"Saturday Night Live" saw a ratings boast with the debut of newcomer Sasheer Zamata and guest host rapper Drake, and it was arguably one of the best shows the cast has put on in quite some time.
Zamata's parts on the Jan. 18 show weren't exactly huge; she had bit parts but no significant lines. However, multiple reports stated her talent shined through in her introduction to the show.
Zamata played a dancing Rihanna, an aunt of Drake during his Bar Mitzvah opening monologue act and more. It's atypical for most newcomers to be in so many skits their first time around, which many Twitter users pointed out.
"I'm not sure why ppl expected more for Sasheer's premiere. Isn't it rare for a new #SNL cast member to even be in this many skits?" one commenter tweeted.
"SNL making up for years of ignoring black pop culture in one night. #SNL," another wrote.
However, Drake easily stole the spotlight, most likely taking pressure off of Zamata for her debut. Before becoming a rapper, Drake (real name Aubrey Graham) was an actor on the Canadian teen drama "Degrassi". Many did not expect Drake to do as well as he did, as his impressions and comedic timing was on par to "SNL" guest host veteran Justin Timberlake.
Drake did an amazing Katt Williams impression:
Did awesome on the "Morning Miami" skit:
Not to mention is impression of Lil Wayne as Steve Urkel:
Fans of Drake also took to Twitter to praise his performance as both host and musical guest on SNL.
"Hopefully Drake will become the Black/Jewish Justin Timberlake and become a consistent host on #snl," one commenter wrote.
You can check out Drake's full SNL episode on NBC here.
What did you think about the rapper's performance on SNL? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
