Club Shay Shay - Matt Rife Part 1

Summary

Club Shay Shay – Matt Rife Part 1

Date: March 5, 2026
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: Matt Rife

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Overview

In this lively and personal episode, three-time Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe welcomes viral comedian and arena headliner Matt Rife to Club Shay Shay, recorded at DC’s Lannux Bar. The conversation traces Rife’s rapid ascent from small Ohio-town kid to sell-out arena superstar and explores the personal, professional, and emotional foundations of his comedic success. From his midwestern roots and foundational family figures to the pressures of fame, craft of stand-up, and life on the road, Matt shares candid stories and insights about hustle, resilience, and identity—punctuated, as always, by humor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins & Small-Town Upbringing

[06:08 – 07:00]

• Rife grew up in a town of 1,100 in Ohio, surrounded by a surprising number of celebrities from the state (Jack Nicklaus, LeBron, Simone Biles, etc.).
  • “I didn’t even know half those people were from Ohio. That’s crazy. We can’t wait to get out.” (Matt, 06:29)
• He treasures growing up in a pre-social-media era, playing outside, and getting a wholesome, boredom-driven curiosity.
• Didn’t use social media till 16:
  • “That was the time where you could kind of reach anybody on social media… My first ever guest spot was for D.L. Hughley. That just happened on Twitter.” (07:00)

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2. Family, Loss & Mental Health

[07:34 – 15:22]

• Raised by his mother and grandfather (mom’s dad).
• Father died by suicide when Rife was only one—a fact he only learned as a teenager.
  • "There's a part of me that's a little happy I don't have the memories... so I almost feel like I'm a little lucky to have gotten to skip that pain a little bit." (08:17)
• Rife reflects on the generational stigma around men discussing mental health and how losing his grandpa (father figure) hit harder than his absent dad.
• Talks about moments of depression and pondering inherited mental health struggles:
  • “As I get older... there’s a bit of recognition of like, 'Oh man, I wonder if this is what he felt as well... try to have an understanding of what he was probably going through.'” (09:18)

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3. Comedy Influence & Drive

[16:32 – 19:38]

• Always wanted to play sports—but realized he didn't have D1 or NFL size. Rechannelled energy into comedy:
  • "I'm 12 years older than these people and I'm still like, I can't wait to be like you when I grow up. They're gigantic." (16:43)
• Grandfather was supportive, driving Rife to open mics at 15, instilling confidence and humor:
  • “My grandpa was also very funny, so he thought I was hilarious. That's definitely what gave me the confidence to try to make other people laugh.” (18:19)

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4. Hustle, Early Start, and Breaking In

[20:12 – 22:07]

• Comedy was his ticket out of Ohio. Failed at college aspirations; moved from Atlanta to L.A. via comedy connections.
• Scene at Uptown Comedy Club (ATL):
  • “They don't care you're 15 and white... they don't care. That was where I really got my chops.” (20:50)
• Took California Proficiency Exam to skip his senior year, moved to LA on his own at 17.

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5. Craft: Writing, Performing, and Growth

[28:20 – 31:46]

• Details his process: writes material but avoids sticking verbatim to a script—loves organic, freewheeling sets.
• Compares perfecting jokes to baking: “First time you bake something is not the best time. You bake it over and over…” (Shannon, 29:18)
• On having crowd phones locked up during shows for privacy, focus, and keeping new material off the Internet.
  • “I have little cues on stage that I’ll do, my security knows... you got to go, man, just follow the rule. Just be present.” (31:04)
• Early on, learned from veteran comics to refine and rework material, not abandon it after one performance:
  • “Going home and working on the jokes is the job. The performance is the reward.” (29:00)

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6. Pressure, Fame, and Burnout

[38:06 – 42:15]

• Rife is candid about stresses and anxieties that come after “making it”:
  • "Keeping it is harder than getting it. Anybody can get a flash in the pan... but once you get a taste of selling out arenas... that's a lifestyle you don't want to give up." (38:06)
• Describes the “addictive” nature of continuous success, and burnout from extensive touring:
  • "I went five days in a row without a single minute of sleep... had to cancel [shows], go to the hospital." (41:29)
• Despite the exhaustion, prefers being busy to idleness.

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7. Mentorship & Keys to Success

[42:21 – 44:35]

• Early support from big names: D.L. Hughley, Mike Epps, and Ralphie May—who gave practical, blunt advice:
  • "Best advice I’ve ever been given: not to quote Nike, but just do it." (42:46)
  • On Ralphie: "He would let me do his Christmas shows... so I could go back to Ohio and buy my family Christmas presents... Nicest guy.”* (44:34)

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8. Navigating Race, Audience, and Authenticity

[45:18 – 48:31]

• Cutting material and performing in Black comedy clubs (Atlanta, Def Jam crowd) toughened his act—very different audience than white clubs.
  • “It’s more fulfilling to get Black people to laugh, I gotta say.” (45:18)
  • “There’s no pity laughter. Boo from the back. They don’t care, man.” (45:37)
  • "That do-or-die environment... definitely helped me carve my chops. Had I not done that, I never could have done Wild N’ Out." (45:49)
• On storytelling and pacing:
  • “Silence is one of the most powerful things you can have in stand-up comedy... If they're quiet, they're listening.” (46:59, quoting DC Curry)
• On crowd work and variety: “45 minutes of my set now is just stories. I need you to follow me on that route, I gotta practice that patience and timing.” (48:07)

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9. From LA Couch-Surfing to TV & Beyond

[48:31 – 53:22]

• Moved to LA at 17, couch-surfed, hung out at clubs nightly hoping for stage time.
• Landed early TV jobs (Disney)—not as a ‘Disney kid’ but as a guest, avoiding some pitfalls he saw among others.
• On writing for self vs. network sitcoms:
  • “I’m a professional comedian, and I have no idea how to make this funny. This is such a terrible, terrible joke.” (52:48)

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10. Comic View, Wild N’ Out, And Arena Stardom

[53:24 – 57:37]

• First TV credit was to be Comic View—taped as a closer but the show was canceled before his episode aired.
• Youngest-ever cast member on Wild N’ Out. Initially not cast, got slot as Pete Davidson’s replacement.
• Discusses the competitive/“do or die” environment on the show and how it forced him to become more confident on stage.
  • “That show, the workshops… taught me how to, like, be a man. Pressure makes diamonds.” (55:53)

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11. Comedy, Exposure, and Pay

[62:01 – 66:59]

• Purpose of Wild N' Out was exposure, not pay:
  • "You can't go do anything else. When I could be going touring... So it's just, it's an investment, It's a gamble. You gotta hope you're on these episodes." (65:54)
  • Shannon: “It’s about the exposure… You’re giving people an opportunity to see Matt… because I want to see what he really like.” (66:36)

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12. Personal Image & Transformation

[67:19 – 71:01]

• First tour proceeds went to fixing teeth—both for career and personal confidence.
  • “I could have bought two pairs of fake titties with these teeth. It’s unbelievable. I got a Honda Accord in my mouth, man.” (70:03)
• Addresses rumors of plastic surgery:
  • "Ugly people love to say that... I look exactly the same... just work out, man. Take care of yourself." (70:48)
• Debates celebrity “cloning” conspiracies with Shannon, keeping the mood light and irreverent.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On losing his father early:
  • "I don’t have a dad. I didn’t really understand the severity... but now as I get older... there’s a bit of recognition..." (08:11–09:18)
• On his grandfather:
  • "He's the one person I really would have liked to have known that I made him proud." (15:06)
• On comedy and exposure:
  • "Funny is just funny. But I didn’t want to be pigeonholed into, like, 'oh, he only does urban stuff.'" (61:59)
• On crowd work and no phone policy:
  • "Just be here at the thing, be with me, be in this environment. It's much more exciting." (31:13)
• On stress of success:
  • "Keeping it is harder than getting it." (38:06)
• On working Black comedy clubs:
  • "It's more fulfilling to get Black people to laugh...” (45:18)
  • “There’s no pity laughter. Boo from the back. They don’t care, man.” (45:37)
• On being compared to Gary Owen:
  • “I just didn’t want to pigeonhole an audience ... I want to be for as many people as possible.” (61:59)
• On rumors of plastic surgery:
  • “Ugly people love to say that… not everybody peaked in high school.” (70:19)

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Timeline of Major Segments

| Time | Topic | |----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:22 | Introduction & Matt Rife’s accolades | | 04:38 | Rife’s lengthy, improvisational live shows | | 06:08 | Ohio roots & local celebrity discussion | | 07:34 | Family structure; loss of father and impact | | 08:44 | Mental health stigma, grief, and Rife’s emotional journey | | 16:32 | Early sports dreams & transition to comedy | | 18:05 | Grandfather’s role, comedy as destiny | | 20:12 | Breakout from Ohio, move to LA, Uptown Comedy Club experience | | 28:20 | Comedy writing process, addiction to the craft | | 38:06 | Stress/anxiety of maintaining success and “keeping it” | | 42:21 | Mentorship from D.L. Hughley, Mike Epps, Ralphie May | | 45:18 | Performing for Black/urban audiences, differences in comedic expectations | | 46:59 | Importance of silence and timing in comedy (DC Curry advice) | | 48:31 | Moving to LA at 17, perseverance, hanging around LA comedy clubs | | 53:24 | Comic View situation, Wild N’ Out audition stories | | 62:01 | Differences in pay, exposure value of Wild N' Out | | 67:19 | Fixing teeth with first earnings, pressure for appearance in comedy | | 70:19 | Addressing cosmetic surgery rumors, staying grounded | | 71:49 | Playful end cap, teasing episode 2 |

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Tone & Style

The episode features playful banter, real honesty about trauma and hustle, and an unfiltered look at the ugly and beautiful realities of comedy fame. Matt Rife blends self-deprecation with bravado, and Shannon Sharpe weaves in his own parallels from sports and life.

