People like to laugh at hip hop. Hell, a lot of comedians at this year’s Comedy Festival will have at least one mock rap performance in their shows: a parody that usually bears more resemblance to drag than to anything hip hop. References to the backwards hat, baggy pants, vernacular and lifestyle all seem rather hilarious and, at times, rather racist. But what these comedians don’t realise is that, in fact, the joke is on them.

Most real hip hop is funnier and smarter than any of their played out punchlines. These comedians have nothing on Kool Keith, Slick Rick and newer rappers like Cam’ron, Ludacris, and even most of G-Unit. The line between comedy and hip hop is further blurred in the world of freestyling and battling – both are pretty much dominated by jokes these days.

So when an act, Freestyle Love Supreme, claims to take the comic elements of hip hop seriously, you think it is going to be pretty funny. Unfortunately, it isn’t. The show needs more laughs and less boring audience members retelling their boring days. And is it still freestyling if you pass on nine audience suggestions before choosing a topic you are comfortable rapping on?

Having said that, Freestyle Love Supreme is rather sweet, if not sentimental. Its biggest problem is that it’s not funny enough. There is some decent beatboxing, but don’t expect to hear either of the two MCs rhyme more than two syllables at a time.