When it comes to popular comedians from Hawai’i, one of the well-known comedians was James Kawika Pi’imauna Replinger, better known as “Rap” Reiplinger.
Originally part of the comedy ensemble Booga Booga with James Grant Benton and Ed Ka’ahea back in 1974.
He would win an Emmy Award and bronze medal from the International Film and Television Festival of New York for “Most Outstanding Television Production” for his TV special, “Rap’s Hawaii”.
And was respected as his comedy was part of the Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1984, Reiplinger had gone missing for a week and authorities said to have died from 1984 from cocaine-related causes.
Reiplinger was reported to be found dead at the base of a hill near Maunawili Stream and that he may have fell due to cocaine overdose or committed suicide.
His wife at the time, television reported Leesa Clark Stone had always believed that suicide was not the reason.
In 2019, she wrote a book titled “Paradise to Paradise: The Rap Reilinger Story” (released in May 2019) and the investigation of Rap’s death and believes his death was not just the result of drugs and she and also those who knew Rap never believed he died from suicide. In fact, she heard a threatening answering voice message from a man threatening Rap about drug debt, gave it to police and the tape went missing.
While Reilinger’s death was a big shock to his fans, his Hawaiian style of comedy still lives forever and no matter how many decades has passed, the comedy still remains relevant today.
While Rap’s comedy can be seen on YouTube, there are only three albums of his released digitally (the others, you will have to hunt down on cassette or other audio media).
The one that is recommended and I am recommending is a compilation album which features two albums in one titled “Poi Dog With Crabs” (1992) which features all comedy skits from the albums “Poi Dog” (1978) and “Crab Dreams” (1979). You can find these albums by itself, but for this compilation, you get two albums for the price of one.
When “Poi Dog” was released, he was advised not to release it because it was a comedy album with skits. Not from a live concert performance, at the time, no one has released a comedy album with skits. But Rap decided he wanted the album to be released and with the Hawaiian Renaissance in full swing, these tracks would get airplay on popular radio stations in Hawai’i.
And he followed it up with the popular “Crab Dreams” the year after.
The album was released posthumously but this album showcases Rap at his best. And when you listen to the characters, it’s all Rap doing all vocal parts. His ability to speak normal and pidgin language is what attracts audiences and when you listen to it today, people still talk like that today.
Tracks such “The Young Kanakas” featuring a woman calling her husband Nathan to remove a dead cockroach in her bowling shoe. Or “Room Service”, a woman trying to take room service from Mr. Fogerty trying to order dinner, but she keeps getting distracted.
“Fate Yanagi” is a song in which he plays a character who had a brain hemorrhage and died after body surfing in the ocean and wants to send his farewells to Fate Yanagi and his friends.
When the album was released, many people wondered who was Fate Yanagi. Even a radio station DJ who contacted every Yanagi in the phonebook, in search of Fate.
In 2015, the real Fate Yanagi who inspired the song came out in public:
A track titled “Record Offer” featuring ethnic island hits by original island artists and I had to laugh when Rap imitates a Filipino, Chinese, Samoan, Caucasian missionaries and more. Or “Piano Bar” when a man tries to hit on a woman, not knowing she is a man.
These are just a few examples from what one can find on “Poi Dog With Crabs”.
With two albums in one, you get a total of 22 tracks. Some which are long at 3-5 minutes, while there are some that are under a minute long.
But the album is considered as Rap Reiplinger’s best (Note: There are two best of albums released back in the ’90s but those are no longer easily accessible today).
If you want to own a Hawaiian comedy class, Rap Reiplinger’s “Poi Dog With Crabs” is recommended!
