Pop culture icon Justin Timberlake joined an exclusive club this weekend, becoming the first person since Drew Barrymore to host Saturday Night Live for the fifth time. The extended club was present during Timberlake’s opening monologue, including SNL veterans Chevy Chase and Steve Martin. Actress Candice Bergen, the first woman ever to host the sketch comedy show, made an appearance as well.
The episode pulled out all the stops, bringing back classic cast members and characters from decades past. Dan Akroyd and Martin showed up as the “Wild and Crazy Guys” along with Timberlake and a returning Adam Samberg to compete over the affections of Kate McKinnon during a dating show sketch.
Timberlake also took an opportunity to take a dig at rapper Kanye West during a performance of his new single, “Suit & Tie.” West expressed his distaste for the track during a London tour stop last month, prompting Timberlake to do some improvisation on SNL.
“My hit’s so sick got RAPPERS acting dramatic,” the former N’sync member sang, replacing a line that normally goes, “aww, s**t so sick, got a hit and picked up a habit.”
If West finds himself hurt by the dig, he can at least take solace in the fact that Taylor Swift has a framed picture of the moment when the rapper infamous interrupted her MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech, according to Vanity Fair.
Timberlake’s recently announced “Legends of the Summer” tour will pair him with West’s Watch the Throne partner Jay-Z, who is also featured on “Suit & Tie.” The SNL appearance was the latest in a series of promotional appearances for Timberlake’s third solo album, The 20/20 Experience, due out March 19.
Pre-orders of the album included a $449 package offering promotional materials and an autographed black and white photo from his Grammy performance earlier this year. Despite the steep price tag the bundle has already sold out, according to Timberlake’s personal website.
