Margaret Cho Wants to Challenge Sarah Palin to a Freestyle Battle

By Maggie Coughlan Posted Aug 23rd 2010 10:03AM

It's hard to take Margaret Cho seriously. Best known for her sometimes-raunchy, always-hilarious stand-up and her turns on comedies like Lifetime's 'Drop Dead Diva,' Cho isn't the first person you think of when it comes time for a snark-free political discussion.

But with the August 24 release of 'Cho Dependent,' the new album that pairs her notorious sense of humor and killer singing voice with the talents of artists like Ani DiFranco, Fiona Apple, Tegan and Sara, Tommy Chong, Ben Lee and Jon Brion, Cho proves that she can be seriously funny about a host of weighty topics.

As a whole, 'Cho Dependent' rises above any one musical genre with thirteen tracks ranging from hip-hop to country to rock and roll.

"I'm a good lyricist and that I'm someone with unfailingly good taste, great taste in music and great taste in picking out amazing people to collaborate with. The idea was just write something that I thought would be funny and pair it with the right person so that it kind of musically matched what they do but at the same time had my sensibility," Cho says of her time in the recording studio.

Cho sat down with PopEater to talk battle rhymin', taking her musical talents to TV and what Lindsay should be listening to while in court-ordered rehab. Read more after the jump!

With so many big names on your debut album, who did you find the most intimidating?
I think probably the people that I knew the best! Like John Brion or Grant [Lee Phillips] because I knew them so well as people and I'd never actually thought of playing music with them. They were also the people who taught me the most musically.

I've gotta admit that when I think of musical comedy, the first thing that comes to mind is Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg's 'D**k in a Box'...
Oh yeah, yeah. That's a great, great example of a wonderful comedy collaboration. I never thought of that.

Putting out an album like 'Cho Dependent,' you're setting yourself up for plenty of comparisons. What separates you from someone like Weird Al Yankovic?
Weird Al is a phenomenal musician, and actually if you think about song parodies, the musicians or the comedians who make the songs have to be better than the musician that actually wrote the original material because you have to have it sound exactly like the original composition for it to work. I don't have the musical expertise. Weird Al is a phenomenal musician.

We see you've got a hip-hop song on your track list. How are you at freestyling?
I'm not very good! I have the one song on my album, which is 'Battle Rhyme,' that's probably the ultimate thing that I can do. That's probably the hardest thing you can do in terms of freestyling -- battle rhymes -- because you're under pressure, you've gotta actually insult somebody and be somewhat lyrically astute at the same time. I can do battle rhymes, but that's where the freestyling ends.

Who would you love to take on in a freestyle battle?
Maybe Ann Coulter? I just generally disagree with her politics. Anybody that's any teabag, tea party person. Sarah Palin would be a good person to freestyle against.

You know, Sarah Palin is getting her own show on TLC.
Are they just gonna shoot moose? What are they gonna do? That's interesting.

Katy Perry's 'California Gurls' has been called the song of the summer. Some celebs have been having pretty intense summers themselves. What would be a good soundtrack for the whole Mel Gibson debacle?
Oh God! That's interesting because it's very chaotic, so probably metal. But then I like metal ... there should be some beats under it, there needs to be something.

What about Lindsay Lohan going from jail to court-ordered rehab?
'Burning Down the House.' That's probably the one.

Comments

(24)

Monday 23 August

By jeywgfs

Vote down Vote up Report this

hwryt

By Jasna

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Why is the left so afraid of Sarah Palin? She must really be on to something. If she was just this bumpkin they try to paint her what would be the point of such constant attacks. (We have Joe Bidden to kick around and really, he does that to himself) I realize the person who did the interview picked those couple snippets attacking Sarah Palin and the Tea Party because they would get the most reaction but for me it just turned me off to what else she said and to Cho in general.

Wednesday 25 August

By Mathhew

lets explain this in my favorite way, with an analogy. Say your in a room with a starving monkey and a banana. The monkey, by some strange design flaw, is keeping the room from falling on you by standing still in the same spot. But some very important people threw a banana in the room and kept it out of the monkey's reach so he would have to move to get it. The monkey really wants the banana and moves from the center of the room causing it to collapse. Now, you aren't angry at the monkey because it's not it's fault it was placed there, you are angry at the people who were dumb enough to place it there. But you are afraid of the monkey because if the monkey makes one wrong move, a move it has no idea would harm you or it because of a lack of self awareness, it could really harm you. Does that help you out?

By Apostate

Should be mildly amusing at the very least...

By StevieRay

She's like a prostitute, jumping in bed with anyone, hoping to make it big. She's a looney left bigot.

By Ks

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Afraid of Palin? U bet ya. Just the thought of that dumb cow trying to be pres. of this country, is horrible.....

That was a well thought out arguement! Way to go - But of course the left has no real arguements, just personal attacks.

By WILL

Ks you just proved the point by calling her a cow , what are you 12 ?

By Ks.

Hey Jasna...I,am not argueing with you or any one else. Get over yourself,dear. Just saying what alot of people have said over and over again. Palin is not pres. material...nuf said..

By Nancy

Obama is not pres material either. He never lead so much as a Boy Scout troop before he became president. The left was so hell bent on electing a black man they didn't care that he wasn't qualified. He is in way over his head. At least Sarah Palin was a very successful governor of our largest state(area wise). The Dems are scared to death of her or they wouldn't spend so much time attacking her.

By Leslie

No Nancy Obama is not in over his head. However, he does have a huge mess to clean up from the previous administration-which can't be done overnight. And you need to be honest it doesn't matter what he does you will find fault with it. He is intelligent,Sarah Palin is not. I am not really sure how successful she was as governor since she resigned early. What is it that you see in her? I am baffled. Sure she is pretty and she has personality but that doesn't mean you should hold any office let alone the presidency. And really no one is afraid of her she is just an excellent target.

By grichieg79

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

this beast should challenge the ugly ho michelle obama. the gorilla will fight cho for money

By Sandy

It is inappropriate to call Michelle Obama names. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Sarah Palin is amusing, but not a treat to anyone. Get over it!

By jjgg5

I'd like to see Cho debate Palin. Cho would demolish the Half Governor of Alaska.

By mikio067

Yep, the progressives are out of ideas; there's nothing left for them but ugliness and personal attacks. BTW, Sarah would beat the crap out of poor Margaret Cho.

By mbrul

always-hilarious stand-up
seriously? when was the last time anyone saw/heard of this mediocre talent? this is just some lame publicity stunt that the media has swallowed hook line and sinker. wanna bring your career back from the dead? mention palin and you'll get press, yes, the same press that wouldn't do an article on you if you died, now thinks you're "always hilarious."
bias, what bias?

By american

Just another "entertainer" (aka ultra liberal) sounding off.

By Shanghied

KS- PALIN WOULD MAKE A BETTER PRESIDENT ANYDAY OVER OBAMA

By enough already

Margaret you would be better facing off with Snooki - at least you might actually have a chance to win!

By rknapp0205

Never heard of this woman, and now that she has joined the looney left, it's just as well. So she wants to challenge Sarah Palin to a physical fight? That's certainly showing maturity.
Once again, may I remind the lefties that prior to her nomination to be VP, she was the darling of the lefties because she cleaned out the bad actors in Alaska, who happen to be republicans. Only when lefties discovered those same actions would eventually put her at odds with them, they immediately sent the attack dogs (aka liberal lawyers).

Page 1 of 2