Rappertunie

Rapotwanalantonee, more commonly known as Rappertunie due to its easier pronunciation, was a male Shawda Ubb musician born on the swampy planet of Manpha. He utilized his musical prowess to fund his travels across the galaxy and played the Growdi Harmonique within the Max Rebo Band, a group of 12 band members led by the Ortolan Maximilian Rebo consisting of experienced musicians local to the desert planet of Tatooine. While not a permanent member, Rapotwanalantonee was brought in to augment the band, similar to fellow musicians Joh Yowza, Barquin D'an, and Doda Bodonawieedo, as well as drummers, backup singers, and dancers, whenever Rebo secured a significant performance.

The band routinely performed for the Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure, who was a dedicated fan. They often played at his Tatooine palace or his townhouse located in the city of Mos Eisley. They eventually became Jabba's house band, a long-term commitment that Rebo eagerly accepted, offering only complimentary meals as compensation, much to the dismay of his fellow band members. At one point, Rapotwanalantonee was interviewed by Tac-Com and provided a firsthand account of the palace's interior, which was subsequently included in the Alliance to Restore the Republic's reports on Jabba.

While performing for Jabba aboard the Hutt's sail barge, the Khetanna, Rapotwanalantonee and the band witnessed Bib Fortuna, Jabba's majordomo, contact Boba Fett, the bounty hunter, to inquire about the status of Fett's delivery to Jabba of Han Solo, the smuggler, who had been captured and frozen in carbonite in 3 ABY. Fett successfully delivered Solo at a later date, prompting the smuggler's allies to formulate a plan for his rescue. As part of this endeavor, Princess Leia Organa requested Rapotwanalantonee's interview regarding the palace from Alliance Intelligence.

During a performance by Rapotwanalantonee and the band at the palace in 4 ABY, the frozen smuggler was displayed on the wall in Jabba's throne room. The band played a relatively slow melody as the enslaved dancers Oola and Yarna d'al' Gargan danced before Jabba, and upon finishing the song, Rapotwanalantonee bowed to the audience.

Jabba demanded that Oola repeat her dance, but Yowza, mistaking the Hutt's request as a cue for the band, initiated a countdown for another song. Rapotwanalantonee began to play, but not the song that Yowza had intended, leading Yowza to shout at the Shawda Ubb, after which the band started playing "Jedi Rocks." Oola and Gargan continued to dance for the Hutt, but when Jabba attempted to pull Oola closer, she resisted. As retribution for this perceived insult, the crime lord released the dancer through a trap door, causing her to scream and disrupt the band, who ceased playing. Oola then plummeted into a pit beneath the throne room, where she was devoured by Pateesa, Jabba's pet rancor, as many members of the Hutt's court watched and cheered.

After Oola's death, the sound of blaster fire drew the room's attention to the entryway. As the band remained silent, Organa entered, disguised as Boushh, the bounty hunter, accompanied by Chewbacca, the Wookiee. Organa then engaged in negotiations with Jabba regarding the bounty on Chewbacca's head, brandishing an armed thermal detonator to coerce him into increasing the price. At the sight of the explosive, most members of the court recoiled in fear, but Jabba simply laughed and agreed to a partial increase. With the situation resolved, Rapotwanalantonee and the rest of the band resumed playing as Chewbacca was led away.

The following day, Jabba and a large portion of his court, including Rebo, journeyed to the Great Pit of Carkoon aboard the Khetanna to execute Chewbacca, a freed Solo, and their newly arrived ally, Luke Skywalker. Rappertunie outright refused to board the barge and was therefore not present when Organa and her allies killed Jabba and much of his court above the pit. Upon hearing of the Hutt's death, the Shawda Ubb immediately fled the palace.

Rapotwanalantonee was a Shawda Ubb with green skin and green eyes, characterized by a small, chubby head and a height of 30 centimeters (12 inches). His diminutive stature made him feel vulnerable; however, like other members of his species, Rapotwanalantonee possessed the ability to spit a paralyzing poison, which he would deploy against anyone who posed a threat to him. Despite always having a desire to travel, he found himself trapped at Jabba's Palace, where the hot, arid climate was particularly unsuitable for him, as the amphibian found the desert heat almost unbearable. As a result, he would spend entire days perched motionless on his Growdi seat, attempting to keep his naturally moist skin cool, and would sit at the back of the stage while performing, all the while plotting his escape.

Rapotwanalantonee was widely recognized as the foremost virtuoso of the Growdi Harmonique, an instrument played with fingers, toes, and the mouth, requiring highly coordinated skills to operate. The Shawda Ubb had mastered these skills and demonstrated them regularly.

During the making of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, Rappertunie was given the nickname "Jedi Rapper" by the filmmakers. He was brought to life as a puppet, which was then digitally composited into both new and existing footage for the Special Edition release of the film.

Mark Siegel served as the lead sculptor for the Rappertunie puppet, with assistance from Danny Wagner and Carol Bauman in sculpting, and Tony Christiano and Victoria Lewis in molding. The puppet was constructed using a combination of foam latex and latex and polyfill. Wagner then painted the puppet green, consulting with art director Jim Carson to determine the appropriate shade. Wagner was also among the puppeteers who operated the puppet, with different individuals controlling the hands, eyes, and arms. The musical sequence for Jedi Rocks, featuring Rappertunie, was filmed on the Industrial Light & Magic campus.