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- [00:00]
A
Close your eyes. Listen to Monday.com. feel the sensation of an AI work platform. So flexible and intuitive, it feels like it was built just for you. Now open your eyes.
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Go to Monday.com, start for free.
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A
And finally breathe.
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B
Good morning, crust. It's a great day to be a bread brother.
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A
Mornings are not my jam or jelly. Oh, come on. Stop loafing around. I just woke up feeling hollow inside.
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B
Just grab one of the new morning Uncrustable sandwiches like Bright Eyed Berry or up an apple filled with 12 grams of protein and tons of deliciousness crust.
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A
What are you eating? It's just granola. Not even yogurt. No crust, no fuss. Uncrust your mornings. Some stories I don't tell because I don't know. I say it all the time. I don't know the statute of limitation on that. I have no idea what the statute of limitation is on that. So that story won't be told.
- [00:59]
B
This is good one. I am Jesse David Fox, senior writer, Vulture, and author of comedy books. My guest today is Ali Siddiq. We discuss what it takes to be the greatest storyteller alive, if not the greatest storyteller in the history of comedy. Most famously, this has meant the Domino Effect series, an epic, unprecedented collection of four specials about what led Ali to pursue selling drugs, him eventually getting arrested for selling drugs, and his time in prison. But Ali is also the most prolific comedian working right now, releasing three specials in the year since wrapping up Domino Effect, with many more to come. And it's worth noting Ali is doing all of this independently, releasing these specials on his own YouTube channel instead of on a major streaming service. So here is Ali Siddiq. I'm here with Ali Siddiq. Thank you for joining me.
- [01:43]
A
Oh, thank you for having me.
- [01:45]
B
What's the funniest thing that happened to you this week?
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A
I lost the argument to my road manager, Dre. And I was arguing about, like, dre, you know, I'm not. I'm not really famous. Dre's like, you are famous. I was like, dre, I'm not famous. He's like, you are famous. And as we're riding down the street, we turn a corner, and a guy is getting ready to start his route for ups. And I didn't really think that he saw me because I'm looking down. It's like a really small shot of me, I guess, in his brain. But he noticed, and he ran to the corner as we was turning. He was like, yo, Flag. Yo, I love you, man. I watch all your stuff. When I'm you know, I listen to all your stuff when I'm. When I'm working. And then rolled down the window. I gave him some love, for sure. And then I rolled the window back up and I look over. I didn't want to look. I knew Dre was looking at me. I told you, you're famous. You're right. Yeah.
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B
That doesn't happen to not famous people.
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A
Yeah, that's the thing, I guess.
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B
So when we last spoke, it was a year and a half ago. You're about to put out Domino Effect 4. Now that you have some distance from that project, what did it mean for you personally to do a series?
- [03:02]
A
Just wanted to make comedic history. I wanted to do something to set myself apart from every other comedian that ever existed. You know, just to do a four part series of a continuous thing that's not based upon topics, you know, current topics or politics or any of those things. I just wanted to do it about myself. And long form, you know, just put it in a perspective where people would listen to long form, not just clips. You know, just, you know, bring somebody into a story and want them to continue to want to hear this particular story. And the lessons that you learn from the story.
- [03:46]
B
It's interesting because it's like essentially what you're saying is what we've learned from television for forever, which is like, there is a benefit to the payoff if you are more invested or time. And I do feel like Domino Effect showed people that, which is like the ending of Domino effect 4 means so much more if you've seen all of them.
- [04:03]
A
Yes.
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B
It captures a particularly, let's say, trying time of your life, from 10 to 25 or so. Having done it, having it being received as has it helped you move on? Like, do you think about that time period less than you did now that you've put those out?
- [04:20]
A
No, I actually kind of go back to that time period all the time. That's what keeps me motivated, you know, to see how far I've come from that stage in life to now. And when things get hard, I just go back to, you know, it's one of those things when you going through something and you always think, this is the hardest time in my whole entire life. And then you go Back to night no. 12 was pretty tough. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, I try to lean on those things. And I always remember being incarcerated. Always. You know, I think that's how people in, you know, end up back in prison because they forget what it was like. And I'm like, no, I'M pretty much going to. Oh, if something happens, let me go back to this one. Like, nah, man, it's not worth it, you know? Cause you still don't. Things still happen that could. Even when you just living a regularly good life, you could end up incarcerated for traffic. Yeah, yeah, Like, I, I, I definitely wanted to hurt some people in traffic. Like, hey, when did you know that you needed to go right when you was all the way in the far left lane and you went over three lanes and almost ran into me and my child is in the car. Like, yo, I, I want to kind of hunt you down a little bit. Is it worth it? No, but it's the feeling. It's the initial feeling.
- [05:52]
B
Do you, do you feel like there's more you want to say about that time now that you, you're like, either stories that you forgot you had or just generally you're like, oh, I even have more perspective than I did then.
- [06:01]
A
I didn't tell all of the stories. It's, it's more stories to be told in that. Cuz, you know, I'm there six years, there's definitely more stories to be told. But I put out two more specials because I didn't want to. The reason why I never talked about prison in the beginning, because I didn't want to be cast typed, oh, that's all he talk about is prison. So after 17 years, I did, you know, basically got on boots. Then I did the Mitchell story. And then I said, well, let me dive into this series, let me go through it. Cause people was asking, well, how did you get there? Now do I go back and do the how did you overcome being there stories? You know. Cause it was some, it was some things that happened there that kind of molded me as the person that I am now. Because, you know, I was very young when I went, so I still had some years to grow. And when I watched shows, I was like, yo, that's not how that actually goes. Do I go back and correct society? You know, even with the preconceived notion of how people think about prison and what they think and what they think happens? And I was doing an interview with somebody else and then they put in there I was talking about how I didn't do something. Then he cross referenced it with somebody else that had been to jail. And then that person said, oh, that's fraud, that's cap. So I heard about it and then I reached out to him like, yo, don't start no beef with me and somebody else. Because one, that person was Locked up in a different state, and then you were locked up in a different era. So I went and researched that person. Yo, man, you went to prison in 2015. You don't know nothing about the 90s. Nothing. They didn't even have canned goods when you went.
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B
Yeah.
