Aziz Ansari and Eric Wareheim have been in Italy, shooting season 2 of Master of None, but they still found time to fit in a video for Kanye West’s “Famous.”
On April 15, Wareheim uploaded the video to his YouTube page. It was framed as a continuation of their Big Bud/Lil Bud storyline, which is both a reference to the sight gag that is their height difference and the basis of a failed ’90s sitcom. The two frolic through Rome’s cobblestone streets, eat delicious food, hump a car, and dance awkwardly to the Life of Pablo track.
Apparently, West approves of the video. However, earlier reports stating that this is the “official” video for the song were dismissed by West’s team, even though the video is now branded “official” and hasn’t been removed yet.
A rep for JASH, the comedy collective co-founded by Wareheim, told Vulture that Wareheim uploaded it to his channel with the collective’s help “when Kanye agreed to have it be the official music video for the song.” But a rep for West denied that it’s the official version.
Wareheim seems to be holding strong to his side. But JASH is also a comedy collective and Wareheim and comedy partner Tim Heidecker are pro trolls.
Zach Galifianakis showed up in the alternate version of “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” which West executive produced, so it’s not that far-fetched that he’d potentially link arms with Ansari and Wareheim. (And then there was that “Bound 2” parody.) Based the public edits West made on TLOP, it’s hard to imagine he’d actually sign off on this, but in the wake of his (re)written chapter(s) on DIY publicity, it’s also hard to tell what’s real.
Hopefully this just means West will have a cameo in season 2. Maybe as Medium Bud?
We’ve reached out to Wareheim and JASH for clarification.
Update 9:46pm CT, April 28: In a tweet, Wareheim appears to concede that his project is not an official video.
Our Kanye West video “Famous” is the FIRST of its kind: an Unofficial Official music video: https://t.co/oJ13Yb7zxw @azizansari
— eric wareheim (@ericwareheim) April 28, 2016