3 Ways The 85 South Show Is Reinventing Comedy
The 85 South is returning to host the 16th annual BET Hip Hop Awards on Tuesday, October 5 at 9 PM ET/PT on BET.
Composed of DC Young Fly, Karlous Miller, and Chico Bean, the comedic supergroup is home to some of the fastest rising comedic talents from the south and are packed with talent as we saw during last year’s ceremony.
Veterans of MTV’s Wild ‘N Out, the three comedians have been able to both build a brand out of their southern roots and launch independent careers all worthy in their own perspective.
Atlanta native DC Young Fly went from being named “Rookie of the Year” in 2017 to being cast as a lead on the MTV series Wild ‘N Out. Born John Whitfield, the 29-year-old has since used the platform to host MTV’s TRL, star in movies like How High 2 and was even listed as Variety’s “Top 10 Comics to Watch” in 2019.
Hailing from Oxford, Mississippi, Karlous Miller also got his shine from making a stamp on Nick Cannon’s improv comedy program. After serving as a regular on the fifth season in 2013, Miller was elevated to co-host. He has also made appearances on such television shows as Hell Date, Comic View and The Mo'Nique Show. Additionally, Karlous Miller was 1st runner up on NBC’s Last Comic Standing.
Last but not least there’s Greensboro, North Carolina’s very own Chico Bean. Another Wild ‘N Out veteran from season five well known for his “Old School Fools” rap battle, Bean has since gone on to star in national fast food and athletic advertising campaigns, and has appeared on shows such as The James Davis Project and the Steve Harvey Talk Show.
Being that the group is hosting the upcoming ceremony in a couple of days, here’s a look at why they’re so great and such a force in comedy.
Podcast
While on one hand it can be said that everyone podcasts now, such is not the case for comedians — at least not starting out. And for the 85 South, it’s been their way of reinventing comedy and staying relevant.
Described as “a podcast for people who don't know what a podcast is” on their homepage, the group has been shaking up the podcasting scene with improvs and freestyles and special guests tied tight to the culture.
Today it’s about being able to occupy multiple platforms, which the group has proved to do well. Just the other day the podcast went viral after having a sexologist on breaking foreplay down to Karlos.
Hip Hop
Tearing out a page in Lil Duval’s notebook, The 85 South Show is further revolutionizing the comedic scene by associating close to hip hop.
While there’s been comedic and hip hop collaborations before, the 85 South Show is immersed to the point where, at times, there’s no distinction.
From having hip hop stars as guests on their podcast to even rapping themselves, the trio of southern brothers have closely tied their brand to the genre in a way that hasn’t been seen. And, as a result, they’ve attracted an entirely new audience.
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Performance
85 South is changing the landscape of comedy the most through their performances. Breaking all traditions of standup — like all three of them occupying the stage at once, there not being any real script or bit and the incorporation of music — they’ve created a comedic atmosphere that you simply cannot find elsewhere.
There’s never a way of knowing what they’re going to do next and that’s why people keep selling out their shows.