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A
So you don't know what the type of a roast beef can do and what I can make out of that. You have no idea. Just like, I wouldn't speak on the 80s, I wouldn't speak on the 70s. Who am I to say what they were doing in the 40s? I wasn't there in the 40s. I was there in the 90s, and I know what happened in the 90s, and I Know what wouldn't have been tolerated in the 90s. And then the other part is, you don't know me. And I always. I always put this in perspective. I've been in the streets since 1987, and when these dudes be talking to the street nonsense, like, what was you doing in 87? Because I know what I was doing in 87. 88, 89, 90. See, I went to prison before. Before New Jack City got big. So you. You mowed yourself at the New Jack City. I was already New Jack City.
- [09:09]
B
So I. Inspiration that these things were based on.
- [09:12]
A
I'm like, yeah, these. You a person that got out. What. But my thing is, I don't want to talk about being destructive or glorified, being destructive to a community. That's not my. That's not my goal in the stories, but to have to defend what I'm saying against somebody who wasn't there. And then you started your little reign in 2015, I was like, you. You. That's. That's almost comical.
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B
Yeah.
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A
Yeah.
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B
So that's why you were like, maybe I need it. Maybe I need to go back.
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A
Or if we go back to 87 and come up what the streets was like in 87. 87 was a different time. It's just a. It's just a different. It was different.
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B
Can you give me an example what that means?
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A
In 87, there was no such thing as the snitch thing. No.
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B
We.
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A
We knew people who had unalive people that was still walking around. They was at the corner store. Like, we know what you just did at this park downstairs, and you went and got some Cheetos with no even thought of somebody telling. It wasn't even a thought like, who's going to jail? And then, because it was another street person, it definitely wasn't.
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B
Yeah.
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A
I don't know if it would have been somebody innocent or somebody who. Just a random guy. But I know when I did something in 89, it was in broad daylight and people saw it and they was like, that's none of my business. Because what did he do to him for him to jump out that car and shoot that man? I'm like, yeah, he did something. I wasn't like, even with me when Quincy hit me in my eye, right? I didn't tell my mom. I didn't do none of that. When Charles and them went to shoot up this man's house, they just took me to the hospital. And we. At the hospital, we made up all type of stuff on how this happened. But there's no telling on Quincy. I don't want to tell on Quincy. We need to get our pound of flesh from Quincy ourselves.
- [11:41]
B
What does that then mean to then, years later, be able to tell the stories about Quincy on stage? Obviously, you're not snitching on Quincy when you're doing that.
- [11:49]
A
But, like, telling on myself some stories I don't tell because I don't know. I say it all the time. I don't know the statute of limitation on that. I have no idea what the statute of limitation is on that. So that story won't be told. But other stories, I always try to put it in perspective. Like, look how the. The cause and effect happened. Did I do something to Quincy? No, I didn't do anything to him. He did something to me. And then I responded. And then he lived. And then I responded again. Because in my mind, every time I look in a different direction, I see double. I just get mad all over again about it. The last time I was on him thinking like, okay, Quincy old. He on a walker. And it was nothing. But I remember a time before that, before I actually saw him. I was with my son and I was in the grocery store. And I thought that it was him. This is the most ridiculous thing. I moved because my son was so small. I moved some chips and I put my son in the chips. I said, you stay right here. And when I'm walking up to the guy, he turns around and said, hey, young brother, I don't know who you think I am, but you might want to let that go. Cause he. He saw the intensity. Like, yo. Cause, man, something about to happen to this man. Because I thought it was Quincy. And in my mind, like, man, I gotta let this part of it go. The realization is, I always say, I have two birthdays. I have October 17th was when I was born. Then the 21st is when I got locked up, and the 21st is when I got out. So it was a guy named Kevin that was on my case. He's successful. He has moved on in his life. And Kevin calls me every October 21st since he's been out and say, man, happy birthday. And I say, kevin, man, you've been calling me for like nine years. Say happy birthday to my bro. This is like the best day to me. And he's like almost 60 something years old. I told him, I said, man, I may do another show about that time. He said, yeah, man. Cause you never mentioned me. I didn't, man. I didn't. But he was the guy that they was actually trying to bust. He was the person that called us and said, yo, we need. I need five kilos. And my. My part, I think, and this, the other part that I never really expressed. I was done. I was done. Yeah, it. I had already ran my last run. I was finished. I was on to something else. I'm in college. I'm done. But Charles had called and asked me to go with him. And the whole time I was like, man, I don't. I don't really want to be here.
- [15:04]
B
Yeah.
- [15:04]
A
Yeah. And then six years I'm gone. And this is. It's something in that, about following your first mind and when you. When you done with something. So I started writing this special called Take the Exit. Taking. Taking the Exit. And it's about how many times that you have had a chance to stop doing something or get out of something, and you just didn't take the exit. You just had to keep going down this road. Getting back to my point about why I put out my two sons and Rugged was to separate myself from the. All he can do is talk about prison. I really think that the special that I'm gonna drop on Father's Day is probably my best and my most helpful special, I think. You know, the. All the new ones, the dog and Mundy and, you know, in the Shadows and Family Vacation, it's going to be a onslaught of just really good work that, you know, I'm very, very proud of to excel past. Oh, you did the series. Cool. Are you going to do another series about the. The trials and tribulations of just random life as being a kind? That's what in the Shadows is about, you know?
- [16:41]
B
And is in the Shadows going to be multiple parts, you think? Or is it.
- [16:46]
A
Man, it's rough. It's like when I think about in the Shadows, I'm having a hard Time getting down. And we filming in February, so I gotta get it. It getting down the, the sequence of events. Like I know how they happen, but I don't know how to tie them yet. And it's gonna be that thing that happens like with Domino Effect too. I never ran it. I just did it. And I never knew how I was going to get past talking about my sister. Yeah, I like it's nothing in me that could even write something to get past that part because I knew it was going to just be horrible. That's why I never ran it. Because these are un. Dealt with emotions. My sister's in the audience, you know, my family's out there. It's like, it's a lot. And this is where you ask the creator just to help you and just give me. Just let my mind just something comes to my mind that's going to help me in this situation. And I really relied on that because I'm like, yo, I'm. I'm in it now. And out of nowhere I thought about what did make me laugh at that time. Like what was the only thing that made me laugh? And I was like, pops in them Speedos. So I just said it.
- [18:33]
B
Yeah, yeah.
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A
And then the rest story happens. Okay. And that's the one beautiful thing about not trust one, trusting yourself. And I don't, I don't write anymore.
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B
What does that mean? You just. It.
- [18:54]
A
I, I don't. I don't write like I used to. I remember having all these notebooks of oh topics and they. And. And I'm kind of. I don't even know what I didn't evolved into because I'm offended when somebody says or refers to anything that I do as a bit. Like what? Oh yeah, the bit about what? What bit? I didn't, I didn't write no bit. Oh, I can show you books. These are books of bits. This is.
- [19:25]
B
I don't open these books anymore.
- [19:27]
A
These are the stuff you want to see. You want to see Domino Effect. One ear is a sheet of paper. Then start. It's in 1983. That's what it says. And then you go from there. And I have the ending. So two, I just had the name and I had a face with tears like, your sister pass is going to be bad. So now with in the Shadows, it's me going out saying it and just making a point. I know the points that I want to make. The, the stories that's in it. And I don't have to, I don't have to write it because I Don't have to. I don't have to rehearse it. I just have to remember the story that I want to say. Like, and then there's going to be stories that I didn't think that I wanted to say that I'm add into it because it happens all the time. But I don't. I don't know what I. I am anymore when it comes to standup because I'm very offended by certain things.
- [20:45]
B
Yeah. I mean, I was. There was In Mondays, there's a thing that I would call almost a, like, almost a joke. And I was like, the first time I remember Ollie's doing a joke in like 10 hours of consuming. And I, I say this as a compliment. Like, for the most part, the comedy. You are a storyteller, where the comedy comes from the characters and the circumstance playing out as they did. And in Mondays, there's the part where you mentioned you have your bread basket open or whatever, and you say something like, he. He ate like a loaf of bread something. And you're like, like, what are you, like, doing a joke? What does the dude, like, ultimately do? Because obviously you were a comedian who did told. Yeah, but do you even think of, like, in these moments, you're like, I should probably put something funny here. Like, how do you think of jokes at this point?
- [21:38]
A
I think of them as what I said to the person once the story happened. Like, I remember telling my trainer, James, I said, yo, James, I think he was eating a sandwich. James, like, what? I'm like, yo, man. It's like I say, what's this called? The bread basket? Right. It's like he was eating a sandwich chain. And so every time he see Todd, he was like, todd, he was eating a sandwich. He was like, Todd was like, hey, man, he got it. Todd is like, if people understand that Todd was getting ready for another fight, like, he was tuned up. And I get in there messing with this man, I thought he looked at me like. And it's.
- [22:23]
B
It's a long story, but for those who see Ali sees a person in the boxing gym and challenges them to a fight before realizing they are professional boxer.
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A
Yeah. And it is because I. Because this is something that I said to somebody, it seems.
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B
Yeah, yeah.
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A
To say, because I'm just giving the conversation. I'm giving a part of the conversation that happened once the beating was over.
- [22:51]
B
I. You know, a lot of comedians watch this, listen to the show, and just, I think generally people in life have to tell stories. And I want to use this as an opportunity to do almost like a mini masterclass of how to tell a story for people. Because you are arguably the greatest storyteller alive. The first thing I was always wondering is, how do you remember the stories? By the end of next year, you'll have, like, 15 hours. You'll put out. How do you. Do you like, journal to be like, what's the thing that happened in, like, 1999? You're like, oh, all these things happen. Like, how does it. How do you, like, even remember you have the stories in your life.
- [23:23]
A
Constant conversation with people, just being. Just living actual life. Like, this is how. Something to come up with me. Like, obviously, family vacation. I'm going to remember that because I broke my clavicle and 20, 24. So I remember that off the top. So then that's current. So if I'm having a conversation with somebody and they bring up something that happened in 94, and I'm just listening, and I'm like, yo, you, can I remind you that I wasn't in the free society in 94. Oh, my bad, My bad. I ain't even think about it. So I will go into something that I was thinking in 94. What happened in 94 in my world, you know, and when. Obviously when I get out and. And I. I always remember what I was doing in 98, 99, you know, and going forward, but telling stories for six years about things that happened before then, before you was incarcerated. You know, it's just me just going back through life. Like, if I asked a person, hey, man, what was you, like in third grade? You may not remember all of it, but you may remember something significant. Like, I remember the first time I ever liked a girl. Like, really liked this girl, this girl named Tammy. White girl, just gorgeous, right? And my dad, I didn't know that it was a thing. I thought just people was people. I'm fourth grade. I'm not thinking about racial lines. And I went home and told my dad. I'm like, yo, like, this white girl named him. She's awesome. And my dad heard my dad tell my grandmother, he said, he's like, well. And my grandma, like, he ain't finna bring no pink toes in his house. I'm like, what the hell is a pink toe? Like, I don't even know what this is. And I'm like. Cause she's like, tanya.
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B
Yeah, yeah.
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A
And she's from. She was from Tampa.
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B
Yeah.
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A
And this is the first person that ever told me about yellow rice.
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B
Come on.
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A
Oh, we don't eat white rice in Tampa. We eat yellow rice. And I was like, oh, okay. And she's so important and so significant in my fourth grade years because this is why I became a flag bearer. Cause she was a flag bearer. And then I volunteered to be. Cause you need two people to fold the flag. Cause you go out, you put the flag, both flags up. Cause you put up the American flag and the Texas flag, you gotta fold both of em. So this is my time to be alone. Cause you 15 minutes before class starts, you gone. 15 minutes after class, before class is over, you gone. This is my time to be with her.
- [26:25]
B
So then you have these stories. How do you know something's worth telling on stage?
- [26:30]
A
Everything's worth telling in my world, everything's worth telling if you are in the right vein. And. And I think what's worth telling is the truth most of the time. I'm never really into fantasy stories because I can tell that it's a fantasy. And I know most people can tell the story is going to drop off because now you're in a fantasy because it has no point. I think what's worth telling is something that has a point to it. The reason why I tell stories because everything I've ever learned in life was based on somebody telling me a story. When I played basketball, coach would always tell us stories to motivate you in the game. Play football. Coach would tell us stories. My grandmother stories, My mom stories. My uncle Mac is the person who gives comedy to stories. My dad always had short stories about how something happened. But my uncle Mac, this is when a story gets crazy. Yeah, it come in the house. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, I just saved his man life. He was on fire and I saved him and his dog and everybody. Then when you actually hear the real story, his story was people's on fire. The ambulance came and he was out there and the news interviewed him and everything. But what really happened was a man was walking his dog, smoking a cigarette, threw a cigarette down some small brush, cauliflower, he stomped it out and that was it. But my uncle Mack, when he tells this story, he's definitely Chicago Fire. He's definitely backdrafting this story.
- [28:28]
B
I think a lot of people think when you're telling a story, you go like, this happened, then this happened. I think when with your stories, it's this happened, therefore this happens. Everything has a reason. The next thing has. Is that how you think about how.
- [28:40]
A
It paces, how I pace it is based on, you know, cause and effect. But it's also other stories that I add in between the actual story. Like I go into one story, then it's a story in between that story. To get you to understand this part of the story.
- [29:03]
B
Yes.
- [29:04]
A
So we can proceed to this part. So if I'm telling the story and then there's some historical fact that you can add to that. So you tell that part two. I want all of the details in a story. Because even when something's happening, it's also something else happening too. It's not just this thing happening. Nothing else is happening. So it's layered with a lot of facts. So you. No, it was a red car with this license plate that was there. And next to that red car. Let me tell you how I know this happened. Next to that red car was a Trans Am. And let me tell you why I know that this was. It was a Trans Am. Because my dad had a Trans Am. His was tan. And then now I'm going into the story about how my dad tan Trans Am because I'm just letting you know the details of how I know all this was happening because I. I thought about this Trans Am too. Was this part important? Yes, for the details of the story. I know every scar on the back of my hand. I know how it happened. I know exactly how it happened. When I was in the street, I would recognize every car. I knew who was in the car. I knew the whole thing. And it was important because if it was a car that I did not recognize, we would fall back. Or if it was a car or a van that was coming up. We don't know if somebody's in something with somebody else. How I could get killed. Just somebody randomly shooting because I don't know what they into. Yeah. So I would always remember if I'm standing right here. Yo, did you see this person was out there? No, they weren't. Yes, they were. They were standing by and such. And you just, you. To validate what you saying, you keep those details in your. In your head.
- [31:10]
B
Yeah.
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A
It's kind of like when you listening to the police and they put out something. Oh, this, this was. They put out all this stuff in the news, but you know that there was an orange scarf there. And they were like. Well, we didn't put that in the report. Yeah, we. You a person of interest. We need to see you. Because nobody knew was orange. We never put that in report. How did you know it was orange scarf there? Because you were there. It.
- [31:36]
B
It's so fascinating because it's essentially like. It's almost like this evolutionary thing of your ability to survive you had to notice things. You had to be a person who's observant, which it did train you to be a comedian many, many years later. Like, your stories are so detailed because at the time you needed to notice things.
- [31:53]
A
Yeah. Need to notice things. And it's consequences in not noticing things. Yeah.
- [31:58]
B
I mean, imagine same thing in prison, which is like, you have to.
- [32:01]
A
You have to know. You have to know the lay of the land. Like, yo, man, what's going on? I have a catalog of things in my head. Yeah. And sometimes the story I just want to make a point in. Like, currently I'm. I'm making this point about materialism and I'm making this point about how damaging bootlegging is. Like, people, their desire to have something or to be seen in a. In a, in a certain light will make them purchase fake items. And associate of mine said, well, I don't care about people bootlegging Gucci or bootlegging Louis Vuitton, these big house entities. I don't care about them bootlegging them. I said, you don't care because you think on the surface, my problem with the bootlegging is it becomes a culture of things. So you have this desire to have something. Does it stop at the handbag? Does it stop at the wallet? Does it stop at the belt? Or does it go down to taking my special off of my YouTube page and putting it on your page to monetize it and saying that it's yours?
- [33:34]
B
Yeah.
- [33:34]
A
Does it go down to you putting up a fake image of me and selling tickets online? And now people are in front of the thing and they got tickets that they can't scan to get in because somebody else decided that they wanted to bootleg my tickets.
- [33:54]
B
Yeah.
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A
Because the same person who's buying the fake Gucci jacket is the same person who's scamming the tickets. So in that, they're going to be stories that I'm going to tell, because now before a show, the promoter is coming to me and saying, man, it's a lady outside. They bought five tickets. And man, it's just bad. And now I'm like, do we have anywhere to put them? But then now it's the story of, hey, man, I done got so popular, folks scared bootlegging me. You know what I'm saying?
- [34:31]
B
Yeah, it's a great way to open something because people are there and some of them know that they could have gotten. And then it just is like, what are stories that are sort of thematically attached to that and your brain just probably just. It's like catalogs them. It's like, oh, that's. This one goes this one. You know that one, that one. How do you think about starting and ending a story? Especially starting some of your specials start and you'll set up the situations. Like, you know, you realize later that your effects Domino effect lays out the situation. Even when the story you started this episode with, you're like, I lost a bet with my friend. And then you laid out the story. But sometimes you start middle of the story. So how do you think about starting and ending?
- [35:12]
A
When I think about it, it's what's going to draw you in first. So. And I. And we go back to, am I the only person that's been thrown in the trunk? And you're like, what? And so now it's let me. Let me go way back, then bring you how this happened, and then go there. Or so it's 1983. So it's what I think is the draw in. And then I can start building everything around it. So I gotta draw you in first. And this is after the hay.
- [36:01]
B
Yeah.
- [36:01]
A
So, like, now the startup is you have to be proud of yourself. And now I can go back and lay out the stories of what and why. You would have to be proud of yourself and what puts me in this perspective. And let me tell you how this happens and start to go through the rhythm of the sequence of how this makes sense and giving. Not just that, making the point and giving you my story in the middle of it. How, hey, this is on me, too. It's not just me telling y'. All. This is me telling myself, too. And that's.
- [36:49]
B
Yeah. And then ending.
- [36:51]
A
Ending is where I just want to stop. It really is. It's like, do I stop here if I'm doing a sequel to it, I just stop. I'm giving my secret away.
- [37:12]
B
That's why you have podcasts.
- [37:15]
A
If you just see me stop, then there's another part to it.
- [37:18]
B
Got it.
- [37:19]
A
If I wrap it up, then that's it. You know, so rugged. Like, people watch My Two Sons, there's an ending.
- [37:29]
B
Yeah.
- [37:30]
A
You know, you watch Rugged, there's an ending. But with I'm tipping my hand with domino effect, there's still not an ending.
- [37:42]
B
It is. It definitely ends where it does feel like the beginning of a new thing. Right. Because it ends with you being like, I'm out of prison. That's not the ending.
- [37:51]
A
That's not the ending. It's like, I'm out and it's just over. It's like. It's like.
- [37:57]
B
Because an ending of that would be one short story of something that happened once you were out, but you did not do that. You just go, I'm out.
- [38:04]
A
Yeah. It's kind of like Silence of the Lamb. Clarissa will call you back. You know, something's about to happen. This is the elevation of what I'm trying to create. I still know that people haven't figured out how much homage I paid in Domino Effect. They never realized that Domino Effect 1 is homage to Richard Pryor. That's why it's shot like that. It's shot like it's in the 80s with the filter on and everything. Domino effect two, Alfred Hitchcock. That's why it's in black and white. Then 3 and 4 Cosby. That's why the scenes change. Yeah.
- [38:49]
B
Like, in himself.
- [38:51]
A
It's like I thought. And this is me being very naive, like, they never bring me up for no awards. It doesn't matter what I do, because I'm an independent. And the system is like, we can't acknowledge an independent that's doing his own thing. You know, why would we do that? And at first, I would be upset about it. And one of my friends said, you know, something I thought about the other day when we was in the barbershop and people was talking about, man, name your top five. And people weren't naming you. And then I said, why would they? One on one? He said, that's why I'm calling you. Say, man, you should be offended if somebody puts you in the top five. I said, what? He said, nobody's like you. You are one of one. Like, I don't compare you to nobody. Everybody else can fit in somebody else's box. But why would I compare. Bro, are you. Are you. Are you actually understanding what you're doing right now? And I'm like, I probably won't understanding until I'm done doing it. Like, he say, I was offended when people was talking about, oh, I've never cried in a special. You know what I'm saying? Until I saw Jamie Foxx, it's like, well, you didn't see Ali, like, three years prior to that. You never saw Domino Effect 2. Like, oh, okay, I get it now. I get why you. Why you saying. Why you saying that? I thought comedy was the untapped real space. And I see that it has become tainted with the popularity contest. Oh, this is. This is popular. So I'm. I'm gonna say this. This person is phenomenal. Like, how I. How I see it. And no discredit to nobody. It's like, I just don't see what they're talking about in most people. And I watch some comics. There's some comics that I watch is mostly the offbeat people that I'm looking at and like, oh, I can see where they're going. I can see this growth. I can see these things because I'm still a fan of the art. I'm not a fan of the politics. And now producing. Now producing people special. The hardest part of my job as a producer is to tell people no.
- [41:33]
B
Like, no, you're not ready, or no, this is.
- [41:35]
A
No, it's not ready. Yeah. If you want me to help you put my pen on it, I will. But this is not ready, man. This is not good. It's just not. Oh, Ali, you hate. Well, then send it to somebody else. Don't send it to me, because I don't have. Bro. I'm not in competition with you. I'm not comfortable being complacent. I'm trying to grow, but why would I ask myself to do something. Then don't ask you to do it?
- [42:06]
B
Yeah. Especially if it's going on your YouTube channel.
- [42:09]
A
Especially if it's going on my page.
- [42:11]
B
What is the business arrangement for the specials you produce?
- [42:15]
A
Some of it is. I'm producing the whole thing. Paying for the whole thing. Then when we recoup giving you your special back, you know, because most people, they go to another network, they never own a special again.
- [42:27]
B
Yeah. Yeah.
- [42:27]
A
You know, because I'm not gonna put $400,000 worth of lights down. And you never did. You charge me for faxing. Oh, okay. So. And I explained to everybody, the money is not the special.
- [42:43]
B
Yeah.
- [42:44]
A
The special is the commercial for you to make the money. That's. That's the.
- [42:49]
B
Yeah.
- [42:49]
A
It's so basic. It's so basic.
- [42:51]
B
Let's not lose money on the commercial.
- [42:53]
A
Let's not lose money on the commercial so we can make more commercials. But you have to put these things out in order to put butts in the seat.
- [43:02]
B
Yeah.
- [43:03]
A
For people to want to see you. And once this is out, they don't want to see this.
- [43:08]
B
Be ready. Yeah.
- [43:09]
A
Be ready with something else, because that's what they want to see. And I need you to be. I need you to be ready. I need you to be ahead of the. Ahead of the curve.
- [43:16]
B
One of the specials you have on your channel is Patrice o'. Neill's. You've licensed one of his. What was your relationship with him when he was alive? Do you have a story that captures sort of your attention.
- [43:24]
A
Me and Patrice was pretty good, man. I, I. Patrice is one of my regrets. Like, people like, I ain't got no regrets. Like, I, I do have a. A regret that me and Patrice kicked it one year, and I featured for him, and Patrice was like, yo, man, you are. This is. This is a you not no feature. Like, no, I'm featuring for you. They had the club, asked me, you know, I featured for whoever they asked me for. I'm. If I'm in town. He's like, and this is crazy. I'm like, yeah, man. So the next year, he come back. I guess he felt like he was really cooking with something. And, you know, and I, like, I always liked his stuff. So he comes to town and he calls me, yo, man, you coming to the club? Oh, you know, I'm getting ready to come play the club, playing the improv, say, okay, cool. A ice storm happens. Like, it's black ice everywhere. It's like 280, 290 car extents in Houston. So I live a good distance from Dan Proud, and he calls. He's like, man, you coming? I'm like, no, I'm not coming. Like, I'm not, man. It's just a little ice. Hey, trees, listen, I'm not. It's not about me. I can drive in ice. It's everybody else slide. I'm in a expedition. I'm not going to be sliding into people, and I'm not doing it. He said, call me soft, but I'm not going to use the word that he said, you know, basically, call me soft. He used the P word, and I was like, I don't care. You're not going to Jedi mind f me to come. I'm not coming. Like, it doesn't matter. Patrice, I don't care what you say. I'm not getting out there now. He passed, and I always regretted not going. So when, you know, the. The licensing deal came up, I had a. They had a group of people. I said, it's out there. It's on the love of Patrice. Let's just put Patrice's out, you know, not really realizing that it's been out. You know, it's. It's not a fresh new piece of work or whatever. I'm quite sure that it's some stuff that Patrice has out that nobody's really seen I could put out. But this was a love thing for Patrisse, you know, hey, let's not forget, you know, if I could do it for Robin Harris and I Could do it for some other people. I would do it because it's not a monetary gain for me. Yeah. It's just like, hey, we're putting something out on the channel with these people.
- [46:31]
B
Do you have something filmed with Robin Harris?
- [46:33]
A
No, I said it.
- [46:34]
B
I know. I was just like, that would be pretty excited.
- [46:36]
A
I'm like, robert, I got Robin. I'm putting, you know, it's just any of these guys that's from these eras that people may not have seen. Then when something else came up and we put out Sidney Castillo, I think. And I'm not. And because I love Sydney, that's my friend. But I think the. The licensing thing is a faux pas on my behalf, because even though it's a love thing for them, it's really giving homages to somebody else's stuff. I could see that Sydney's viewership on somebody else's site went up because that's the first thing that's coming up versus mine coming up. So I think we just gonna go and stick with all originals, you know, to keep the integrity of my channel, you know, And I think that's gonna be best for how we moving in the long run.
- [47:46]
B
I don't particularly care, but I find people, for whatever reason, feel the need to ask you about Netflix. And the hope of this question is to then provide an answer that allows it so no one has to ask you about it again. Is there a deal that you would take to, let's say, license one of your already specials to put on Netflix? I just feel like let' settled. So then people stop bringing up this idea that you need to be there.
- [48:09]
A
I think until somebody else is at the reign of Netflix, I'm probably never gonna be on there. I don't know what they problem is with me. And that's. And I really think that it's something internal because I haven't said anything or did anything to Netflix. But when you say that my stuff is not. And I think that this is a major thing with me, the excuses. Okay, it's too long. Okay, we don't want this. Okay. We don't want that. Yo. I would rather you just say that. You don't. You don't deal with me. You don't like me personally or you don't like myself because you keep putting me behind people, and all you're doing is motivating me more to put out better stuff. So I'm not in that wheelhouse where you can just give me any type of money because I'm not for sale. Yeah, and now I'm to the point that I'm thinking is like this, because you are the industry, and I have made my way on my own, and people look at it as amen. If he can make his way, then, and he can help other people make his way, then we can make it. It's kind of like, now you put me in a position to where if I did give you something, it'd be like betraying the fans or betraying the people that look up to me. So I'm not interested in Netflix.
- [49:51]
B
You performed at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. Yes, and I'm not looking to relitigate whatever debate that was happening at the time. But I imagine your perspective on the situation is different than a lot of people who were complaining about it or even the people that went to do it. And I was just curious how you thought about that decision and what the sort of experience was like.
- [50:15]
A
Do you know how simple it was for me? I'm Muslim, I'm finna go perform in Saudi Arabia, and I'm finna do all of my Islamic material. Never thought about the other aspects of it. And when somebody attacked me on Internet, like, you had to think about it. I say, how the freak. Do you know what I was thinking about? You don't know what my day is like. I had a lot of things going on. I wasn't thinking about the reporter that got killed. I wasn't thinking about the. The freedom of speech. I wasn't thinking about that. But how dare you talk about. I accepted blood money. And I said. And that no knock to nobody. I said, you white person, I know you not talking about blood money when this whole goddamn country is soaked on the soil of blood from my people that never got. Man, who you talking to? Like, what are you. What are you talking about? Don't attack me for a decision that I made. Wasn't thinking about all the rest of it. I'm thinking, hey, I'm Muslim. I'm going to a Muslim country to perform Islamic material. I'm not talking about no. Ain't nobody told me what not to say. I didn't get no list of things not to say. Well, you not telling the truth. How you. Okay, man, I'm not arguing with you. Because, see, now you finna make me go somewhere that I don't want to go. Because the. The simple fact that you think that that's what was on my mind. It wasn't. It wasn't. I had no thought of it. But then I'm going to assault you. Back verbally. Oh, you went to Cancun. I went to your pictures. I saw you went to Mexico. So let's, let's talk about. You went to vacation in Mexico thinking that none of this money has nothing to do with cartels. Oh, okay. But did. Did you go to Dubai? I saw a picture of you in Dubai riding a camel. So you think Muslim Vegas has nothing to do. Okay. But then you sit in this country, sitting this country, and they're hang still hanging people in this country. They're still assaulting people in this country. But like I say, I can only control the things that I control. I can't control how people feel about decisions that I make. If you don't ever talk to me about the decision that I made.
- [52:59]
B
What, What. How has your relationship to your face evolved over the course of your life? You've gone obviously at these different phases. How has it evolved? How has your relationship changed as you, you know, as you describe the events of Dom, the domino effect to now where you are, you know, a comedian? And I'm just very curious because I imagine it's, you know, I imagine it's sort of a complicated. Or things that you had if figure out your relationship to Islamically.
- [53:26]
A
Yeah. Versus just I'm. I'm Muslim, so it's. It is what it is. You know, I pray, I fast. I do the things. And I think that because I am evolving away from certain things, like 20, 27, I'll probably be totally clean.
- [53:53]
B
Because.
- [53:53]
A
I won't be telling the same stories anymore. And I think that within the stories, like, I don't. I don't use bad words just for the sake of doing it. It's in the story. It's not in my conversation. And you know, I don't drink on stage. I don't do any of this thing. There's water on stage. No, I don't smoke. Is these things that. That's already in the principles of what I'm doing. But now the conversation is kind of changing, and I'm trying to figure out how do I balance going on stage and using certain terminologies and saying certain things to. To get people to understand values and the differences, you know, so if I talk about polygamy, what's the difference between being a polygamist and having a mistress? It's kind of like. It's kind of like the same. And then I go past that. What's the difference between being a polygamist, having a mistress and having a housekeeper? And they. And women be like having a housekeeper well, it's another woman in this house that's doing things for me. It just has just no sex between us. Is it based upon the sex or is based upon actions? Because if I had a female assistant, we are in a very close, intimate relationship that she does everything. She knows that she does more than you actually do, and she does things for you as well. So if she gets sick, I got. I care. You know what I'm saying? Anything that's going on in life, it's just. I think that all of this with the American woman is based upon the sexual things, not the other things. Sexual things. And me trying to figure out how do I scale from polygamy to mistress to so and housekeeper to assistant with the hope of.
- [56:10]
B
Is the idea to make the case for polygamy as not what we think of it as?
- [56:16]
A
Because then you, like, I. I asked this woman who was arguing about polygamy, I said, but you love Game of Thrones. What? You love Game of Thrones. You watch Game of Thrones all the time. So the king is like, all type of wives. He's like, yeah, all type of wives.
- [56:37]
B
I believe you have three. As we're speaking at four specials filmed. You're filming another three. You put out four domino effects. You had two. I literally can't even keep track of how many hours that counts. As that is a level prolific. That, as we said, is not. No one else is in that pace at all. No one's doing any of that. What gives? Like, what are. Is it almost like in compulsion at this point where you're like, I. I just ultimately found myself, like, it's constantly to be in a state of producing specials. I think if there's a photographer, Gary Winograd, who realized he just wanted to be photographing for the rest of his life, he didn't care about watching them. He didn't care about seeing the photographs. He just wanted to be doing it. What is happening?
