Superlatives
A Vulture series in which artists judge the best and worst of their own careers.
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with a playful, animated squeak.
By the end, Nardwuar closes with his signature kicker,Keep on rockin in the Free World!
Doot-doola-doot-doo, then freezing in place until the subject gives a Doot-doo!
Everyone has a story, and its up to me to bring out the story, he says.
If Nardwuar can do it, anyone can.
kindly dont just leave this up to me.
Most uncomfortable interview
Ive accepted that anything may happen during an interview.
As long as its on tape, thats most important.
I once interviewed Sebastian Bach of Skid Row.
I was videotaping it for cable-access television.
So I was like,Oh my God, I gotta wear something on my head.
Then I got some tartan pants to match.
Most startling answer
When I interviewed the Canadian historianPierre Bertonin 1992.
I said, Hey, have you ever used hallucinogens?
He was like, Yeah, sure.
I smoke pot with my kids.
So thats why I make a run at find questions that nobodys answering.
It was very nice Avi would lend me that, but it was kind of scary.
Best doot-doo
Logic.
The second time I interviewed him, I went Doot-doola-doot-doo and then he Silly Stringed me.
I could not believe that that was happening.
And then, another time, during an interview withDiplo, he ended up replacing me.
I also think there was some twerking involved.
And so Im on the phone and kept going, Doot-doo, doot-doo-doot?
Finally, about ten minutes later, a cleaning person came by and said, Hello?
Im like, Oh, is Rob Zombie there?
She said, He left ten minutes ago.
Im just cleaning the room.
I was like, Well, doot-doola-doot-doo, and the cleaning person went Doot-doo.
I was told I could interview Ashanti.
So I arrived at 2 p.m., but the interview didnt happen until 2 a.m.
It was 12 hours of waiting.
All Id brought were some cookies and apple juice.
But interviews are fun.
Like, if I have to wait hours to get a blood test, maybe I would be upset.
This, I have no problem.
Best Gen-Z rapper interview
Juice WRLD.
It was amazing because he actually put onTwitterthat he wanted to be interviewed by Nardwuar.
And I saw that, and we arranged it.
It happened at Neptoon Records in Vancouver.
I was so honored.
I still get choked up that he passed away.
Rest in peace, Juice WRLD.
But I couldnt give it to him because it was my friend Dianes.
So he just said, Im taking it.
Thats kind of what started ourbromance.
Theres always something to ask Snoop Dogg about.
My friend Leora once went to Kingsgate Mall in Vancouver and saw aSmokefestconcert on VHS.
He had never seen that before.
He had produced the movie, but he didnt have a copy.
Here we are, all these years later, because of the doll.
Yes, I do have a Snoop Doggy Dogg file.
Every time I think of something, I add to it.
Longest research session
There are many files on my computer.
If I think of something, I jot it down.
Ive put down a lot for Paul McCartney.
Some of the biggest documents were for Tyler, the Creator and Snoop.
There are so many pages I think I need a new computer.
Whenever I scroll down, the spinning ball of death appears.
Its like when you have a go at check someones old Tumblr page out.
It usually takes me 20 minutes to get to the bottom of a document.
Favorite Nardwuar meme
I interviewedFuturein 2014, and he said, The cheesecake wassensational.
Then a couple years later, somebody turned him saying sensational into a meme.
To top it off, when Future was onSaturday Night Live, he said, Check out my performance.
Its going to besensational.
So Future went from Nardwuar toSaturday Night Live.
His dream-interview list
Well, it probably would have been Tina Turner.
I still would love to talk to Barack Obama because theres all these great connections to Chicago and music.
Id love to talk to Paul McCartney and Neil Young.
From the newer generation, Id love to talk to Playboi Carti.
Cartis right up there with all of them.
So Barack Obama, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Tina Turner, and Playboi Carti.
First question hed ask Neil Young
Wheres Bevs sleeping bag?
My photographer friend Bev Davis was invited to accompany Neil on his famous journey in the hearse to California.
So she put her sleeping bag in the hearse.
And then Neil said, Hey, Bev, youre not going.
And he drove off with Bevs sleeping bag.
In 1999, I got a tip that Neil was eating dinner with his manager in Vancouver.
So I phoned up Bev, and she rushed down and we asked for an interview.
But we did get aphoto.
Ive tried over and over to get him, but now Ive almost given up.
Most gratifying response
In 2008, IinterviewedPharrell and gave him a book about skateboarding in Vancouver.
He was so impressed that he asked what he could do for me.
And I said, Could you maybe hook me up with Jay-Z?
But it was gonna be a six-hour drive to get there.
When I got to the fest, Pharrell was gone.
The interview was five minutes, and then I drove home.
The same thing happened when I interviewed Drake.
After the interview, Drake said, Can I hook you up with anybody?
And I was like, Lil Wayne.
Im so grateful to Franz Ferdinand, and the entire crew, for asking us to open.
That was an amazing gift.
Best artist note when he was sick
In 1999, I had a brain hemorrhage.
Then David Lee Roth sent me a get-well-soon card.
And then in 2015, I had a PFO closure.
Both times, people responded and saved my life.
But the difference was, after 1999, when I came home, I started freaking out.
I didnt feel like doing interviews anytime soon.
But then my friend told me that James Brown was coming to town and that I should interview him.
I said I didnt think I could do it.
But I did it.
You know, now when I wake up in the morning, I ask myself if Im happy.
I take a breath.
Thats why Im okay with bad interviews.
Im just happy to be alive.
Information hes proudest of tracking down
The research is still to be done.
The day youve done the ultimate research is the day you should quit.
Theres always something to find.
But also, a lot of the information is not that hard to find.
Most people just cant be bothered to follow through on the leads that they are given.
