I think Nardwuar's approach is beautifully disarming in a way the reveals an artist's lack of awareness or humility. Surely that's not always the case, and a person can have their own reasons for not liking the vibe, such as maybe not getting the humour in it all, but that's the impression I get, particularly when they try to keep their front up.
Exactly, his weirdo vibe works because he pairs it with an incredible love for music and respect for the artists he speaks to. I think Drake said it best in the hourlong interview they have together, along the lines of "I don't do interviews because most people want to catch me slipping up and find some dramatic quote to drag me with, but with Nardwuar it's 100% about the music, that's why we're here"
Best example of this is probably the first Pharrell interview. This was before Nardwuar was famous at all, outside of Canada anyway, so Pharrell wouldn't have heard of him, and Pharrell spends the first part of the interview obviously a little weirded out at the goofy-looking guy in front of him and probably wondering why his manager booked this for him in the first place. About five minutes later Pharrell says "This is one of the most impressive interviews I've ever been a part of" and as mentioned in the OP article immediately calls Jay-Z and says hey you gotta talk to this Nardwuar guy.
