17

SUNDAY

Despite the fact that he unleashed the unspeakable horror of the hiphop skit track onto the record-buying public, Prince Paul deserves our forgiveness. I know, it’s difficult. So many decent albums have been disrupted by irritating, between-song comedy sketches that weren’t even funny the first time through. (“Doc’s da Name 2000,” anyone? “The College Dropout”?) But Paul is one helluva producer. And, unlike some of his colleagues, he’s actually a humorous fellow: His contributions were the funniest bits on Chris Rock’s Never Scared, and the skits are the very glue that holds together White People, the latest release from Handsome Boy Modeling School, his collaboration with Dan the Automator. The disc reflects a debt to such discomforting white comedians as Chris Elliot and Martin Mull as much as it does to old-school hiphoppers. And the mustaches worn by the group’s alter egos—Chest Rockwell and Nathaniel Merriweather—are disturbingly reminiscent of the one Andy Kaufman donned as Tony Clifton. Expect the live show to have as much comedy (or its cousin, awkward silence) as music. HBMS plays with K-Os and the Rondo Brothers at 9 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $18. (202) 397-7328. (David Dunlap Jr.)