In Living Color Musical Moments We Loved

Jodeci “Lately”

I don’t think this skit went as planned. It was supposed to be a parody of Jodeci’s cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Lately” that aired on MTV Unplugged. The lyrics were funny and Tommy Davidson brought it with the physical comedy. By the end of the skit, the laughs became cheers because we as an audience found out not only can Jamie Foxx sing but he could sing.

Vanilla Ice “Ice Ice Baby”

Jim Carey was the token white guy on the show. However, he was never used as such. He didn’t play the white guy who couldn’t play basketball or not dance. Carey was hands down the funniest person on the show because his timing while using physicality was and is second to only The Three Stooges. While playing Vanilla Ice he copied many moves Rob Van Winkle actually did and showed how ridiculous he looked “trying to be down.”

Snow “Imposter”

While In Living Color made fun of all things urban culture, they defended it. Canadian reggae artist had a big hit with the original ode to no snitching, “Informer.” The whole song talked about a white guy making watered-down black music and pointed out some amazing points. “Time Warner kicked Ice-T off the label for dissing the cops. They that just ain’t right. But when a Caucasian records a cop-hating song they don’t have a problem…must be an oversight.”

En Vogue and Wanda

Sometimes the musicians got in on the joke. After traveling on the road for their tour, En Vogue rests in their hotel to find their old friend Wanda in the window. Wanda wants to rejoin the group and the Funky Divas are reluctant, even after she reminds them that she used to be their choreographer. They humor Wanda by singing the breakdown for “Never Gonna Get It” for old time’s sake.

Michael Jackson “Black or White”

Over the course of 15 years Michael Jackson had gradually started to look different. Little by little, his nose got smaller, his skin got lighter, and all of a sudden he had a cleft chin. When 1991’s Dangerous was released, he looked like a white guy who hadn’t quite let go of the Jheri Curl. It was something that In Living Color felt needed to address.

Just like the Fox-aired extended version of “Black or White,” Tommy Davidson emulates the Kind of Pop dancing in the street and smashing up a car. A cop comes along and a confused Jackson asks the police man what color is he and gets arrested. “I guess I am black!”

Michael Bolton “When A Man Needs A Big Hit”

 Ironically, the singer/writer of “When A Man Loves A Woman”-passed away just two days ago at the age of seventy-four. R.I.P., Percy Sledge.

Shabba Ranks “Mr. Ugly Man”

I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that even if Shabba Ranks staged a massive comeback (without the help of A$AP Ferg’s hit “Shabba Ranks”) he will not be featured on this site for Man Crush Monday. While copying Ranks’ video almost frame-by-frame, In Living Color felt the urge to drive their point home by insinuating that Mr. Lover Man looked and sounded like a horse.

Crystal Waters “My Songs Are Mindless”

“Gypsy Woman” was an international hit. The song was about a homeless woman who sang “La-da-di La-di-da.” It really didn’t make much sense but it sounded good. Kim Wayans suggested that Waters wrote her songs by just reciting things she saw on TV at night.

Whitney Houston “Rhythmless Nation”

Whitney Houston could sing her behind off. But if you’ve ever watched the video for “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” you could see why she wanted accompaniment because she didn’t do so well by herself. Kim Wayans put on the curly wig, sand about how good the music is, and then did push ups instead of following the choreography.

MC Hammer “Can’t Touch This”

MC Hammer made genie pants fashionable and he danced his behind off in them. What better way to drive that point home than Tommy Davidson copying these moves to a tee and then getting caught up in them?

Trail Mix-A-Lot “Baby Got Snacks”

In the third season, In Living Color added two new players on the team. One of them was a new Fly Girl dancer from the Bronx named Jennifer Lopez and the other was Jamie Foxx. One episode starts off with Foxx almost word-for-word out rapping Sir Mix-A-Lot’s ode to posterior with memorable lines such as “Neck so thick she can eat a brick if it’s made by Frito-Lay.”

Jimmy Walker “Mama Said Knock You Out”

Shawn Wayans started off on the show as just the DJ. Like his other siblings-although some would disagree-he’s funny. By the end of the show’s run he made his way into a few sketches. His funniest one was probably one of the shortest skits in which he does a spot-on impersonation of Jimmy “JJ” Walker desperately looking for work or Mamma’s gonna kick him out.