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For Listeners

Whether you’re a comedy fan, aspiring performer, or someone fascinated by the intersection of identity, hustle, and the unique pressures of 21st-century fame, Matt Rife’s story is equal parts inspiration and cautionary tale—with plenty of laughs and “real talk” throughout.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Transcript

[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Matt Rogers]

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[Bowen Yang]

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[Matt Rogers]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

White people laugh. Yes, Black people.

[Matt Rife]

Grinding all my life Sacrifice hust paid the price, wanna slice, got to roll a dice that's why all my life I've been grinding all my life look. All my life Been grinding all my life Sacrifice, hustle, paid the price wanna slice, got to roll a dice that's why all my life I've been grinding all my life

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hello. Welcome to another episode of Club Shay Shay. I am your host, Shannon Sharp. I'm also the proprietor of Club Shay Shay. Today's episode is at the beautiful Lannux Bar in Washington, dc. Special stopping by for conversation on the drink today, from club comedian to arena headliner, he's Comedy's biggest lightning rod. He's one of the highest earning standup comedians currently working. He joined Taylor Swift as the only other live act to break Ticketmaster's website due to high ticket demand. He's the youngest comedian to sell out two shows at the legendary Madison square garden in New York city. He's the youngest standup comedian to sell out the Hollywood bowl. He's the youngest cast member in History of Mt MTV's popular series Wilding out. New York times bestselling author, viral sensation, top creator, social media savvy, influencer, prominent actor, popular producer, famed writer, superstar. Here he is, ladies and gentlemen, Matt Rice.

[Matt Rife]

Bro, that was credits. I didn't even know that I did.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, you did all that. You did all that? Okay, you were asking, what is this? This is a sidecar made with my cognac shaved by la Portier. We normally do this, but now we're actually in a place that could actually do a drink. I want to know. Look at this. Look at this. Y' all got a big old cube.

[Matt Rife]

That's cognac. Yeah. I don't think I've ever had.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I know you have it, but this is the best on the market. Let me know what you think.

[Matt Rife]

That's not bad. That's not bad.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah.

[Matt Rife]

Why do you have it in the bottle? That turned a donkey into a horse. That's terrifying. That's powerful stuff right there.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, man.

[Matt Rife]

What's this in here? Is that straight?

[Shannon Sharpe]

This is straight. This is straight.

[Matt Rife]

I'm gonna try that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hold on.

[Matt Rife]

I think there's a bug in mine. You just said. Yeah. What kind of production is this, man? Yeah, there'd be bugs in cups sometimes, man. That ain't bad. That's kind of smooth.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we go. We gonna be right. We gonna be right in this thing here.

[Matt Rife]

It's only 2pm Man. Let's go.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So you have so much going on. Thank you. You had the show last night, and unfortunately, we weren't able to get in because it was a quick turnaround from us because we're coming from the west coast to. To get in. And then we had my show, nightcap, me and Uncle Nocho, and then to get in. So next time I'm close by. I'm gonna come see you. I'm gonna check. Yeah. Cause you was telling us you went like, three hours. I'm like, hold on. Wait a minute.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah. Last night was a wild show. I think we did like 2 hours, 40 minutes, something like that. Yeah, I did like my show, which is Little over an hour, like hour 10, hour 15, something like that. And then it was just one thing after another. Things kept flowing into other things. I kept meeting people, some fun people, kept bringing gifts. It got out of control, but it was so much fun, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's awesome.

[Matt Rife]

It's one of those shows that like you so locke and happen and focus on what's happening in front of you right now. At the very end, when we took the picture together and all the lights came up and everything, I was like, y' all are still here. That's crazy. It was a little over like 16,000 people, man.

[Matt Rogers]

It was awesome.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You got a film coming out later this year with Owen Wilson called Rolling Loud Drops in September. Your limited edition Netflix series with Julia Garner. I love Julia Garner. Ozark, Ruth Langmore, Altruist coming out this year. Any upcoming US Europe tour dates, Anything you got going on, ladies?

[Matt Rife]

Oh, man, a ton. I'm not sure exactly when this episode will drop, but I think our next US dates are Jacksonville, Tampa, Savannah and Raleigh. We got like a four day weekend of that. And then we got Cincinnati and Louisville. Then we go. Then we go to Europe for like a month, which I'm so excited for. We've got like Romania, London, Sweden, Switzerland, Oslo, England, Ireland, Scotland, which is technically England. They don't like hearing that. And a couple of other ones now. We're all over the place.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, man. Savannah. You know, I went to school in Savannah. Grew up near Savannah.

[Matt Rife]

I love it, man. It's haunted. It's haunted. You ever see any creepy shit when you're here?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Nah, nah, I didn't see no creepy stuff.

[Matt Rife]

Really?

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, no, no. You and I were talking earlier off camera, and then you're like, man, I'm from Ohio. Little small town, about 1100 people, but when you go back and look at it, bow wows from Columbus. Jack Nichols, Jack Nicholas, the Kelsey Brothers, Ben Roethlisberger, Pete Rose, Nate Thurman, LeBron, Steph Curry, Buster Douglas, Simone Biles, Luke Keakley. What is it in the damn water in Ohio that get all these great.

[Matt Rife]

I didn't even know half those people were from Ohio. That's crazy. We can't wait to get out. That's amazing. Shout out to everyone. He just listed for getting out of Ohio. It's an amazing place to grow up, man. Like in. When you're growing up, you're so bored there and you can't wait to see what else is out there. But in hindsight, it was so wholesome. I was just so quiet, like I'm so, I'm so happy. I got to be like the last generation of kids to like play outside.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Matt Rife]

Not have the phone, have to bike across town, see if somebody's even home. Like, I'm happy I got that experience.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No social media to get you distract,

[Matt Rife]

you know, I didn't really have social media till I was like probably 16, something like that, when I started to come around. But it wasn't anything like big. Like, this was the time. This is really how I, like, got a lot of my start in comedy. That was the time where you kind of reach anybody on social media. Like everyone was just kind of getting on. I got my. My first ever guest spot was for D.L. hughley. And that happened just on Twitter.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Matt Rife]

I literally tweeted him and was like, hey, I'm 15. I just started doing comedy. I see you're coming to the Columbus Funny Bone where I do my open mics. Like, would you want to. Is there any chance I could do a guest spot? And he said, yeah. I showed up and he was like, oh, you're actually a child. Right. I'm like a 35 year old man trying to just get some stage time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right. When you grew up in Ohio, your mom and your grandfather raised you. So that's your mom's dad, correct?

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I had a stepdad, but like, we weren't that close. Nah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It later found out that your father unfortunately took his own life.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah. And did we start the interview with this? We gonna start with uno mas? Dig in.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How did you find out? Did your mom or grandfather break the news for you? How did that happen?

[Matt Rife]

That'd be pretty funny if I was just asking around, has anybody seen my dad? And people are like, oh, he doesn't know.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Matt Rife]

I think my mom told me when I was probably. I had to have an early teenager or something. I. I don't remember an exact moment when I found out, but I feel relatively lucky that it happened so early because everybody loses their parents eventually. And it's so hard. Like when I lost my grandpa, like, that still hurts. And that was a few years ago. So there's a part of me that's a little happy I don't have the memories because at one year old, like, I have, I have no memory of this person. I barely know that I even met him. So I almost feel like I'm a little lucky to have gotten to skip that pain a little bit.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So when your mom told you and it's like, damn, something. But. And you see now everybody's seemingly more open with mental illness, with mental health. It seems like guys are not because so for so long that hid in the shadows. You don't talk about what you're going through. You're a man, you overcome it, you deal with it. You make sure the family's okay and whatever pain you might be harboring, you deal with it. But now it seems to be coming to the forefront. And so when you found out, you're probably like, well, but damn, how did that. Did it, did it. Did you feel any type of way like you said you didn't have no memory of him.

[Matt Rife]

It's not something I really thought about when I was young. It was just like, oh, you know, he's, he's dead. You know, I don't have a dad. I didn't really understand like the severity of like suicide and what that means and what he could have possibly been going through. He was also young. I think he was 21 when it happened. Yeah, which is always. It's funny, a couple, a couple years ago I was talking to my mom about how I still don't have a mustache and she was like, well, you know, your dad never had one. I was like, he was 21. Didn't even get to grow into his face. Okay. Who knows what he was capable of. At the time it didn't really affect me. But now as I get older and I'll go through like little spats of depression or whatever. And I mean, I don't really, I've never really like, I've never really contemplated like taking my own life or anything. But you'll hit, you'll hit some low moments. And in that low moment you're like, there's a bit of recognition of like, oh man, this. I wonder if this is what he felt as well because they say a lot of mental illness stuff is passed down. So like, I wonder if any of that depression is genetic or anything like that. But you know, I try to think about it too much not to let me bring it down and more just have an understanding of what he was probably going through. You know, he, he and my mom weren't really together. He didn't really have a good job. I think he was like a part time job as like a security guard or something. Wasn't that close with his family. His family was into drugs and stuff. So I just try to have a bit of an understanding of it as I, as I get older.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I think the thing is that for me is that I really didn't. My dad and I only Saw my dad once to know who I was looking at. I think I was about 13 years of age, and it really never dawned on me until I got to things like football. And I see everybody else has their dad in the locker room. Yeah. Or I see their dad standing on the sideline, or I see their dad in the locker room, and then it's like, man, I wish my dad could see this. I wish my dad could be there to see my brother. And that was the thing. Did that ever, in a situation like where you're in school and you go to sporting events and you see dads at the game and they're cheering on their son to be like, now, like, you see so many comedians have their father and you like, damn. I wish my dad could see what his son became.

[Matt Rife]

You know, as a. As a kid, it didn't occur to me as much because I had a stepdad, and even though we kind of hated each other to death, I still, like, I knew him since I was five. So, like, I. I still said the word dad. You know what I mean? It's not like I never got a chance to say that. Even though we weren't close, it wasn't until the last, like, four years because my grandpa was like my father figure. Really, like, that was my best friend, my favorite person in the world. And he passed away, like, the exact moment within the same six months, like, everything started to happen for me. I think he got to see me sell out a comedy club like the Columbus Funny Bone, where he actually started taking me when I was 15 to the Open mics. So he got to see me sell that out. But, like, now getting to do these arenas and everything like that, like, I. When I did the Hollywood Bowl, I had this giant backdrop that was probably 30 by 20ft behind me that was, like, me and him when I was like, a baby. Okay. Just because I was like, this is. This was the first iconic moment in my life that I was like, I really wish he could.

[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Matt Rogers]

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[Bowen Yang]

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[Matt Rife]

Nah, I'm just kidding.

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[Matt Rife]

I've been here to see this. I got, I pray to him before every show. Nothing like, nothing super, super deep, but just, you know, wishing me luck. And I wish he could see every show that I do and everything. He's the one person I really would have liked to have like known that I made him proud, right? So it's more, more him than my dad, I suppose.

[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Matt Rife]

No, I wanted to play sports for sure. I played sports in high school. Football was my fav course. I had dreams of like, let's go D1, play for Ohio State. Then we'll see if we can see

[Shannon Sharpe]

if we can go to the NFL.

[Matt Rife]

And then, bro, I went to the Ohio State Michigan game this year in Michigan and I'm on the sidelines with the players and I'm like, I was never gonna go D1, bro. I'm 12 years older than these people and I'm still like, I can't wait to Be like you when I grow up. They're gigantic kickers, like 6, 4. I was like, this was never a possibility, man. I wanted to so bad. I have such a passion for sports. And since getting older, I've tried to. I've adapted. New, new, like, physical hobbies and sports and I love boxing now and everything. I try to keep myself as physically fit as possible because, I mean, I just. I. I miss. That's the only thing I miss about school. Sports, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Matt Rife]

Even when I moved out to la, I was doing like, they're like communal flag football league like that. Racking up MVP and everything. Just showing out on a Tuesday night.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So you. So. So who you were? You Tom Brady, You Bijan Robinson, Christian McCaffrey. So. So what?

[Matt Rife]

Oh, I'm going deep, man. I was receiver. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You JFA in the chase.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, bro. I'm multifaceted, baby. I miss it so much. I definitely have, like, that Uncle Rico syndrome. Now I forget that I'm 30 and I'm like, no, I can still put up a 4, 7. Let's find some turf.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you think your grandfather, you think he knew that that was your calling, that being a comedian? Because you said you started taking you to the funny bone in Columbus at a very. You're 15. That's a prodigy.

[Matt Rife]

Thank you for saying that. There is a part of me that thinks that's possible in a really weird way. I mean, he definitely believed in me. I found out what comedy was because I would go stay with my grandpa every single weekend from the time that I can remember.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Matt Rife]

So we would watch, like, Adam Sandler movies, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, like, all these great comedians who turned actors as well. And it's like that's kind of what instilled, like, a sense of humor in me. My grandpa was also very funny, so he thought I was hilarious. That's definitely what gave me the confidence to try to make other people laugh.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Matt Rife]

And I actually, I have a. I have a tattoo of his handwriting that I found on a photo. After he passed away. He had nicknames for all his grandkids, like, as soon as they were born.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Matt Rife]

As soon as they're born, within the first couple months. He has a nickname for all of my sister's, like Chip or something like that. My cousin's got one, My other cousin's got one. My nieces, his great grandkids, have one. And for some reason, he chose Hollywood. Really? No idea why. This is before all the nicknames could have given you it could have been anything.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You in Midwest, Ohio. And he said, no, this is Hollywood.

[Matt Rife]

Never even been to California. Nobody in my family ever has. And for some reason, to pick that name. So that's an odd manifestation, I suppose. But he was always very supportive. Like, I. You know, I still have some of his voicemails in my. In my phone. And every now and I'll go back and listen to one, and I'd say most of them are checking in. Like, how was the show last night? Did that new joke work? How'd your audition go? I hope you get this part. Like, he was so supportive. You know, I. I think there was a part of me that really hoped that I did a lot more than he did.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah. I made the most out of this.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I think the thing is that when you look at. And you mentioned Chappelle, Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, Pete Davidson, Seth Rogen, all these guys started as teenagers. Most of the time, comedians get started in their 20s. Sometimes they don't get started until their 30s. And here you are reaching out to DL hey, bro, I hear you coming to. You coming to Columbus, Funny bone. I'm a comedian. I'm 15 years of age. Let your boy get up there and open for you.

[Matt Rife]

Of course.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Do something. Did you like? You like, at what point in time did you realize that, you know what, my way out of Ohio is comedy? I'm not going to Ohio State. As a matter of fact, I'm not going to.

[Matt Rife]

Did not have the grades. I was gonna go to Ohio Dominion, maybe Ohio Dominican, maybe. I was probably. I had just went to LA for the first time, but I had a manager out of a comedy club in Atlanta where I lived in Atlanta. You lived in a. Yeah, my junior year. The summer between my junior year and senior year.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Matt Rife]

I had a manager down there who owned the Uptown comedy club. Shut up.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Matt Rife]

Oh, so you know what I went through? It's like, you got to earn your props at Uptown. They don't give you no.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hell not. They'll boot the hell out.

[Matt Rife]

You Take the car keys out. Jingle the car keys.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes. Won't say a word.

[Matt Rife]

They don't care.

[Shannon Sharpe]

This is all you got, bro.

[Matt Rife]

They don't care that you're 15 in white. They're like, we paid for the ticket or we got them for free at Lenox Mall because I passed them out. That was where I really got my chops. And he. He obviously wanted the best for me and wanted me to grow as a client of his. So he had taken me out to LA for the first time to, like, see the Comedy Store, see the laugh actor, do chocolate sundaes, do Monday Rays with D Ray. That's how he and I became really good friends. And then after that trip there, I went back to Ohio after, and I was like, that's what I want to do. Like, I want to move to la. And I took another flight out there and I took the. It's like the California Proficiency Exam, which in Ohio you have to have, like, amount of credits to graduate high school, right. And in Cali, I guess you can just take a test that says, like, you learned everything you need to learn. Went out there, took the test, passed it, and then I went back to Ohio, showed my principal, and he was like, I mean, I guess you don't have to go to school anymore. And then I moved out to LA like, two weeks later. So, I mean, I graduated early, I suppose I don't have a diploma or anything, but.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You don't get a diploma?

[Matt Rife]

No, no, no. It's like an equipment equivalency to a ged. Ged, I suppose, yeah. But I mean, didn't need it, thank God. The best decision I ever made was not go to college.

[Shannon Sharpe]

When I mentioned those young comedians, Chappelle Murphy, Rogan Davis and Carey. Did you study any of those guys coming up or you kind of charted your own?

[Matt Rife]

No, no, Chappelle was my guy. Him and Dane Cook were like, the epitome of what I wanted to be as a comedian growing up. This was when, like, Dane was taking over the world. Chappelle was in, like, the heat of Chappelle's Show. I was addicted to those gu. That's. It's all I would watch was either Chappelle show and his early standup or even Block Party. I was obsessed with and like, Dane Cook's like, comedy essential specials and everything. I watched that stuff, like, religiously. And then that's when my mom won tickets on the radio to see Dane. That Nationwide arena, she took me to see that, and that, like, changed everything. That's when I was like, okay, now I. I kind of get what stand up is and I want to do this. And then last year I got a chance to go play Nationwide arena and actually broke the record for, like, most tickets ever sold there. And I had Dane come back and open for me. It was like such a cool full circle moment, man. It was unbelievable. He brought this email printed out that I didn't even remember writing until I reread it. It was this whole email printed out being like, hey, My name's Matt. It was like his fan mail email address. Hey, my name's Matt. I'm like a 15 year old comedian. Same thing as I did with DL and I was like, I'm a big fan of yours. I just didn't know if maybe you could take me under your wing and mentor me. I really want to be just like you when I grow up. It was charmingly naive email you could have sent to somebody. And he held onto it after all these years.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Wow.

[Matt Rife]

It was unbelievable, man. I couldn't believe that was the coolest full circle moment.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Do you remember the first joke that you told and became hooked?

[Matt Rogers]

Ooh,

[Matt Rife]

first joke and got hooked.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Or were you like a class clown in school? Did you make jokes in school? So that's why you didn't do well in school? Cause you was bull jacking.

[Matt Rife]

Well, what pissed him off is I did do well in school, but I was still fucking around. That was what pissed them off the most. I spent a lot of time being sent out to the hallway, a lot of time in detention. We used to have up to like six hour detentions. So you would like, you'd be.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's the whole. Why you in school?

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, you get up.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So you had ISS then in school suspension?

[Matt Rife]

No, that's happening during the day after school. What was that? What did they used to call it? It was like a, like an all nighter or something like that where you. Everybody gets out of school at 2:30. High school. You'd be there till 8:30 at night and then you have to go home and just go right to bed. Man, it was awful. I had so many of those. I was so sick of school. But I, I couldn't help but make it fun, man, I was so bored.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You, you get on stage, you go to the comedy. So, so where did you perform? Were you at like a, a talent show where you did your comedy stuff?

[Matt Rife]

I did do a talent show. You did in seventh grade. This was another weird, I guess, coincidence in seventh grade. I remember I like, I just started watching these comedy specials and fall in love with Chappelle and everything. And I sit down in homeroom in seventh grade next to my friend Amanda. And for some reason she asks me, you know, what do you want to be when you grow up? And I was like, I think I want to be a comedian. And I'm telling you on cue, my teacher comes in and says, hey, everybody, I'm putting a sheet on the wall. We're doing a school talent show. And Amanda was like, you, you Got to do. You got to do comedy. And I, I signed up. I. I ate the biggest dick possible. It was terrible. It was terrible, terrible, terrible. I did like a bunch of impressions of teachers and a bunch of terrible jokes of what I thought was material. It was awful. But that was first actual performance. And I started real stand up like a year later.

[Shannon Sharpe]

After that, at the start of every new year, I set my goals. I tell myself, this year, I'm eating right, I'm working out, I'm working hard, staying on track. Then reality hits. Work, travel, cravings, distractions. Life just loves to test your focus. I've been there, I've fallen off, but I don't stay down because Amazon helps bring me back up every time. Amazon is here to make sticking to your goals easier. From healthy snacks I need to workout gear I like to have on hand. All of my everyday essentials are available to purchase in one place. Not to mention, I can get it delivered fast so I don't have to worry about making a trip to the store and adding to my already busy schedule. Great prices, no running around, no extra hassle. Now that's convenient. So when life tries to steer you off track, Amazon can help get you back to the plan. Focus on your goals and stay on your grind. Save every day with essentials from Amazon. So when you started, was your grandfather your audience? Was your mom, your audience? Were your friend your audience. So who was the first people to ever hear Matt Rife tell a joke?

[Matt Rife]

Probably my grandpa. I spent so much time with him, and I was, like, so free and confident. And like I said, he thought I was the funniest person in the world. So I used to love to try to make him laugh. And then that kind of moved back to, like, okay, now I'm going back home with my parents. I'll try some of that on them. It'll work on my mom. Not on my stepdad at all. My sisters weren't trying hear it right. And then it moved into school. But once I started doing, like, comedy clubs, I never really performed for, like, people my own age. Like, my material ever since I was 15. Sixteen was always. I was never like, you know, homework is crazy. I was always like, man, teachers are great. It was always a little bit more adult skewing, which I think helped the transition a little bit because I remember Nick Cannon was telling me he had a hard time switching from, like, being a kid comedy. Yeah. To now being an adult. And that happens around age 21. You can get away with being 19 and people are like, okay, this is kind of, like, kind of cute. This is kind of cute. But at 21, people are like, nah, I paid for the ticket.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You beat Roger, you got a refund dream.

[Matt Rife]

So I think that helped with that transition a little bit, is that I never really, like, catered my set young or anything.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right? So with writing Kai as a teen, obviously you can't do a whole lot of cursing you gotta do.

[Matt Rife]

I did I tell y' all I cursed a lot, man, at 15, 16, 17, my parents didn't care at all, man. Not at all. It was a lot of freedom in it, which I curse all the time. It's such a problem. I cuss all the time. It doesn't even occur to me that I'm like swearing. You know, it's just, is this, is

[Shannon Sharpe]

this on stage problem or this is a real life? Like, actually I'm having a conversation.

[Matt Rife]

It's all the time. I've been trying so hard not to curse as much in this, and I know I can, but I'll say, like it's the word. Like, like, it's all the time, man. I'm trying. I've been trying to work on it. I know it's improper.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So when you first. Who. Who wrote your first set? So did you have it. Did you have an idea what comedy was or did you go out like, you know what? I'm just gonna wing it. I'm gonna tell this joke, I'm gonna tell that joke. Are you writing?

[Matt Rife]

I was writing, but I didn't know what a set was. These open mics I was going to was usually five minutes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Matt Rife]

So I had no idea about what writing a set was. So the first, probably three months I was going. So you gotta imagine it's the first probably 12 times. I'm going once a week. I was doing a new five minutes every single show. And I mean, most of it wasn't good, but every now and then I would get some big laughs. And that's what kind of kept it addicting. But it wasn't until a comic pulled me aside and was like, are you working on any of these jokes? And I was like, what do you. What do you mean work on? Like, don't you just go up there and say them? And then the next time. No, he was like, no, you're supposed to, like formulate a set and then you can build on top of that craft it. Like going home and working on the jokes is the job.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Matt Rife]

Not just the performance. The performance is the rewards.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Matt Rife]

And so that. That today is still, my favorite part about. There's nothing. There's nothing more exciting than getting that spark of a new piece of material, a new idea, a new premise, and then going home and being like, I know how to make this better. It's so rewarding, man. It's the most addicting part to it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's like bakers say, the first time you bake something is not the best time. You bake it over and over and over. Interesting. So you tell a joke. The first time you tell it, it's not going to be the best time. You refine that joke, and over time, it gets better and better. And you say, what? This is the finished product that I'm going to present to you?

[Matt Rife]

Exactly. The only problem with that is eventually it feels repetitive. Eventually, you end up perfect performing the joke, depending on how many shows you do, right? Chris Rock say, you're supposed to run a set. Like, I hope I'm not misquoting. This is what I heard from somebody else. Quoting him is like, you want to run the set, like, 300 times before recording it for a special.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Really?

[Matt Rife]

And that's a lot, man. I mean, and we do do that many shows, but there's times that I'm like, I don't feel like telling this joke at all. But it crushes the audience, loves this bit. So now you're not really. It's not as exciting to tell it the same, but part of the job is you got to perform it. You got to tell it like it's the first time every time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But, you know, Matt, the thing is, like, when old comedians, you could tell a joke over and over. I could tell a joke in. Say, I tell a joke in Tampa. I can tell that joke in Jacksonville. I can tell that joke in Miami. I can tell that joke in Atlanta, and nobody would have heard it. But now, I don't know if you have that. Like, Chappelle. Chappelle have that zip bag. He gonna put your phone in there, and you not gonna hear this joke.

[Matt Rife]

We only do it for some. I try not to do it because people hate it. People complain.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Can't be without their phone. What if my kids call?

[Matt Rife]

Yeah. What if there's an emergency? They'll be fine. Crack in the car, be all right. It's so annoying because it does make for the best show. It makes people be so attentive. There's no. They can't even think about checking my phone to check the time or check the notifications or whatever it is. 100% of the time, the better Show. But I try not to have to do it unless it's a recording of some time. But we do have a no phone policy at the show. Yeah, we announced it a hundred times. It's all over the Jumbotrons. Do not have your phones out.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And you look at the audience. If somebody is.

[Matt Rife]

Happens all the time. Happens all the time. And I have little cues on stage that I'll do. My security knows. Like I see somebody with their phone out right now, you got to go, man, just follow the rule. Just be present.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So you can kick them out.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, I can't trust you, man. People record the show, they bootleg it, they try to post something out of context. And also without the get you aspect. Like, I'm working on a show, I'm building it. Every show I'm trying to change. I don't want you posting the B minus version of the joke before I get to film it for Netflix. And it's the A plus version of it now. You're not as excited, right? So it's just about privacy and respect and respecting yourself as well. You saved up money for a babysitter. You paid for parking. You came in here and bought drinks, bought the tickets. Like, just be here at the thing, be with me, be in this environment. It's much more exciting.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you ever forget a line? Do you ever forget a line when you first started, obviously now you're a full time pro. Did you ever forget a line like,

[Matt Rife]

damn, my first time, the first time I was probably 2 1/2 minutes in and I literally, I gotta find the footage. Cause I know it's out there somewhere. I remember saying like, oh shit. I'm like, I'm kind of freezing up right now. And the audience, this was the Perk of being 15. It's like they weren't really gonna boo you with the Columbus funny bone. I remember just, it was just some old black lady just goes, you got, baby, you got it. And I was like, that got a big laugh from everybody. And then that kind of helped me get back into it. But yeah, I froze up. I didn't really know what like memorizing a set was. Like, I was just kind of going up there and winging it. It definitely happens.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So when you started that, so you're like, okay, I got five minutes, I got 10 minutes, I got 15 minutes. And so you're like, okay, I swallowed

[Matt Rife]

that bug, by the way. I forgot it was in there.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So you're like, okay, I got five minutes. I got 10 minutes, I got 15 minutes. And you like, okay, I'm gonna go. Here's step. Here's one beat. Here's two beats. Here's three beats. Is that how you did it? Or you like. Or you just wing. Cause some people. Marlon Wayans says, I don't write down nothing. I'm just going up on stage and I'm winging the whole thing.

