The five best moments from Drake’s surprisingly hilarious stint on Saturday Night Live
Drake’s appearance on the January 18th edition of Saturday Night Live was pretty great. The rapper proved that he has comic timing, he demonstrated a willingness to make fun of himself, and he even managed to get in a couple of solid musical numbers between bits. Because Toronto loves him, here’s a rundown of the five best moments from the show.
1. His bar-mitzvah rap
“Jewish rapper becomes a star” sounds like the synopsis of a terrible Mel Brooks movie, but here we are. Drake’s opening monologue included a sketch with him as a bar-mitzvah boy, dressed appropriately in an ill-fitting vest and bow tie. (You can watch the sketch here.) Almost nobody else in hip hop could get away with this much self-parody, and the nod to Drake’s heritage was genuinely heartwarming. Smart, unathletic Jewish kids have never had a role model like this before.
Anyone hoping for Drake to double down on the self-deprecation with a wheelchair-Jimmy parody would have been disappointed, though: aside from a couple brief mentions, his days on Degrassi: The Next Generation weren’t much of a factor in the night’s sketches.
2. His impression of Lil Wayne
Give your eyes a moment to tease apart this pop-culture Matryoshka doll. Yes: it’s Drake as Lil Wayne as Steve Urkel. Mocking the sizzurp-loving gun enthusiast could be seen as a risky move for someone pursuing a career in rap, but Lil Wayne was one of Drake’s mentors, so we guess it’s probably fine.
3. His cosplay cameo
In the middle of a somewhat weird and unfunny musical sketch about New Year’s resolutions, SNL gave us this amazing image of Drake dressed as a wizard, throwing pretend lightning bolts at a guy dressed as an elf. In some alternate universe, a young Aubrey Graham turned to hardcore LARPing after blowing his Degrassi audition.
4. His all-too-perfect impersonation of an embarrassing dad
Drake’s portrayal of an embarrassing dad at a teenage slumber party was proof—if proof were needed—that his career is bound to be a long and fruitful one. If, in 2040 or so, the music world has left him behind, he’s just a Cosby sweater away from a job as a snack-food pitchman.
5. His duet with Jhené Aiko
For his second musical performance of the night, Drake sang “From Time” with his occasional collaborator Jhené Aiko. The pair’s chemistry was noticeable, and the duet was a perfect way to close out the night.
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