Chris Redd’s road to Saturday Night Live took a few more unusual twists and turns than most. An aspiring rapper who quit the game, Redd was watching television while high one night when he saw a commercial for Second City’s 50th anniversary. When they listed the litany of comedy all-stars the venue produced, he decided to give it a go.

After years at Second City, Redd was introduced to most comedy fans in the Lonely Island film Popstar, where he played Hunter, Andy Samberg’s egomaniacal rap rival. Around the time of the film’s release, he auditioned for SNL, and buzz spread that he landed the job. Unfortunately for Redd, though, SNL head honcho Lorne Michaels had merely put him “on hold” – a sign to the industry he was being considered, but not an actual hiring. Redd, after receiving congratulations from most of the planet, was not hired that year.

He was cast in the Netflix weed series Disjointed, where his wacky stoner Dank, paired with Betsy Sodaro as his girlfriend Dabby, provided a funny distraction in an otherwise misguided effort that was cancelled last month. But by the time the next SNL season rolled around, Michaels had pulled the trigger, and Redd was cast for the 2017-2018 season.

Just over halfway through his freshman season, Michaels’ decision has clearly paid off. While Redd’s characters during his first season on SNL have so far exhibited a much greater sense of humility than Hunter, the screen rapper’s confidence feels like the real deal for Redd, who has impressed with his wide range, youthful energy, and charisma that pops off the screen.

Here are a few of the characters Redd has impressed with so far.

1 The Fresh Prince Original Air Date: 1/20/18 Redd’s take on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a parody of its chipper theme song taken to a dark place, initially captures the exuberance of the original, with Redd going all playful and cocky and conveying Will Smith’s (then-) boyish charm in his every body movement. But the parody takes a turn when the Prince’s Philly bullies follow him out to L.A., seeking revenge. This pre-taped sketch was buoyed by Redd’s talent for physical comedy, the mood alternating between fun-loving and fearful as his Fresh Prince hides out from a violent gang. In a sketch without conventional dialogue, Redd shows that he has the sheer force of personality to carry a funny idea.

2 Louise Farrakhan First Appearance: 2/4/18 In the first few seconds of Redd’s appearance as Louis Farrakhan – a weirdly out-of-date reference – on SNL’s parody of Fox & Friends, the significant elements of the impression were already in place. The measured vocal meter, the folded hands with the index fingers poised for contemplation, the momentarily bulged-out eyes – whether taken from the original or just added as creative touches, it was clear that Redd paid attention to the details. Talking with SNL’s Fox & Friends host stand-ins, Redd’s Farrakhan gives off just enough of a friendly vibe to convince the hosts he’s on their side, while his words say otherwise. By the end of his appearance, he’s calling for their deaths, but doing so with such a welcoming smile that they still manage to miss the point. Hard to say if (or even why) they would bring this back, but Redd’s portrayal gives us reason to hope they do.

3 "The Cardinal" First Appearance: TK/TK/TK Captain Shadow is a superhero played by Kevin Hart, and the Cardinal, played by Redd, is his trusty youthful sidekick. They ride in a vehicle very similar to the Batmobile, and after foiling a crime, they are stopped by a police officer for speeding – at 140 m.p.h. This sketch combines two basic premises, looking at how much trouble a superhero like Batman might be in if he were held to the same legal standards as everyone else, then taking that a step further and asking what that would look like if he was black. Redd plays the Cardinal, the Robin to Hart’s Batman, and his naïveté causes him to exacerbate an already scary situation. While Hart’s Captain Shadow is all growly and mumbling, the Cardinal talks like a teenager on his first great adventure, his every syllable powered by enthusiasm and accompanied by some battle-forged action pose. Even as the police discover Captain Shadow’s secret energy dust (cocaine) Redd’s Cardinal never loses the certainty that the two of them are forces for good.