S. Samuel
Footage from rap star Kanye West's nixed HBO sitcom pilot has surfaced online after initial plans were to have it air sometime around 2008.
The unexpected clip surfaced online this week and gives viewers an idea of what Ye’s show could have encompassed.
Back in 2008, Kanye West deemed himself “the black Larry David” and filmed a Curb Your Enthusiasm-style pilot for HBO. The untitled show never made it to the air, thanks to HBO deeming the show too “hardcore,” according to director Larry Charles, who’s the aforementioned show’s executive producer. Footage uploaded by West’s co-star Alison Quinn back in 2010 has started making the rounds online. In it, Kanye visits a Make-a-Wish kid only to find out the sickly child prefers Lil Wayne, R. Kelly, and a few other rappers. Since it’s her reel, Quinn gets a lot of the airtime here, though there are a few Kanye lines that’ll make you chuckle. But if this clip is indicative of the entire pilot, we can see why HBO decided to keep it on the shelf. (SPIN)
Show contributor Larry David previously spoke out on the sitcom’s concept.
“What Kanye West said to me the first time, he said, ‘I’m the black Larry David’,” said Curb contributor Larry Charles, who worked on the show five years ago. “That’s the first thing he said to me. So it’s like a Kanye and Curb show it’s kind of improvised about situations and stuff. It was really good, but again I think it was too hardcore for HBO.” Too hardcore, that’s… that’s definitely it. Too hardcore. Not ‘too terrible’. Too hardcore. That’s the line, and we’re sticking with it. (Heat World)
Back in 2011, footage from Ye’s unaired “Alligator Boots” television show leaked online.
Dear Comedy Central: Why did you never air “Alligator Boots”?! In this video discovered by The Vine, we take an extensive look behind the scenes at a 2008 pilot for “Alligator Boots,” a sketch/puppet show pilot created by rapper Rhymefest in collaboration with Kanye West and Daniel Ellison of Jackhole Productions, who also produced “Crank Yankers.” The show had almost the exact same concept as “The Muppet Show” — the puppets, which interact with live action celebrities, even were created by Jim Henson‘s Muppet Workshop — but with a decidedly hip-hop flavor. For instance, Rhymefest describes a sketch in which a literal pig is touted as the next big thing in rap, but nobody notices that he’s just a pig “except for smart people.” (Huffington Post)
In 2008, former G.O.O.D. Music associate Rhymefest talked to SOHH about the concept behind “Alligator Boots.”
“Alligator Boots is like something that when you hear it you want to laugh,” Rhymefest said of the title. He and Kanye tried to specifically avoid a title that would limit their show to an urban or hip-hop audience. “It’s kinda like black comedy but it’s got so many other cultural puppets in it and it’s going to be about the hypocrisy in our culture.” “It’s kinda like ’30 Rock’ and ‘Saturday Night Live’ put together,” Fest continued. “The show is about these puppets that are trying to put on this sketch parody variety type of show and you see sketches and pieces and bits but you also see behind the scenes them just trying to get to work.” (SOHH)
Check out Kanye West’s unaired HBO sitcom clip:
