Club Shay Shay – Mike Epps Part 2

Date: January 7, 2026
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: Mike Epps (Comedian, Actor)

Episode Overview

In this follow-up conversation, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe sits down with comedian and actor Mike Epps, exploring Epps’ long climb to success, the realities of Hollywood and stand-up comedy, and deeply personal topics—from childhood challenges and family history to sobriety, marriage, and legacy. The episode is both hilarious and candid, as the two share raw stories about failure, perseverance, the entertainment industry, and finding purpose.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Turning Down Movie Roles & Early Career Mistakes

• Missed Opportunities: Mike reflects on passing on roles in "Fool's Gold" (which eventually went to Kevin Hart) and "Double Take" with Eddie Griffin and Chris Kattan.
  • “I shouldn't have never turned down none. I wasn't in a position to turn down no roles. Cause I was just starting, right?” — Mike Epps [01:56]
• Self-Sabotage and Success: Acknowledges how early success can cloud judgment about what opportunities to take.

Notions of Selling Out, Gatekeeping & Race

• Selling Out: The conversation turns to notions of “selling out” and who gets labeled that way.
  • “Quincy Jones said something important. He said you gotta have something to sell... You can't sell out if you ain't got nothing to sell.” — Mike Epps [03:39]
• Working with White People: Mike discusses the stigma around collaborating outside your community and touches on peer pressure and code-switching.
  • “I used to have peer pressure around my own people about being racist... I'm only racist around black people.” — Mike Epps [04:43]
• Gatekeepers in Hollywood: Mike describes “gatekeeping” as people in power—often from within one’s own community—preventing others from getting opportunities.
  • “A gatekeeper is a n*** at the gate that know if you get in there you might take his job.”* — Mike Epps [05:39]

Conspiracies, Fame & Human Nature

• Conspiracy Theories: Mike affirms his belief in conspiracies, referencing real-life experiences.
  • “I done seen shit formulate. That's why I'm a conspiracy theorist.” — Mike Epps [07:46]
• Dealing with Fame: Both men discuss how coming from poverty changes your perspective on success and how fame exposes you to “fake and messy people.”
  • “I've been broke before. And I have been nobody before. And I know how I felt then and how people reacted to it. Right. So can't nobody pull the wool over my head.” — Mike Epps [09:30]

School Life & Early Comedy Roots

• Class Clown Origins: Mike shares stories of being disruptive in class, which foreshadowed his comedic talent.
  • “They used to call it being disruptive. But it turned into being a comedian for me. So my disruption turned into fame.” — Mike Epps [10:43]
• Struggling with Schooling: Openly discusses being placed on Ritalin, being in special education classes, repeated grades, then dropping out.
  • “I stopped going to school. Like, literally. Literally fifth grade.” — Mike Epps [23:10]
• Different Learning Styles: Emphasizes being “unorthodox” and learning differently than others.

Difficult Childhood & Family Circumstances

• Poverty and Family:
  • Grew up on welfare, in a single-mother household of seven brothers.
  • “If you ain't never felt a missed meal cramp, you don't know what hungry is... that's cause you was hungry.” — Mike Epps [39:38]
• First Purchase with Money: Bought his mother a washer and dryer when he found success.
• Buying Back the Block: Eventually bought every house his family was ever evicted from and revitalized his neighborhood.
  • “I made an address list... and I went and bought every last one of them.” — Mike Epps [44:24]

Drug Use, Recovery & Personal Growth

• Time in Jail: Shares stories about dealing drugs, spending two years in jail, and how that shaped his transformation.
  • “I did two years in the county jail. And if you Google Mike Epps mugshots, you'll see it.” — Mike Epps [76:02]
• Addiction Struggles: Open about his battles with substance abuse and daily effort to overcome personal demons.
  • “You have to fight them every day for the rest of your life.” — Mike Epps [79:20]

Comedy, Creativity & Career

• Def Comedy Jam’s Impact: The platform jump-started careers for many urban comedians.
  • “Def Comedy Jam was a platform for young urban comics to do seven minutes and get they shit off and shocked the world...” — Mike Epps [84:19]
• Influence of Legends: Reflects on the impact of Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Martin Lawrence, Robin Harris, Bernie Mac, etc.
  • “That’s my Rushmore: Martin Lawrence, Robin Harris, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Bernie Mac.” — Mike Epps [21:37]
• Mentorship: Now takes pride in bringing younger comics on tour and helping them get exposure.

