On ‘SNL,’ Lil Wayne And Future Address Consent

It took an elaborate satire for two of hip-hop’s biggest acts to address the elephant in the room of rap.

Saturday night on SNL, musical guest Lil Wayne performed two songs from his recently released LP The Carter V. He brought out pop singer Halsey for backing vocals on “Can’t Be Broken,” and producer Swizz Beatz to perform their song “Uproar” for his second segment. But the real highlight was Wayne’s collaborative appearance, along with the rapper Future, in a skit on sexual consent.

In “Booty Kings,” SNL players Chris Redd and Kenan Thompson starred as The Booty Kings, two flamboyant rappers, “the kings of that booty music”, who rock oversize Time’s Up lapel pendants next to their glaring, gold Booty Kings chains. The skit flips mainstream rap’s penchant for misogynistic content that objectifies women by featuring the duo, along with Uncle Butt, played by Pete Davidson, as rappers who prioritize consent first. Far from “conscious emcees,” they’re hilariously hellbent on navigating the learning curve.

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