The Majah Hype Overdue comedy tour stopped in Toronto and the King of Caribbean Comedy did not disappoint says SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne.
Atlanta-based, New York raised comedian, Majah Hype, has made a name for himself over the past 12+ years through his content and standup comedy performances geared towards Caribbean audiences. Billed as the “King of Caribbean Comedy”, Majah Hype has every Caribbean accent down to perfection which he attributes to growing up among family and neighbours in New York City.
In a recent interview with SHIFTER, Majah Hype gave us his secret sauce for how he became the man of many accents.
“I had a Bajan living across the street, a Guyanes living down the block, a Jamaican living next door”, he explained. “It was really diverse living on the block itself. You’re going to your friend’s house and you’re hearing how their parents talk. Every time I went to the Bajan household, I’d speak Bajan. Every time I’d go to the Guyanese household, I’d speak Guyanese.”
He also credits his background as as a trained musician, playing eight instruments, with giving him an ear to pick up sounds and bring them to memory.
Before even becoming a comedian, he had already played in front of 10,000 to 60,000 people, and his comfort in front of crowd was on full display on Sunday night at the Toronto Pavillion for the latest stop in his Overdue comedy tour, which also saw him perform in Ottawa and Montreal. It was SHIFTER’s first time seeing Majah Hype perform live after only watching his content, so this was a show we were looking forward to.
WATCH NOW: Sit down interview with Majah Hype
The night was hosted by Toronto-based Jamaican content creator, Yawdie, known for his sometimes high pitched Caribbean food reactions on Instagram and TikTok. The guest DJ for the night was DJ 2Nice who was spinning the best in dancehall and soca.
Meanwhile, opening for Majah Hype was multi-hyphenate Toronto comedian, content creator, podcaster and radio host, Marlon Palmer, whose set captured the young Jamaican-Canadian experience, from his love for being Jamaican, to meeting his estranged father at No Frills and having to find a new weedman. It was our first time seeing Palmer perform live as well, and he didn’t disappoint.
Then it was Majah Hype’s turn to grace the stage. With only one opening act, the wait for the main event felt short and sweet.
For an hour, Majah Hype joked about everything from his fear of Haitians and their witchcraft and Jamaica’s aggressive accent, to being beat by his Jamaican mom (including while doing homework; something many can relate to). While he gave ample time to talk about his own Jamaican experience, he spread the love to Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana and Haiti, and took some time to engage with the crowd.
When we think about Black comedy, we often think about African American comedy, and acts like Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Martin Lawrence, and Bernie Mac. This is why comedians like Majah Hype play an important role in bringing the Caribbean experience to the stage. His show felt more like a family gathering for Caribbean people with Hype playing the role of the funny uncle telling stories around the dining table. As Caribbean people, it was an opportunity for our stories to be told by one of our own.
Overall, his return to Toronto, and SHIFTER taking in one of his live shows, were long overdue and he definitely didn’t disappoint.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toronto-based editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 300 international voters for the Golden Globe Awards by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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