Twista Shows Off Ventriloquist Skills & Explains Wanting To Rap Using Puppet

BY Erika Marie 4.3K Views
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Twista
It's an interest Twista has had since he was a young teen and he's perfecting his talents to help children with educational videos.

You never know what other talents rappers may have hidden away and Twista is showing off his impressive ventriloquist skills. The Chicago icon is known for his record-holding, quick-rhyming bars that have captivated Hip Hop for decades, but in a recent feature with Pitchfork, Twista elaborated on expanding his showmanship with the help of a ventriloquist dummy. It's an unexpected skill to see for those who have followed Twista's career, but with "Groucho" by his side, the rapper is making new moves.

According to his feature with Pitchfork, Twista was first inspired to get into ventriloquism after watching an Anthony Hopkins horror film named Magic when he was a teenager.

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"I would learn by watching television. I was into music so I would closely watch the puppeteer of Madame from Solid Gold and I also liked the Muppets on Sesame Street. Actually, a dream of mine was to do voiceovers for cartoons, but I really didn’t practice puppeteering much until I got older."

He added that his Groucho Marx-inspired puppet isn't his final partner in his latest venture; "Lil Twista" is in the making and real-life Twista wants to learn how to make his puppet rap at his speed. The design has set him back a few thousand dollars, but Twista believes it's worth every penny.

"My goal is to be able to make a puppet rap, but not like any rap—in the Twista style. I also want to use it to teach kids how to be safer: I could make educational videos about the universal safety rules and color-coding, things that could help in a crisis."

Check out Twista flexing his skills below.

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About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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