With Reggie Watts soon to take over as bandleader for James Corden’s new Late Late Show, Comedy Bang! Bang! will now have to look to the sad duty of replacing him, lest the show leave Scott Aukerman lonely and adrift to have conversations with his talking furniture. Today that replacement has been announced: Rapper Kid Cudi will take over both the show’s musical duties and its palling-around-with-Scott duties on July 10, approximately a month after Watts’ final sendoff episode airs on June 5.
Cudi has a history of being comic relief as well as of replacing things, lightening up the otherwise sort-of grim Need For Speed with Aaron Paul, and stepping in as the new assistant whose race and/or sexual proclivities give Jeremy Piven something to yell about in the upcoming Entourage movie. He is also, of course, a Grammy-winning musician who’s worked with the likes of Kanye West and Jay Z, who are sort of funny, sometimes.
Fans of Comedy Bang! Bang! will get their first look at how Cudi might fit in when he makes his first appearance as a guest tomorrow, Feb. 20, on the IFC series. For his part, Aukerman said in a statement, “When he was on the couch, I knew he had charisma and star quality, but I thought he should move slightly camera right. Plus, my wife and I have been trying to have a kid for several years, and this is the next best thing.” Presumably that appearance will also address whether Scott will call him “Kid” or “Cudi.”
Back in December, Aukerman promised that the show had a “very fitting goodbye” planned for Watts, which we’ll just assume involves saying nice things to and about him.