Everyone knows Weird Al Yankovic as the polka-loving parody king. But there’s a rap-loving protégé making a name for himself with his parodies.
Kyle Exum’s songs can be found on his eponymous YouTube channel. In one, he parodies Drake’s “God’s Plan” into “Dad’s Plan,” which jokes about fatherly stereotypes. “Mama Mode,” a parody of Travis Scott’s “SICKO MODE,” does the same for mothers.
Of course, like Yankovic, Exum also uploads some original songs, too. These, too, are largely comedic in nature—like when his social media apps release diss tracks against each other.
When Exum isn’t making music on his channel, he’s uploading comedic skits, poking fun at such things as various fast food restaurant stereotypes, situations at school and more.
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Exum’s parodies are clever, and his original songs are catchy. Many of the situations he parodies are relatable experiences at which plenty of viewers will be able to laugh. Exum’s channel is meant to brighten days through comedy and music.
Exum has published a book for children—a trap-style rap based on the story of the Three Little Pigs, which he promotes, reads and raps on his channel. Because the normal version of his book contains slang and grammatical changes to help the lyrics flow better, Exum also chose to release a second version of the book without slang or grammatical issues. He specificized that he made the second version so as to not confuse a young reader who was still learning language with the slang and improper grammar.
A recurring joke in Exum’s parodies suggests that his parents whipped him with a belt. Exum references a meme about hitting a blunt.
A variety of jokes carry light sexual innuendo: In a skit set in the 1800s, for instance, Exum claims a woman has an “OnlyFolks” page. A skit with an uncle shows the man holding “aunty auditions,” where being single is optional. In a joke about rappers being able to get away with saying anything in their songs, Exum’s satirical sample contains “I eat squirrel booty on a daily basis.”
While we didn’t hear any crude words, God’s name is occasionally taken in vain—and a skit revolving around Chick-fil-A’s religious background brings forth some religious jokes. Additionally, some of the parody raps are based on songs that are crude, and parents should be aware that kids listening to the parodies might seek out the original versions. In one video, Exum plays the Sheck Wes’ “Mo Bamba,” a comically crude song whose constant crude words are bleeped out for comedic effect in Exum’s video.
Exum’s channel hopes to make you laugh, whether through his clever wordplay or through his relatable jokes. While many of the videos on his channel are relatively clean, some contain the occasional adult joke that may catch a viewer off-guard. While even these moments are relatively tame, many parents may not be willing to allow their kids to entertain those instances.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He’s also an avid cook. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”