Now Hanging Kristopher Pollard gets real with Fake-Ass Rappers at Hot Pop

The world of pop music can sometimes seem more like a cartoon than real life. Personalities are oversized and overdrawn—think Lady Gaga or Nicki Minaj—and the occasional “beefs” that arise are transparently scripted—think Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. Longtime Milwaukee artist Kristopher Pollard has tapped into that well of pop-music ridiculousness for his upcoming exhibition, Kpolly’s Fake-Ass Rappers. The results are both inspired and laugh-out-loud funny.

By narrowing his focus to the world of hip-hop, Pollard not only riffs on a common rap put-down, he takes the title of his show almost literally: None of his painstakingly illustrated rappers are real, and many of them are modeled on friends and acquaintances. (You won’t find the “Midwest Ugly 3-Way Crew” anywhere on Spotify.) By his own admission, Pollard’s appreciation for hip-hop is rather recent, but his distinctive style and wry sense of humor combine to form a remarkably accurate (if whimsical) take on the genre.

The opening reception for Fake-Ass Rappers is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 1 from 5-9 p.m. at Hot Pop. The exhibition runs through March 28.