'Weird Al' Yankovic: The Master of Parody
'Weird Al' Yankovic is "straight outta Lynwood."
Sept. 25, 2007— -- Pop stars may fade in and out of the limelight, but there seems to be one constant for fans of popular culture -- parodies of the hottest singles by "Weird Al" Yankovic. From "Amish Paradise" to "Gump," we all know his versions of some of the biggest songs to hit the airwaves.
This time around, Yankovic is parodying stars like Taylor Hicks, Green Day, R. Kelly and Chamillionaire on his latest album, "Straight Outta Lynwood." The master of parody took a break from his current tour to talk with ABC News' Gigi Stone on "What's the Buzz" about his new CD, his hit single "White & Nerdy" and living life as "Weird Al."
The inspiration for the title of "Straight Outta Lynwood" is drawn from Yankovic's California hometown.
"I am, in fact, from the hood. Lynwood is directly adjacent to Compton, where a lot of famous rappers have come from," Yankovic said. "Lynwood doesn't get the props that Compton does, and I just wanted to represent for my homies."
His Lynwood roots may have also contributed to Yankovic's now infamous parody "White & Nerdy," inspired by rapper Chamillionaire's award-winning "Ridin.'"
"Chamillionaire's been great [about the parody]. He's had nothing but wonderful things to say," Yankovic said. "I was just reading USA Today the other day and he says the reason he won a Grammy is because of the 'White & Nerdy' video, because it made it undeniable that "Ridin'" was the biggest song of the year."
Not only may it have contributed to Chamillionaire's Grammy win, the "White & Nerdy" video also showcased a talent not many people may realize Yankovic has -- he directed the video himself.
"I've done all of my own live action videos since 1992, and I've directed videos for other artists like Ben Folds, Hanson, the Black Crows," Yankovic said.
In addition to the live action videos he directs himself, Yankovic also released several animated videos for "Straight Outta Lynwood."
"I'm a big fan of animation. I love the medium, and it seems to work well with a lot of my songs," he said.
Related Stories
ABC News Live