And thinking about it is way different than saying, “I don’t think so.” I kept testing the waters all the time. ![]() Every once in a while, I’d bring it up or he’d say he was thinking about bringing the show back. I check on him, see what’s up, stop by his office and see what’s up. When did you find out that Curb Your Enthusiasm was coming back? I think some comics feel compelled to do that, I’ve never relied on it at all. His body’s always at 2 o’clock and he’s trotting down.īut there are comedians who like being political because they can find ways to make light of whatever the situation is. I would be like, Damn, he got the coolest swagger down those stairs. You would do the same trot when you’re coming out your crib. Did you ever see him walk off Air Force One? He always did a cool little trot down. I think the only bit I ever did was about how Obama always sidesteps off of Air Force One. I’ve never had a political joke in my life, and I’ve been doing comedy for 20-something years. I’m from the school of “you talk about what you know about.” There’s a global way of relating to people and then there’s a way of relating to people in the experiences that you’ve been through that connect with your audience. Or they would assume that people wouldn’t laugh at what you were talking about because your only major credit was Def Comedy Jam.Īfter Trump got elected, Dave Chappelle made a comment that “Trump is kind of bad for comedy” because comedians now feel required to talk about him. Back then, you were limited to where you could go with it and you got cornered into a certain style. You can go anywhere in the world and perform in that style. Now, times are different because we have social media and so many other outlets. That material couldn’t work anywhere, you wouldn’t see someone out in Alaska doing those jokes back then. You gotta realize, if you live in a major city like New York or Chicago, your audience could be mixed and they’re laughing their asses off because they understand what you’re talking about. For me all of that helped out and helped change the whole scope of what comedy is and what people laugh at. As great as Def Comedy Jam was, I wanted to make sure I had some sort of variety in my career. I did a lot of firsts: some of the first stuff on Comedy Central, I did Comikaze on MTV, I did it across the board. I made it a point to spread myself around. ![]() Do you think the way those two things are viewed by Hollywood and the larger public has changed over the course of your career? You’ve had success in black comedic spaces and on mainstream sitcoms. Even if you didn’t perform on Def Comedy Jam, you were inspired by it and benefitted from the fact that it existed. Without Def Comedy Jam, none these people would have had a platform. Being in that building was like the A to Z of comedy. We got comics that made their way out of the pack and became huge stars, and you got comedians who you never heard from again. So, all these years later, this amazing event was a reunion. ![]() I met new comedians and I had no idea who they were until I did Def Comedy Jam. You’re going through your own zombie shit in your neighborhood, everybody’s zombied the fuck up, but you don’t realize that there’s zombies all over the place. This is a bad example but it’s kind of like The Walking Dead. ![]() When you’re performing in your own circle, you don’t realize that there are tons of other people out there.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |