Comedian Hannibal Buress drops a new 'Judge Judy' track, a hilarious critique of the celebrated TV show
The comedian Hannibal Buress is well regarded as one of the funniest and most original stand-up comics performing in the United States today. Most fans are already familiar with his proven freestyle ability, so it probably comes as no surprise that Buress would eventually showcase his hilarious turn of phrase and scintillating wit on a new solo rap track. But it's the subject of his new hip-hop song that has made the music world sit up and take notice - it's none other than the matronly Judy Sheindlin, who presides over a reality TV show called 'Judge Judy' that resolves small claim disputes on a courtroom set built for TV.
The legendary 77-year-old Judge Judy has been a long-serving face on the legal TV show, currently in its 25th season, and Hannibal acknowledges that at the start, saying "Everybody gotta story, you know? Fifty-two hundred episodes." The track, which features frequent collaborator Ron Lamont and producer Chrome Sparks, presents Hannibal as a defendant in Judge Judy's court, and offers a lighthearted critique of the show and the people who choose to appear on it simply because Judge Judy is such an iconic figure.
Check out the brand-new bars here:
Sample these hilarious lines for starters, performed in Hannibal Buress's trademark deadpan, languid style -
Judge Judy, remember me?
I was on an episode in 2003
Yeah, I was the defendant and you doubted me
Cuz they said I didn't pay rent for a thousand weeks
I am a squatter B, I can't live in squalor, see
Plus I got
All these baby mommas
So, I had to learn the law
And just cut out this one cost for me
Pay rent for three months
Then get the house for free
The closing lines too, are pretty scathing -
Judge Judy, the formula
Is all over TV
A judge with charisma
Gives up the good word
And that's what they will be...
They all look up to you, financially
But they cannot get on the floor
Cuz even if they are double-digit millionaires
Compared to Judge Judy
They're poor
Speaking about his motivations for the track, Hannibal Buress said, “5200 episodes of the same scenarios. Why do people go on the show knowing that there’s a good chance of being berated? Does their fandom blind them so much that they’re willing to be embarrassed on national television by the legend?" He also questioned the aftermath of people's decision to appear on the reality TV show - “What happens when they return to their hometowns? Do they ever live it down or is it a stain on them forever?” quizzed Buress after his latest bit of inspired social commentary.
But in the end, it was still a backhanded homage to one of reality TV's most beloved personalities - “Judge Judy is an examination of Judy’s longevity and tenacity in a simple format,” Hannibal Buress admitted. He also concluded by saying "Chrome Sparks killed the beat. Ron Lamont did an amazing job on the hook.”