James Kawika Piʻimauna "Rap" Reiplinger (July 16, 1950 – January 19, 1984) was a

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

an comedian, whose humor is an integral part of Hawaii today.

Biography

After attending

Punahou School Punahou School (known as Oahu College until 1934) is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 3,700 students attend the school from kindergarten through twelfth grade, 12th grade. Protestant missionar ...

, Reiplinger began performing professionally. In 1974 he helped create the comedy ensemble ''Booga Booga'' with James Grant Benton and Ed Ka'ahea. In 1982, he received an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

and bronze medal from the International Film and Television Festival of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

for the "Most Outstanding Television Production" for his television special, ''Rap′s Hawaii'', which he wrote and starred in. Reiplinger's writing, performance, and comic genius was part of the second

Hawaiian Renaissance The Hawaiian Renaissance (also called the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance) was the Hawaiian resurgence of a distinct cultural identity that draws upon traditional kānaka maoli culture, with a significant divergence from the tourism-based culture ...

of the 1970s and 1980s. Reiplinger was married to television journalist

Leesa Clark Stone Leesa Clark Stone is a television journalist and former news anchor. She originally worked for Honolulu, HI-based TV station KITV during the 1980s as a news reporter and anchor. Clark was also the reporter for KITV's "Working 4 You" franchise. Sh ...

, from October 25, 1983, until his death on January 19, 1984. Reiplinger died in 1984 from

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...

-related causes at age 33, after going missing for a week.

Television

* Rap's Hawai'i KGMB (1982)

Discography

*''Poi Dog'' (1978) *''Crab Dreams'' (1979) (Won a

Na Hoku Hanohano The Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, occasionally called the Nā Hōkū Awards or Hoku Awards, are the premier music awards in Hawaii.Berger, John"A night of Na Hoku Hanohano" ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser''. May 22, 2011.Haug, Kawehi"Hoku awardees shine ...

award for Best Comedy Album in 1979.)Na Hoku Hanohano Past Winners
*''Do I Dare Disturb the Universe'' (1979) *''Strange Bird'' (1981) *''Rap′s Hawaii'' (TV Special) 1982 Emmy Award (DVD 2003) *''Towed Away'' (1983) (Won a Na Hoku Hanohano award for Best Graphics in 1984.) *''Rap′s Aloha'' (TV Special) 1984 Broadcast posthumously. *''Poi Dog With Crabs'' (1992) (Poi Dog and Crab Dreams) Released posthumously. *''The Best of Rap'' (1993) Released posthumously. *''The Best of Rap, Too'' (1996) Released posthumously.

References

People from Hawaii 1950 births 1984 deaths 20th-century American comedians American television personalities Emmy Award winners Punahou School alumni Drug-related deaths in Hawaii Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners {{Hawaii-stub