[Matt Rife]

I'll make a set list. I'll be like, I can bullet point a joke one through. Let's call it 12 or something like that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Matt Rife]

But I definitely don't go up there. And I'm not as meticulous with, like, word for word. I end up memorizing it that way once I'm up there, just via repetition. But, like, no, I want to be loose. I want to be. I want to be free when I get up there. I don't have. I had to do this video the other day. Live Nation wanted to know, like, my routine beforehand. Like, where do you write down your set? What's your motivation when you get up there? And I'm like, I. I'm not like sitting in a float tank before my show playing tranquil music and lighting candles. I'm back there. I just play some music. I'm hanging out with my boys that open for me. Like, I just want. I want to be loose. Like, so much of my set is they're like, hey, hey, you're on in five minutes. And I'm like, oh, okay. All right. I guess we'll just go. Go do the thing. I don't want to be stiff. I want to. I want to feel like we're all just kind of hanging out together.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right. You also say that I'm not Justin Bieber in all your sets. At the start of every year, I set my goals. I tell myself, this year I'm eating right, working out, working hard, staying on track. Then reality hits. Work, travel, cravings, distractions. Life just loves to test your focus. I've been there, I've fallen off. But I don't stay down because Amazon helps to bring me back up every time. Amazon is here to make sticking to your goals easier. From healthy snacks, I need to workout gear that I like to have on hand. All my everyday essentials are available to purchase in one place. Not to mention, I can get it delivered fast so I don't have to worry about making trips to the store and adding to my already busy schedule. Great prices, no running around, no extra hassle. Now that's convenient. So when life tries to steer you off track, Amazon can help get you back to the plan, focus on your goals and stay on the grind. Save the everyday with essentials.

[Matt Rogers]

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[T-Mobile Customer 2]

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[Matt Rife]

Nah, I'm just kidding.

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[Shannon Sharpe]

Do people think that's who you are

[Matt Rife]

in all my sets? No, no, no, no, no. That was. No, that was like. That was. I used to compare in the very beginning because he was like, he was it at that time. He was taking over the world when I was starting out.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So not a bad guy to get compared to.

[Matt Rife]

Not a bad guy to be compared to. Wish. Wish I had that kind of success, right? But, bro, watching what he went through in, like, past documentaries and everything now versus kind of not. It's not comparative, but I can only understand the stress I've gone through over the last couple years to then times it by 1000. For what he went through, I have even more of a respect. Like, I love his music already, but to see what he went through and how he's persevered. I know he's had his struggles and everything in the public eye, but, like, so much props to him. I can't imagine what it's like to be that global of a superstar.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you ever think that being a comedian would cause this level of stress, had this level of anxiety?

[Matt Rife]

No, man, I thought it was gonna be so much fun. I thought I was gonna get on

[Shannon Sharpe]

stage and tell Jones.

[Matt Rife]

I thought I was just gonna get to be silly on stage at a comedy club every weekend for the rest of my life. I didn't know, man. I. I used to be so stressed. And as a. As an artist starting out, as an aspiring comedian, actor, whether you're a singer, whatever it may be, you're so anxious and you're so stressed about, like, oh, man, am I. Am I ever gonna make it? If I could just make it, I'll be so happy and satisfied. But that's not true. You get. You develop new goals, new aspirations, and then you start to wonder, like, can I keep it?

[Shannon Sharpe]

It.

[Matt Rife]

Keeping it is harder than getting it. Anybody can get a flash in the pan. It can happen. One viral video can send you into, you know, a moderate level of fame. But, like, once you get a taste of selling out arenas and hanging out with your idols and you got enough money to buy your mom a house, your sister's houses, your grandma's houses, like that, that's. That's a lifestyle you don't want to give up, right? It's. It's so addicting. I never thought it would be like this. I. I've. By 30 years old, I've achieved 99% of my dreams.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You don't even have. Half your life is not even gone.

[Matt Rife]

I know, and it's such a blessing. Like, everything I get to do from this point forward is just amazing extra credit. Man, I feel so blessed. But it also makes me think about, like, how much time I have left. Like, what am I gonna do with the next 50 years? Like, the possibilities are endless.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Is there a situation where you see yourself retiring or you just like, you know what? As long as I can tell a joke, as long as I can entertain an audience, I don't see myself slowing down. I don't see myself stopping.

[Matt Rife]

I can't see myself stopping for the pure fact that I love it so much and I don't know anything else. Like, this April will be exactly half my life that I've been doing comedy. It'll be the 15 year mark. So I haven't really known anything. Like, I tell myself I want time off and how exhausted I am. I'm like, two hours of sleep right now. Oh, I'm exhausted. I take three days off. I feel like I fell off. I'm like, no, I got to get back to work. I have this thing I got to do. I got to do this thing over here. So I can tell myself that maybe someday I'd want to settle down. But maybe it's just a different pacing or maybe it's transitioning over to acting more. Maybe I just do stand up kind of when I feel like it. Like, Kevin Hart's found a wonderful balance, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Matt Rife]

Knock out a couple movies a year, and in the midst of that, he'll go tour, pop in and do spots, work on his set. Like, that seems. I mean, it's a. It's a harder workload. Like, I know he's like one of the hardest working people on earth, but it feels like it's a more exciting balance. He's not. And he's not totally consumed in touring, which is what I've been for the last.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right. Because that's a lot of travel. At least that. Well, you do it when you're on location. You're in one spot.

[Matt Rife]

Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

When you tour, you're in Jacksonville, you're in Miami, you're in Orlando, you're in Atlanta.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm so sick of planes, man. If I can drive six hours, I'll avoid flying. Really, I would rather. I would rather drive six or seven hours than I would fly for two hours. I really would.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So, I mean, you got a tour bus. Do you and the homies hop on the bus and y' all chill?

[Matt Rife]

We did the Tour bus in 2020, and it was so much fun. But it almost killed me, bro, because we were doing two shows a night, six nights a week with meet and greets after each show. Wow. So we were doing like 40 to 50 shows a month for like nine months straight. And it got to the point where, like, you get done with the last show at midnight, 12:30, then you got a meet and greet till 1 1:15.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Are you cutting off the meet and greet? So you got a hundred, 100 in the meet and greet. You got 250 in the meet and greet.

[Matt Rife]

I think we did 50 per show. I think it was okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's best.

[Matt Rife]

And as amazing it is to get to meet your fans and everything and hear their stories and all, guy, it's like doing another show because you got to be on. You want to be present. You can't be, how you doing?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Where you from?

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, you can't be the guy. Just be like, all right, getting here for the picture. Even though you might feel that way, but, like, they pay for the experience. These are people that love you the most, you know? But then you get done with that at 1:30, and now you get to go back to the bus. Now you get to, like, light one up with your boys. Now you want to just enjoy yourself and decompress.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So in other words, you're not going to bed to, what, 4 o' clock now?

[Matt Rife]

4, 5, 6 o', clock, get up at 2, walk to whatever, like, the local gym is there. And then now you got to go back inside for show number. I was seeing daylight for like 30 minutes a day for nine months in a row. It. My sleep up so much, man.

[Bowen Yang]

Wow.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, my. I. I had to cancel some shows in Indiana one time because I literally, like, I couldn't walk. I went five days in a row without a single minute of sleep. You couldn't do it. I couldn't. Couldn't perform. Had to go to the hospital and everything. Had to cancel. They were so mad. They were so. Because it was like, like night of the show. Like, people were getting set. I'm heading to the venue, almost fell over in the bushes because, like, I couldn't see, couldn't walk straight and everything. And I got there and they're like, yeah, you're. You're exhausted.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes, exhausted.

[Matt Rife]

Awesome. Sleep doctors, they ran some tests and everything. And they're like, yeah. You know how, like, your circadian rhythm is kind of what helps you find your sleep patterns? They're like, you don't have a bad circadian rhythm. You don't even have one. Like, Your sleep schedule is so your body has no idea when it's supposed to fall asleep. And I'm still struggling. I'm still struggling with that. I've had it my whole life. But that definitely, like, sent me over the years.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Definitely doesn't help.

[Matt Rife]

But I also don't to not be that busy. Like, I would rather be exhausted from work than sitting around being bored.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You mentioned DL. Like, your first start you got. DL was coming to the Columbus Funny Bone, and you reached out to him, and he put you on. I think you have a story with Mike Epps. What's some of the best advice? Cause DL has been at this thing 30, 40 years. Mike El has been at this thing 25, 30 years. What's some of the best advice these guys giving you?