Comedy Today vs. Yesterday

• Social Media & Changing Landscape: Notes how internet skits have changed what it means to become a comedian.
  • “To become a real comic takes about 10 years.” — Mike Epps [32:34]
  • “Even if I wanted to do that shit right now, it ain't enough rooms. Comedy clubs would just scare us now like that.” — Mike Epps [34:19]
• Cancel Culture: Believes that authentic connection with an audience provides immunity from being “canceled.”
  • “If you have an audience, you can’t cancel me.” — Mike Epps [34:45]

Personal Life: Marriage, Fatherhood & Regrets

• Evolution in Marriage: Explains how his second wife changed his life, helped him overcome addictions, and provided a sense of calm.
  • “The first time I met my wife. I came in the house high, and she said, if you ever do that again, we'll never be together. And I never did it again.” — Mike Epps [89:49]
  • “Most of us get married, so we don't screw everybody. Let's be honest.” — Mike Epps [48:45]
• Fatherhood: Candid about not always being a great father, especially for his eldest daughter, but striving to do better with his younger children.
  • “Unfortunately, my oldest daughter didn't get the best of me because I was too young and I didn't know what I knew. And I feel so bad about that.” — Mike Epps [55:53]
• Legacy: Hopes to be remembered positively, leaving a legacy for his children.

Navigating the Business

• Entertainment Industry Realism: Urges not to take the business personally, citing advice from Queen Latifah’s manager: “it ain't that serious.”
  • “Get as much as you can get out of it and keep going.” — Mike Epps [39:32]
• Goat Comedians: Mike’s Mount Rushmore includes Martin Lawrence, Robin Harris, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Bernie Mac.
• On Joke Writing & Stealing: Believes no one can truly write his jokes—he’ll take a premise, but needs to finish it himself.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Selling Out:
  • “You can't sell out if you ain't got nothing to sell.” — Mike Epps [04:03]
• On Cancel Culture:
  • “If you got an audience, you can't be canceled.” — Mike Epps [34:45]
• On Gatekeepers:
  • “A gatekeeper is... at the gate that knows if you get in there, you might take his job.” — Mike Epps [05:39]
• On Making a New Life:
  • “I’m so successful off of nothing. No money, no education, no nothing. That's how I know when God creates something, he don't make no mistakes.” — Mike Epps [26:20]
• On Demons:
  • “You have to fight them every day for the rest of your life.” — Mike Epps [79:20]
• On His Legacy:
  • “I just want to make sure I leave a great name for myself in this business so that my children can hear and live off of my legacy.” — Mike Epps [98:59]

Segment Timestamps

• Turning Down Early Roles: [01:56]
• Selling Out / Gatekeepers: [03:30]
• Fame, Human Nature, Class Clown Stories: [08:41], [10:40]
• Struggles in School/Childhood: [11:07], [23:10], [65:46]
• Buying Back the Block: [44:00]
• Fatherhood, Regrets, Co-Parenting: [55:51], [56:45]
• Drugs, Recovery, Personal Demons: [76:02], [79:18]
• Def Comedy Jam & Stand-up Industry: [84:19], [32:34]
• Mount Rushmore of Comedy: [21:37]
• Raising Kids & Legacy: [98:59]
• Tour Info (“We The Ones”): [33:00], [94:07]

Humor, Vulnerability & Candid Moments

• Mike’s stories about getting held back in school for being disruptive, failing military entrance exams, and misadventures trying to “pimp” showcase humility and humor.
• Honest discussion of addiction, failed first marriage, and efforts to improve as a father and husband show growth and vulnerability.

Final Remarks

This episode is a masterclass in honesty, perseverance, and comedy survival. Mike Epps’ journey—painful, funny, and insightful—offers listeners both laughter and life lessons on humility, not letting mistakes define you, and how to both give back and stay relevant.

For full tour info: BMNShows.com
**Watch for The Upshaws (Netflix, January 8)]
Key Quote:
“All my life I’ve been grinding...” — Mike Epps [101:17]