ARLINGTON, Va. - Comedian Remy Munasifi is out with a new parody video that is becoming a sensation after just 24 hours online.

"Arlington: The Rap", which is posted on YouTube, pokes fun at gangster rap videos and Arlington County, specifically the Ballston-Rosslyn corridor.

The McLean native and Langley High School graduate made his new Arlington home the subject of his latest farce, with a focus on the homogonous look of his new environment: Starbucks, men in brown flip-flops, and the chain stores of Clarendon.

"I was always saying it's pretty tough," Munasifi joked. "Right next to the whole foods gets pretty dangerous."

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Munasifi, who recently relocated to Clarendon, said questions about whether he enjoyed his new neighborhood sparked the idea for the video.

He took a camera and a couple of his friends through the down and dirty streets of Arlington. He decided to put his ode to his new home to rap, edited and posted the video on YouTube. Suddenly he's got a comedy hit.

"The humor lies in the contrast between the musical style and the neighborhood itself," Munasifi observed.

ABC 7's Stephen Tschida Friday visited a coffee shop, where several patrons had already seen "Arlington: The Rap".

"It's really funny," said Stephanie Holland, a D.C. resident. "It gives Arlington some good attention."



But not everyone is pleased with the focus on chain stores and sterile streets.

"It's not as bland as it shows Arlington is," said Dan DeLuca, an Arlingtonian. "In fact Arlington is one of the best places to live."

Munasifi said comedy, not ridicule, was the video's goal.

"I love Arlington, that's why I moved here," he said, adding the video praises Arlington.

Munasifi says overall the reaction has been positive. Meanwhile he's getting used to his new life as a rapper, although he doesn't have the typical rapper trappings yet.

"I don't have Cristal, I have gatorade and Juicy Juice -- equally tough," He explained.

Munasifi had already made a name with videos about subjects as varied as McDonald's, hummus and Brad Paisley.

That's ABC 7's Rosslyn headquarters, note the news ticker, in the background of the YouTube screen capture.

As for his next project, "I'm not one hundred percent sure what next but it will probably be filmed in and around Arlington," he said.

Munasifi is booked to appear Friday night at 9 p.m. at a Youth Conference at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. The event is open to the public. 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW,  Washington, D.C., USA 20001.

 

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