[Matt Rife]

Some of the best advice I've ever been given is not to quote Nike, but, like, just do it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Matt Rife]

Like, you. Sometimes you'll have an idea of a piece of content you want to film. Maybe it's a script idea or just a joke idea. Run it by a friend. And they'll be like, I don't. I don't get it. And you're like, now you find yourself arguing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Matt Rife]

Why you don't get it? Like, no, I'm trying to convince you. It's this. And they're like, just stop. My friend Eric Griffin told me. He was like, stop trying to convince me. Just do it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Matt Rife]

Like, go on stage or go film the thing that you have an idea for. Nobody else is inside your brain. Nobody can picture and visualize exactly what you're trying to create. Which is exactly why they're not in your shoes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[Matt Rife]

Correct. So you have to go show them and go do it. You got to gamble on yourself. If you're not committed to your own decisions, why would anybody trust them in the first place? So, I mean, I believe in just betting on yourself. And what's another sort of good piece of advice somebody's given? Ralphie May used to tell me not to wear cool shoes on. He said, tell me. He was like, yeah, it's distracting from what people are trying to say. I'm like, you're £400. You don't think people are distracted by what you're saying right now? He was a little wrong on that one, but he was a cool dude. You ever get a chance to meet him?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I have not met Ralphie, but I hear great stories about him.

[Matt Rife]

The best guy, he was like my first real mentor. He took me on my first theater tour when I was 19. I used every bit of that check to pay for my teeth to get done immediately. He was the best. Even when I was still living in Ohio, he would let me drive down from Ohio to Nashville, where he lived, and do his Christmas shows with him at Zany's so that he could pay me some money so I could go back to Ohio and buy my family Christmas presents with him. He was the nicest guy. When I moved to la, he'd take me out to lunch and he'd make me order like five meals. And I'm like, is this for me or for you? And he was like, no, this is yours. If you order five meals now, you get to take the leftovers home with you, right? And now you don't got to buy groceries this week.

[T-Mobile Customer 1]

Wow.

[Matt Rife]

He was the nicest guy, man. Fat is good, man. I'm sleeping middle bunk on the bus, and he will walk by, open the curtain, fart in the bunk, and then go back to his room. Diabolical, man, but the greatest guy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, you mentioned that. The Uptown Comedy Store in Atlanta. Uptown Comedy Club in Atlanta. How did the Atlanta scene. Because, man, you know, I think as a comedian, you have to be able to branch off. You have to be able to get black people to laugh, white people to laugh, young people to laugh, men to laugh, women to laugh. It doesn't matter. Because funny is funny and you have to. And so you coming up in today, looking at this, man, this young ass white kid, they tried to make me laugh. Because we laugh differently, of course.

[Matt Rife]

It's more fulfilling to get black people to laugh, I gotta say.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause white people laugh. Yes, black people.

[Matt Rife]

Ow, ow, ow, ow. God damn it, Shannon.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's how we laugh. We all, man, we stand on top.

[Matt Rife]

It's the best, man. But when y' all don't with us, you don't with us. There's no pity laughter. Boo from the back. They don't care, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They don't.

[Matt Rife]

It's so fulfilling.

[Shannon Sharpe]

We don't.

[Matt Rife]

So to get to, like, grow up in comedy in that kind of do or die environment, it definitely helped me, like, carve my chops. Like, had I not done that, I never could have done Wild. Now, like, Atlanta's full of. Of beasts, man. Like, I saw Ryan Davis come on here, talk about Ronnie Jordan and everything. I mean, even Special K back in the day. Like anybody who went through DEF Jam at all, I opened for them in Atlanta, right? So I'm open. I'm getting to open for, like, Def Jam crowds in the middle of Atlanta when I'm 15, 16 years old. It was the best possible place to cut my chops, man. Had I gotten wild, not like two years before when I originally auditioned for it, there's no way I could have survived, man. I couldn't have hung with, like, Carlos Miller, Chico Bean, D.C. on Fly Guy. There's no way. Those guys are absolute beasts, man. Atlanta is an amazing comedy scene. They really don't get the credit they

[Shannon Sharpe]

deserve because you have to be off the court.

[Matt Rife]

But the comedy scene's amazing drive into Atlanta.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, because when you think about it, you got Quake, you got Bruce. Bruce, you got Arne SJ, you got. What's the guy from St. Louis? No, the guy that came on here.

[Matt Rife]

Oh.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Said the entertainer was the big guy.

[Matt Rife]

I love Said Crawford.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Lavelle Crawford. Yeah. DC Curry.

[Matt Rife]

I mean, you got the heavyweight DC Curry. As a matter of fact, going back to great advice, I was open for him at the Cleveland Improv, and I was watching his show, and, you know, he's a really great storyteller. He can sit in five minutes of silence, building up to this one big punchline. I remember going back in the green room afterwards, just so naive. And I asked him, and I was like, you know, there's like, there's so much silence in the storytelling that you're doing up there. Does it ever feel weird that, like, does it ever feel like you're, like, bombing up there? And he just started laughing to himself and he was like, no, I'm not bombing. He was like, I've got the attention. He's like, silence is one of the most powerful things you can have in stand up comedy. Yeah, if they're quiet, they're listening. It's when they start talking amongst themselves, when they start heckling, that's when you have a problem. It was like, patience and timing is what I'm building up for that one big punchline. That never really occurred to me. I thought comedy was supposed to be

[Shannon Sharpe]

like, boom, boom, boom.

[Matt Rife]

It doesn't have to be like that. If your style is storytelling, grasp them, you know what I mean? Grab their attention, hold them for that one big moment.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's so powerful because some people are storytellers. Some people, you know, 30 seconds, they boom, it go. Some people, it take a couple of minutes in order to build, to build up to that crescendo, and then boom.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, yeah. My set now is like, as a perfect mix of that. I love stories. I'd say 45 minutes of my set right now is just stores. Like, I need you to follow me on that route, I gotta practice that patience and timing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But you like that rapid fire sometimes, too, that bam, bam.

[Matt Rife]

And that's just for me, you know what I mean? That's where, like, the crowd work is kind of fun. That's something new and refreshing. I get to do every show that's just kind of. Of spontaneous for me, you know, Mixes up the set a little bit. Cause like I said, you can get tired of your own set.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So at 17, I think, if I'm not mistaken, you decide to go to LA and you're famous. So how was that received? You're like, mom, Grandpa, I'm about to be like Jay Clampett. I'm about to move to Beverly Hills.

[Matt Rife]

Jed Clampett. Wow, what a reference.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'm about to move up out of here. I'm going to Cali. I'm going. Maybe not Beverly Hills, but I'm getting up out of Ohio.

[Matt Rife]

They were so ready, man. My mom was one less mouth to feed. They were so supportive because, like, nobody in my hometown leaves that hometown. And I knew nobody in my family has also ever been to college. So there was no, like, expectation. It was like, okay, here's this thing that you're already kind of traveling to do. You're already making a little bit of money doing it. You're really passionate about it. We think you're good at it. So by all means, you've got some good mentors out there. I went out there, I lived on Eric Griffin's couch for the first, like, six months I was out there. Then I moved to another friend's couch. Then I moved to a. What's that website called? So you can go on and just find anything up for listings. Craigslist. Yeah, Craigslist couch. I did the whole Crouch Circle thing for like, two and a half, three years taking the bus. Like, I had to grow up so fast. I didn't know about. I didn't know about paying bills. I didn't know about grocery.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You didn't know anybody in la.

[Matt Rife]

I knew a couple of people. Just comedians, though. Just comedians I have met online or during that first trip to LA that were like, when you get out here, let me know. And I was lucky enough that they. They fulfilled those promises.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Wow.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah. I used to just walk to either the Improv, the Comedy Store, the Laugh Factory every single night and just. Just hang out. Like, just wait and see if maybe somebody didn't show up for their spot and somebody there would vouch for me and be like, you know, let this kid fill the Five minutes until so and so gets here. And that's really how I, like, built up to being, like. I think I'm the youngest regular performer at the Laugh Factory, besides Tiffany Hadish.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Wow.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah. Just from. Just from hanging out and people vouching, man, it was. It was an amazing opportunity. And just getting to. Just getting to hang out with everybody who I'd seen on tv, and that, like, made me want to do this was just. It was amazing, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You got some opportunities to be on Disney, but you hear these stories. A lot of these kids that on Disney, you hear them struggle not only later in life. So why haven't that befallen you? What made you so mature that you were able to be in. That you were able to be in that environment and move forward and succeed?

