SNL: Kyle Mooney Challenges Kanye West to a Rap Battle
Although Melissa McCarthy was the guest host on last night’s episode of SNL, the show found a great sketch in which to showcase musical guest Kanye West. Naturally, the sketch involves the always controversial hip hop artist facing down cast member Kyle Mooney, who decides to challenge West to a rap battle. Let’s just say that it doesn’t go well for one of them.
Mooney plays himself, speaking to a behind-the-scenes documentary crew backstage at SNL. It seems that he considers himself a serious rapper and that his musical journey was sadly derailed with he got roped into this whole SNL thing. The only way to get his real career back on track and reclaim his position as the hip hop artist to watch, is to confront West during rehearsals for an impromptu rap battle. And he does. And Kyle Mooney and Kanye West have a rap battle and you can guess which one of them comes out on top.
The sketch is played with such endearing faux honesty that it’s no surprise that the studio audience barely reacts to it at all. There aren’t too many actual jokes, just total absurdity played with a perfectly straight face. This whole thing feels like it could have been ghost-directed by Christopher Guest, which a high compliment for an SNL sketch.