- [57:21]
A
Yeah, that's. I think this is. I don't know, man. It's like an addiction. Like, I wanna do better than the last one. Like, I wanna be able to. To see. Can we figure out something else to do? And how many can I do? Like, in my mind, like, you'll sure. How many can you do? Like. And at the same time, like, Mondays, my Father and the dog was filmed in the same two days. Rugged. And my two sons was both filming in Dallas in the same two days. And my toe was broke. It's always. And my toe was broken.
- [58:14]
B
Yeah.
- [58:16]
A
So it's like My baby toe, so. And I was sick. So it was a thing of, hey, can you do it? And he was like, I think I can.
- [58:33]
B
I guess the question is, I hear it. There's two things I hear, and it's either you are a person. I remember the one we last spoke. I'll never forget you. How you're like, I feel free. You talk about like, something happened, you skipped. You're like, you feel so free. And you're like, especially as a person used to be in prison, you're like, if. If you're saying, I can do anything at this point, let's see how far anything is this.
- [58:53]
A
This test of water. Let's see, man. And I, I, I, I really like you say, man, I really feel free to write anything. And then it's like, the creator has given me the finances to be like, yo, man, call the producer, call the director, call the lighting corner and say, hey, listen. Joe, get a zoom. And just say, listen, we shooting five specials. And just to see their face look crazy. Like, what? And then they gotta go and do things, and then I don't turn in any material. So they like, what are we shooting? You will see it when you see it. Just know I'm visualizing this. And they put it together. I feel so happy. Because I know if I was on a network, right?
- [59:50]
B
Yeah.
- [59:52]
A
It wouldn't be happening. No, it wouldn't be happening. So to go to a network is to go back to prison. That's how crazy it is to me. Like, yo. And so my mind is like, yo, So y'. All. Y' all said no, right? To one of the things. Cool. Watch. I'm gonna produce this many specials, and I'm gonna help somebody else write a special. And I'm like, yo, at the end of the day, people were like, yo, I don't think that y' all really understood what was happening when he was doing it. No, you can't tell him now because he's passed on. But it's just the, The. The level of work that he put out. Like, I. I read this thing about Benny Hill, right? Benny Hill was phenomenal. Like, he would. He's an introvert. He goes in this room like he don't want to kick it with nobody. He goes in this room and he comes out with the Beanie Hill Show. And like, every. It's like, no, this is insane. The. Just the thought of it.
- [60:49]
B
Yeah.
- [60:50]
A
Being able to do it and people not believing that you can do it. Like, I remember this guy, they were like, well, you ain't good as this guy. I said, well, you tell that guy to put up specials against mine. I got five right now, like, ready to go. Why would. Why would you have five special each over an hour? Why would you have that much material? You got to be still in. How? From where? Yeah, from life. I'm stealing from life. No, stealing is what I used to do when I used to go to the USA Today, and I would go to the part that, say, 50 states, and I would read a passage about every state and then write a bit from there. That's not my material.
- [61:40]
B
Even if you're writing it, it's so.
- [61:41]
A
Even if I'm writing, it's not my material. It's my thoughts about somebody else's thoughts. If I'm looking at the news and saying, oh, Trump, Obama's is, or, you know, Jeffrey Dahmer, you know, I'm getting something from somebody else. But what about what's coming from my mind? My dog. You don't know what I'm about to say about my dog. You have no idea what's about to happen. But I'm telling you, this is the situation. What it's about is my dog. How mad. Oh, my goodness. I love white people so much when they say how mad they were. This lady said, I was not messing with you. That is the word she used. I was not. The first 40 minutes of this. Oh. Hated every part of you. And then, like. Yeah. And not only her, Eric, the director. Eric was like, yeah, this is my first time seeing this. And I was like, where is he going? What? Like, what is happening?
- [62:52]
B
Yeah, yeah.
- [62:52]
A
And Eric, it's like, man, this was a rough one, bro. And I was like, I know, I know, I know. It's. It. It. I say it was. And I must admit, like, when people see the dog, they gonna have a problem. Especially if you of a lighter hue or you're a person that loves dogs, you're gonna have a serious problem with me. And when I watched it, I was like, oh, I was a little bit rough right there. That was a little bit rough. But that's one of the things where I haven't put out a special shit. Where you were. Where you were conflicted with me. Like, it's like, oh, this is definitely the conflicted joint. Like, I haven't put out a special. Why dive into the relationship between me and my father? Like, that real. Not just me moving in with him. The dynamics of it.
- [63:49]
B
Yeah.
- [63:49]
A
And so when I tell those stories now, it was a part in that. Which brought up the special my mom going into the relationship of how long me and my mom have been together. I've been with my mom throughout and I say it through all of her mistakes, I've been there with her the whole time. So doing a special about the relationship of me and my mom and really being open and candid about this relationship. The reason I'm doing both of them, my father and my mom, is to heal people's relationship with their parents. Because my whole thing was I'm not willing to hold a grudge against them when it's friends and people and other people in the world that I have forgiven. What makes a girlfriend or a boyfriend or a husband or a wife more important than the person who I share DNA with. So I don't have. I can't find no forgiveness in my heart. None for them. He didn't. He didn't violate me. He just wasn't an ideal father, you know, my mom. You know, sometimes people hold their moms to these high standards and forgetting that they were they just a human being that may have made some mistakes that may have. Didn't do everything right. My mom, 20 years old when she had me, how much did she actually know? If society says you don't really know anything for 25. So I can't give her five years grace. I do acknowledge that she could have left me at a fire station. That was happening then. People was leaving people on fire stations. And you take. I could have been an orphan. People keep writing specials about there are other things and you never. And let them do it. That's. Which is fine. But I'm going to do the things that I think can help people heal in other situations.