[Matt Rife]

Well, I think it's because I didn't have my own show. I was a character on somebody else's show. And they were. Are struggling, but I'm checking in for a day. I'm like, what the fuck is their problem? Breakfast was great this morning, man. This set. This set has everything. You're being pretty ungrateful right now. I mean, there was just less pressure on me. I got to show up on a couple of, like, guest episodes on some really fun shows there. But again, that was, like, my first experience with television, so getting to, like, see what it's like to have a green room. Getting to, like, rehearse on set, learning what table reads are and everything. Learning that you can get replaced at a table read.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah. I got invited back reoccurring on this show. Not the first episode went so great. Second episode, I felt so comfortable. This is, like, the next season. So I went back in there, didn't know my lines. And the first rehearsal of it, the director comes over and goes, hey, man, if you don't memorize these lines for this network meeting we have coming up, they're like, they're gonna recast you. I went back to my green room and just studied the. Out of every beat, every syllable. Because you. When the network comes in to watch it, you gotta perform it like they want to see how it's gonna be on camera. That's when I realized, like, all of this was. And also how many pieces there are. That's why it's so hard to get work as an actor, I think, because as a comedian, you're. You're in control of your own destiny to a certain extent. Like, you write your own jokes, you book yourself for gigs. You are in total control of what you can and can't do. For the most part, aside from getting on television versus acting, it's like there's 30 people you got to get approval, right? For approval of to get a spot. You got the casting associate, casting director, the director, then the producers, then the network. It's such a complicated game, which is why I think standup has allowed me to get in the position I am now, because I love to work hard. I woke up every day in LA for 12 years trying to create new opportunities for myself. So when it finally did break, I'm like, I want all the work now. Exhaust me, man. I wanted to be this busy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Is it a situation where when you're a comedian, you write a set, you're writing that set compared to television, somebody else is writing a joke for you. And not necessarily you wouldn't write that joke like that. So it's like it comes off as strange or odd because that's not the way I would have wrote that joke. And so me, it's kind of.

[Matt Rife]

No, it happens. Especially for network stuff that's like, you know, PG, maybe PG 13 at most. It's some of the worst writing ever. I can't tell you how many auditions I've gone on for, like, a network sitcom that I'm like, I'm a professional comedian, and I have no idea how to make this funny. This is such a terrible, terrible joke. And this person got paid six figures to write this joke right now. It's unbelievable. That's. Again, this job is so freeing, man. I get to just be myself. I get to just float out. My sense of humor projected out there, and God willing, people like it, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you get an opportunity to get on Comic View before it got canceled?

[Matt Rife]

Yes, dude. That was my first TV credit ever, actually. Some more was hosting this.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, Okay.

[Matt Rife]

I got found at the Comedy Union off of Pico.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Matt Rife]

You know that one down the street from Roscoe's?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, no, I don't know that, but.

[Matt Rife]

Oh, it's an older joint. It's closed down now. It was. It was one of the. It was one of, like, the. The black clubs around la, which was one of the very few places I could really get stage time. And I went in there, and Amber Bickham is a great casting director. She cast a lot of great shit. And she saw me in there. She wants you audition for Comic View. This one, it was just coming back. I went in. We taped in Atlanta, actually. I got a standing ovation as the closer for my episode they filmed. Wow. Three comics per episode. Got a standing ovation. I think I was. I think I just turned 18. And they canceled the season before my episode, so I never even got to see it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Matt Rife]

I know, I know. I think Carlos Miller might be the only person who got their episode actually aired. And they saw it and they were like, nah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Wow, that's unbelievable. I know. So in that situation now, you parlayed that you get wilding out. You're the youngest cast member so far of wilding out. Did you. Like, how did. Because wilding out is kind of different because you're, like, going back and forth, somebody bagging on you, you bagging on it. It's a different. Different. So it's like.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, the pacing's up. The. The intensity is there because, like I said, everybody's a beast, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Matt Rife]

And you're fighting for episodes too. It's like. It's literally like, it. Like a team. You got a roster. Right. But there's only so many starters.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Matt Rife]

And you don't get paid unless you play either.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Matt Rife]

So we have these. We have these workshops for like a month before we start filming everything. And that's maybe. No, it's maybe like two weeks before we're going through all the new games and everything, teaching everybody how to play the games, how to write for each game or whatever. And I went in there as somebody who had never really been on a TV show outside of a couple Disney episodes. I'd never done anything competitive in the comedy space either. And I was so nervous, I would go in there with my. My hands in my pockets and super slouched over. And the producer, Niall Evans, was not having that shit. He was like, no, you got to come in here with confidence. Like, that show, the workshops for that show, like, like, kind of taught me how to, like, be a man. Like, he used to make D.C. young fly. Like, get in my face. Like, like, about to, like, hit me. Like, we. He was really about establishing confidence in me because he was like, if you can't be confident back here, how are you gonna be confident in front of a live packed out crowdfunding all these cameras where you get one shot and it was nerve wracking, but it definitely pulled the best out of me. It's one of those instances where, like, pressure makes diamonds, right? Like, the pressure was such an institution for. For how I developed as a comedian.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you get turned down the first time you auditioned for the show?

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, yeah, I did. It was when they first rebooted the season. This is when Carlos and Chico first got on and everything.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Matt Rife]

I drove down from Ohio because they had auditions at my. At the Uptown Comedy Club. And my manager that was able to get me an audition, I drove down, which was like nine hours, and it was an okay audition, but didn't get it. I think Pete Davidson actually got on for that one. And then I got cast when he left as kind of his replacement. They just replaced white guy after white.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So they replaced a white guy with

[Matt Rife]

a white guy in a different way because he replaced Mikey Day when he left. It was just one after another. So there was an opening they got and I, I didn't get the first one. And once I got it, when I was just turned 19, I think, yeah, I. Bro, I was so barely ready at that time. You can go back and watch. Like, I was, I was terrified. So much of my stuff from episodes got cut because I didn't deliver it confidently. But I needed that, that I hadn't been ready. And that's a reoccurring theme in my life where, like, everything happens so young for me, even the arenas and everything. When. When our theater tour for the problematic world tour sold out in the first, like 48 hours of pre sale, we sold like 600,000 tickets in 48 hours. My agents were like, oh, we could just, we could just transfer these to arenas. I was like, yo, I just started selling out comedy. I'm not ready for that. Like you, you gotta take the necessary steps, you know. I also want to experience theaters. A comedy club different from a theater show is different from an arena show, is different from a stadium show.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Matt Rife]

And I wanted those life experiences. You know, if I would have jumped right into arenas, there's no way I would have been ready. I was barely ready for the theaters, but the comedy club was where I was like, just starting to, like at

[Shannon Sharpe]

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Nah, I'm just kidding.

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[Matt Rife]

so it's baby steps.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I don't know you, Pete. I mean, Pete got a nice little roster. I don't know if you're a roster like Pete, though.

[Matt Rife]

A. We done talking about comedy. Got it. Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But also someone from Ohio that's really good in comedy is Gary Owen. And I think that's a beast. Yeah. I think early in your career, they tried to compare you. Like, no, bro, I'm mad.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah. I'm a different person. And that's no shade. Gary Owen is a legend. Like that dude murders like, no. There's very few comedians that I. That I would not want to follow. Gary's one of them, man. But he. He always has, like, the. The cachet of, like, he's a white comic for. For. For. For black audiences only. Right. He's just an urban comic or whatever that means. And I just didn't want to pigeonhole an audience, you know what I mean? Like, I want. I want to be for as many people as possible. Now whoever finds me, finds me. If it's all black people amazing, it's all white people amazing. It doesn't matter to me. Funny. Funny is just funny. But I didn't want to be pigeonholed into, like, oh, he only does urban stuff because it's. It's so unfortunate that that limits opportunities in Hollywood as well. Like, Gary was great, and was it. Think like a man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Matt Rife]

He was so good at. But because a lot of Hollywood, the entertainment industry just thinks, oh, he only has a black audience, I don't know why people will go see him. I feel like that hinders a lot of his opportunities. And I could be wrong. Gary, if I'm wrong, I apologize, but. But it's really what it feels like. I feel like he deserves a lot more.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I agree.

[Matt Rife]

And from a young age, I just saw that and I was like, I just wanna make sure I leave all the doors open that I can. But he's. Oh, he's a beast, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Were you surprised by how, Nick, the jokes that he would allow you to say on Wild N Out?

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, that was my biggest problem with the show, actually. That show, everyone has their role, right? And my role was the white guy. And if you made any jokes outside of being the white guy, that shit was like, not okay. Like, it would either fall super flat that nobody wanted it, or just kind of FR.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Upon. Right.

[Matt Rife]

Like, at a certain point, as a comedian, I want to say other shit. I want to say something kind of clever, something that I actually put some thought into. Something that's not racially based. And that's all they really wanted after, so all they ever wanted out of it. So after it, after like three seasons of it, I was like, I just want to do other things. You know, this takes up so much of my time. I'm not on every episode. It doesn't pay well. I need to go tour. I need to go be me on stage. So it was a little limiting. Yeah. But I mean, the exposure from it was amazing. You know, my first season on there, I mean, I bumped up thousands and thousands of followers that allowed me to tour for the very first time. So I'm so thankful for it. It was an amazing institution. It was a great opportunity and opened so many doors for me. So I'm very thankful for it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, you got an opportunity to go against the 85 South Crew. You got DC, you got Chico.

[Matt Rife]

Well, I want to go do that show with him so bad. Those are some of the most talented people I've ever met in my entire life.

[Shannon Sharpe]

When you look at the success of 85 south, as we mentioned, those guys are you. So it strikes me as that you're not surprised at the level of success that they're enjoying.

[Matt Rife]

Not at all, man. Man, it's so well deserved. They're so talented, man. Sometimes I'll watch them just riff a freestyle song and not only is it a good song, but it's hilarious. They're doing the instrumentals, they're doing the lyrics, they're doing the jokes all on the spot. They're so talented, man. I. I really do love those guys. I'm so happy for them.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Who do you think the all time. Who's the funniest member of Wilding out cast of all time?

