Nardwuar is an amazing human being. It’s a proven fact, because science (love that thing). The middle aged icon, along with his tartan hat, have become a thing of legend over the years, with his penchant for surreal questions and ridiculously in-depth research to his interviewees. Many artists have commented that his interviews are the best they have ever had. In an interview with Pharrell and Che from N.E.R.D., Nardwuar produced Pharrell’s first record ever made. His response? “This is one of the most impressive interviews I’ve ever experienced.”
Nardwuar’s interview style can be very abrasive, often playing for points in ridiculousness. His vocal tone varies wildly between normal speech and squeaky, high-pitched squealing. It can take some getting used to, but if you can get past the initial annoyance of the whole schtick, you’ll find an impressively conducted and unbelievably thorough interview.
Nardwuar recently released an hour-long interview with Drake, one of, if not the most in-depth, insightful Drake interviews to date:
So, as a celebration of this wondrous human serviette, we’ve put together some of the greatest moments he’s had during his interviews.
Nardwuar VS Snoop Dogg
In the unlikeliest of Bromances (I hate that word), Californian rap-legend Snoop Dogg and Torontonian Nardwuar have forged a friendship stronger than steel. Having conducted a whopping seven interviews over 16 years, Nardwuar and Snoop have steadily grown closer, exchanging banter and continuing a running joke of Snoop stealing something from Nardwuar each time they meet. The best moment, however, is when Snoop is rolling a blunt during one of their interviews, and before they start, he gets up and microwaves it for 11 seconds. Learn something new everyday.
Nardwuar VS Nas
This interview had to get a mention, if only for the ending, which was weirdly painful to watch. The chat between Nardwuar and New York rapper Nas started off well, with Nas even stating halfway through that “this is crazy, I like you,” (a common reaction to Nardwuar’s interview style). It took a turn for the worse, however, when Nas asked if he was able to keep all of the things he was being handed, which unfortunately was answered with a no. His mood shifted, with a clear icy edge coming over him. From there, nothing went right; the mic was now too close, Nardwuar’s questions about Jay-Z diss Ether could be seen as a “sign of disrespect,” and when the famous “doot doola-doot doot…” came, Nas simply said “It’s over, move away the mic.” Ouch.
Nardwuar VS Tyler, The Creator
Nardwuar is weird, in a really impressive and endearing way. You know who else is weird? Tyler, The Creator, but in a much, much more inappropriate way. As the two meet, the weirdness collides to form a 20-minute interview that will make you burst out laughing and generally just wonder, “what the fuck?”. My personal favourite part is when asked if there will ever be a Tyler, The Creator action figure, Tyler just deadpan says “No. My fans would probably rip a hole in it and fuck it.”
Image: Wikipedia