp*.
Over the years, he has been to Iowa City a number of times, often during his years as a student at the Art Institute of Chicago, and each experience left him with a positive impression of Hawkeye country. He said he frequented the city in his young adult years with friends. In addition, he has also made several performance appearances here.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming to Iowa City, because it gets crazy all the time,” he said. “There have definitely been times where people have been carried out of the club.”
Creativity has been paramount in MC Chris’ life for a while, evidenced by his attendance at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He has been able to translate his distinct voice to the cartoon world, with his vocal work appearing on several animated television series. His most noted two-dimensional work occurred on the Adult Swim series “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” where he lent his larynx as the voice of MC Pee Pants. He also worked as production assistant on the show.
While still primarily focused on his music career, MC Chris hopes to bridge the gap between his music and his deep interests in TV, film, and anything else visual. He said he would like to eventually create some form of an “audio-visual hybrid” of his work.
His current The Floor is Lava Tour has taken him through the Midwest, South, and Northeast. With that experience, it’s no surprise he didn’t spare any words when describing his live performances.
“I like when a crowd is in tune with what you’re doing, and when the audience is on its toes,” he said. “When you put great things in, you usually get great things back, and you’re completely in sync with the crowd.”
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