[Matt Rife]

Fuck, man. Oh, that's tough. Oh, I mean, Prime Cat was something else. Some people forget he was on that show in the original seasons. Cat, Kevin Hart. But then, I mean, Carlos is up there, man. Carlos is a brilliant comedian, man. It's got to be one of those three, I think. Do you have a favorite?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Probably Cat.

[Matt Rife]

Probably Cat.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Probably Catalos. Because the thing is, is that.

[Matt Rife]

Did you see his new special?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, I did, I did, I watched it.

[Matt Rife]

Okay, good.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And you know what the thing is, is that for those guys, I mean, it's just like this. It's just. Cause you're on cue and like, for a comedian, like, if I'm telling a set, it's one thing, but to just Joan. To just go back and forth.

[Matt Rife]

You gotta grow up with it. You gotta do it. If you don't got black friends, you're not gonna laugh. There ain't no amen. Cause white people don't do it. They call it bullying. Yeah. It's so frustrating.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Now we call it Jody. We go back and forth. I went to an hbcu, and so we go into the student center. If you didn't have thick skin and you went to an hbcu, you're gonna end up leaving. You gonna end up going to a PWI pw. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause this ain't for you. Cause you know, we talk. You know, you've been around black people. We talk different to one another than where you guys communicate with one another.

[Matt Rife]

Oh, of course.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And so we bring that right to you. Oh, well, you rhino. So you gonna get this too.

[Matt Rife]

Which is why black people are always a more fun comedy audience. Man. Y. What jokes are.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Matt Rife]

Context is everything, man. You realize it's. It's not. It's not a personal attack.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No. It's that.

[Matt Rife]

I'm just saying the funniest possible. The more. The more I jones on you. The more I with you, the more I try to hurt your feelings, the more I actually with you. Like, I genuinely love you as a person. You know what I mean? It's so frustrating that white people don't get that. It's so annoying.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They take it personally. Like you bullying him.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah.

[Bowen Yang]

It's so.

[Matt Rife]

We're so sensitive. It drives me insane. If I ever get a complaint for any of my material, it's a white person 100% of the time. 100% of the time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Time. The pay. You mentioned that they didn't pay a whole lot on Wilding Out. So what you got? 250. 300 episodes.

[Matt Rife]

It's a th000 an episode. But. But you on three episodes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What could I do?

[Matt Rife]

And by the way, you can't go do other. You taping for a couple of weeks. So you making. Don't hear now. It's all. It's all perspective. Right. So I'm making $3,000 for over the course of a month. Which don't get me wrong, that's not. That's not bad. People pay their bills on that all the time. More. I imagine that's more the minimum wage. But you can't go do anything else. When I could be going touring. I could be auditioning for other things. You are gonna pay more. So it's just. It's it's an investment, It's a gamble. You gotta hope you're on these episodes. So it's not, you know, it's not $9 an hour or anything, but in comparison to what touring pays or what other TV shows pay, it is very little. And you got taxes on top of that. So it ends up being 300 an episode.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. So in other words, it's about the. You going wilding out. It's really about the exposure. You're giving an. You're giving people an opportunity to see Matt. To see like, you know what? Know what? This dude is really funny. If he ever toured. I got to see him because I want to see what he really like. Because I see him go back and forth. And he can join. He got the gift of gab and he's quick with it. So if he got a set, he can do something 30 minutes, 45 minutes, I want to see it.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah. It's more of a launching pad than anything. The exposure for there is unmatched, man. What are they on season 26 or something like that? That's not off luck like they have. They have an audience. People love the show. People love the people from the show. We all tour together. Together. As soon as you leave the show, it's like we'll go do shows on the road. Five, six cast members at a time, sell out these big theaters. Sometimes in arena. Like. People love the show, dude. It's awesome.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You mentioned that when you started wilding out, you ended up. The first thing you did is about bought some new teeth.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, man. After my first season. Oh, bro, it was right after. It was in between seasons and Ralphie May took me on tour. I couldn't wait to get my teeth fixed, man. It was. I had Ohio teeth, bro. It was. Buy them stray hands, man. Really, bro. It was bad, bro. It changed everything for me, man. Cause I had a beautiful 30 year old girlfriend at this time. I'm 19 years old. I got these terrible teeth. I was like, I gotta give her a reason to stay. Cause it's not the money for sure. It ain't the dick. There ain't no way. There ain't no way.

[Shannon Sharpe]

She's 30.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah. There's no way.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You said you would rather had died than smile.

[Matt Rife]

Yeah, man. So I'm still really bad at smiling in photos. I just didn't.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But you got the grill now. You good.

[Matt Rife]

I know, but I don't know how to smile. I feel like I look weird in photos when I smile with my teeth because I didn't grow up doing it. I didn't have, like, the practice of doing it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So how long you had the teeth?

[Matt Rife]

I got them when I was 19, so 11 years now.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, you good now?

[Matt Rife]

I. I try because, you know, you

[Shannon Sharpe]

normally talk when you, you know, you got something, you got a missing tooth on the side, you got a cavity or gap.

[Matt Rife]

He got the Jack Hughes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. You talking like, hey, man, go ahead on with that, man. Because the thing is, as a comedian, the one thing, and you bag on pieces. The one thing. You cannot have any imperfection.

[Matt Rife]

Oh, bro, are you kidding me?

[Shannon Sharpe]

God. If they go to get you. Oh.

[Matt Rife]

If you got something.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, man, go ahead on Jack o'. Lett. They call it Jack o Lantern.

[Matt Rife]

All of it. All right, relax, relax. Okay. All right, all right. No more cognac. No more cognac for Shannon. That's enough.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So. So when you got. So why did you say, you know what? If I ever. Cause I said the same thing. If I ever get me some money or I'm going to get my mouth fixed. Y' all ain't fit to be ragged. Cause I'm all in people face joaning talking about and they say call you snaggle puss or Jack o' Lantern and you feeling some type of way. So I'm like, I'm gonna get me some teeth. Is that how you thought about it?

[Matt Rife]

It was more just a confidence thing, man. I knew they were up, and I know how important teeth are. When you meet somebody, you look at eyes and teeth.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Matt Rife]

The two most important things. And I was just so insecure about it. I know there was nothing wrong like people. You don't gotta have a perfect smile. You can be a wonderful person. People still gonna like you. But I knew the career that I wanted to have. And by the way, I checked in to get embraces first because I just couldn't afford braces growing up. So I looked into that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So you want straight gap teeth.

[Matt Rogers]

Yes.

[Matt Rife]

That would have been great. That would have saved me tens of thousands of dollars.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Matt Rife]

But they told me they were like, you're gonna have braces for like, six years. I was like, I am not about to be in my early 20s with braces on. I wouldn't. I wouldn't get laid ever. Are you crazy? My teeth were like. I think they were like, $24,000. Yeah. So I paid half up front, and then I had a payment for the next, like, three years, which was terrifying to miss a payment. Dentist is gonna show up with some.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, he can't take him Out. They're like, oh, y' all stuck, y'.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

All.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So I missed them.

[Matt Rife]

I could have bought two pairs of fake titties with these teeth. It's unbelievable. I got a Honda Accord in my mouth, man. It's unbelievable when you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But how do you feel about people saying that, man? You've had other work done. They ain't just fake teeth. You done had some jawline, you'd have some Botox.

[Matt Rife]

The funniest thing in the entire world, man. Ugly people love to say that. It's the funny. I'm. Oh, so you just get better looking as you get older. Okay, yeah. Not everybody peaked in high school, man. I don't know what the. It's so funny. And it happened the weirdest way because when I first started to get famous, everybody's first thing was like, oh, he's not funny. People just like him. Yeah, because of how he looks or whatever. And then that caught on to being like, okay, I guess he's a good looking comedian. And people were like, nah, I don't like that. So now we have to find some way to make him not good looking.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[Matt Rife]

So now I had. Now I've had plastic surgery. I look at the same, right? I look exactly the same.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know, people do age.

[Matt Rife]

People do age, and I feel like I'm aging well. I like to think so, but just work out, man. Take care of yourself.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You see what's going on now? Now Jim Carrey's gotten cloned, bro.

[Matt Rife]

Now.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Here, here.

[Matt Rife]

I don't know, man. That shit looks weird. No, listen to me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Come on, man.

[Matt Rife]

Listen to me, man. That shit, it looks weird. It don't look weird to you?

[Shannon Sharpe]

The man got cloned.

[Matt Rife]

I don't know about that, but I. His eye color's different. His nose is different. Different face is wider. The one I would believe more than him. You see Britney Spears?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Matt Rife]

Seeing her videos. How'd she get a gap in her teeth? She never had that before.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, I don't know why they gave her my teeth.

[Matt Rife]

That's just so weird to me, man. I. Listen, I don't know. I've never been invited to any. Any diddy parties. I've never been invited to any Illuminati parties. I don't. I don't know how it goes. I don't know what the weird conspiracies are in Hollywood. I'm so far out of the. I'm kind of mad, right? I thought I was doing well. I haven't been invited to anything.

[Shannon Sharpe]

This concludes the first half of My Conversation Part 2 is also posted and you can access it to whichever podcast platform you just listened to part one on. Just simply go back to Club Shay Shay Profile and I'll see you there.

[Matt Rife]

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