- [65:53]
B
So you do domino effect, which is like, okay, it's four things. It's in order. Cause and effect. You're now essentially like expanding the universe. It's like the ollie cinematic universe. Great, because it's like you talked about your mom in this special a little bit now, like you're special. You talk about your mom a little bit more. And so special. You're getting a picture of your mom and then you do a special mom. You then are creating these portraits throughout all of it. It's less just sort of linear. It's like this sort of expansive thing, which is. That's the thing I was thinking about. It's like you are giving an access, a sort of holistic aspect access to your life that it is unprecedented. It's not just sort of like, here's my perspective on things. It's really trying to give people, like, it's an exercise in having them feel empathetic to the entirety of your life. Do you. You mentioned a little bit is the goal having the body of work when you're done and you want to leave behind it. So when people forever be like, who was Ali Siddiq? It's like, it's all of this.
- [66:49]
A
All of this. Like, you actually writing your autobiography while you still alive and you putting it in perspective and then you leaving it for your kids to really know who their father was, you know, even though they grow up with me, you know, but they don't know what made me tick. You know, I didn't find out what made my father tick until after he was gone, you know, which. Then I, you know, I got a different perspective. You know, I know what made, you know, I know what makes my mom tick because I talked to him, and that's because I didn't want to have the same experience when my father was gone. I don't let me know now what makes you tick, you know, what's the lineage? So in the body of work is also to show people, man, how really, you can really stretch the lines if you choose. So you can really stretch the lines. And it's. I'm really living in the advice. So I had that book, you know, I had a book out, Applied Advice. Right. Some of the most important parts is. And I think with the comedy, the most important part is DL Man. DL And Billy D. Washington. Billy D. Washington told me, hey, man, when you're not being funny, be interesting. DL Said, the funniest you ever be in life is based on how honest you want to be. Those two things are huge.
- [68:15]
B
Yeah.
- [68:15]
A
To me, you know, so let's just be honest about things that you may be good at, you may not be good at. You. Hey, you know, like in. It's a part in the new special where I was saying, I'm trying to talk to women, and I'm very juvenile because I went when I was 19. So my interaction with women stopped then. It's a lot of informative years then. And I'm saying ridiculous things to women. Like, you work out, huh? Like, it's like. It's like. It's so bad. It was so interesting. I'm still growing up, you know, Even though I'm 52, I'm still growing.
- [69:03]
B
This week on Net Worth and Chill. I'm revealing the exact playbook rich people use to set their kids up for financial success and how you can do it, too, even if you're not a trust fund baby. From adding your newborn as an authorized user on your credit card to give them a near perfect credit score by the age of 8018 to opening a 529 account that saves you thousands in taxes on everything from books to college tuition. Plus, I'm answering your questions about whether your debt transfers to your kids, tax credits worth thousands that new parents are missing out on, and how to give your children money completely tax free. Whether you're expecting, already have kids, or just want to understand how generational wealth transfer actually works, this episode will show you how to break the cycle and build a legacy. Get ready to give your kids the financial head start you wish you had. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube.com your rich BFF now it's time for the final segment of the show. It's called the Laughing Round. It's like a lightning round, but it's a comedy podcast. These questions aren't even that short, but you'll get a sense of it. Do you have a favorite joke? Like a joke joke?
- [70:00]
A
A joke joke?
- [70:01]
B
Yeah, like a street joke. Just like a joke. Knock, knock. Joke counts. I asked everyone this, but it is interesting to see what your answer is.
- [70:11]
A
It's not a. It's not a. It's not a joke. It's a. Like, it is a joke. Cause it's a scene from a movie. You know what I'm saying? It is the aha from coming to America. There's a spoon. I can taste the soup. You can't taste. Where's the soup? He said, why you can't taste the soup? He said, where's the spoon at?
- [70:29]
B
Ah.
- [70:31]
A
It's like the. It's the silliest thing, but I love it.
- [70:34]
B
You have a short story of an interaction with a legendary comedian, living or dead, you are willing to share.
- [70:41]
A
Yeah, short story. Me and Paul Mooney got into it and I called DL and I said, hey, I'm about to beat up Paul. And he's like, you can't beat up Paul Mooney. He's a legend. I said, if Paul Mooney say something else to me, I'm going to beat up Paul Mooney. We at this comedy club, I'm featuring for Paul Mooney. And I'm it's the second day and I am in the green room to the side, and he's in the main room. He comes in the side room, said, hey, go count the room. I said, excuse me? He said, yeah, go count the room. I said, that's not my job. To count the room. And he said, all right, all right. Then he left out. And then he came back in, like, 20 minutes later, said, yeah, you go tell your little white friend that it's sold out. He's talking about the manager, Raymond Cook, the manager of the thing. He said, yeah, you go tell your white friend that it's sold out. I was like, raymond probably knows that it's sold out. Yeah. Then he. He goes back in his room, and I called D. I'm like, I think I'm about to beat up money because he keeps saying something to me. So he. I'm sitting in the showroom. His lady comes and sits next to me. And then she walks off to the green room, and she leaves her purse, so I'm coming with her. The show is over, so I'm coming. I don't want to leave a purse. I got a purse. All of his clothes. I come in. I said, ma', am, you left your purse. Paul, like. And she snatches her purse. Why do you have my purse? And Paul like, yes, why do you have her purse? I was like, yo, you know something? Y' all need to get on y' all medication. Cause y' all, man DL you lucky. DL Told me not to beat you up. So then three years later, we in Austin. This. This Arts Black Arts and Collectives gets us to do a show. I have no idea who's on the show. It's like, I'm doing an hour. The other person's doing an hour, and it's me and Paul Mooney, the lady, it. She's coming. She don't know it's tension. So she's like, hey, Ali, Paul Mooney's next door. You want to go and speak? And then I just heard her say, hey, Paul, Ali's next door. You want to go and speak? Neither one of us is budging, like, no. And then. So I. I'm sitting in the green room and remember the. It's a scene on Purple Rain where Jerome comes and said, morris don't like this room. Paul comes past the room, and then he comes back and leans into the roomstead, but he not even looking at me. He's like, hi, Ali. And then just walks out. I'm like, I said, dre, was that his apology? Me and Paul's dad was at it.
- [73:50]
B
What's something that people think is comedy that you think isn't crowd work?
- [73:57]
A
Tell me more crowd work. It's like, it's not really comedy. It's just not. I remember I've been around long enough to remember when Joe Torrey and D.L. hughley were getting ridiculed for that. They ain't got no material. They just talk about the audience. Not really material. It's not. It's something that anybody can do. Anybody. I. It happens in the barber shop. It happens other places. This is like jonesing on people. It's like. And then it's another thing. Why make somebody in the audience feel any type of way that came, that paid to come see you, you know? And then it's. Even nowadays, the level of disrespect that goes into it is insane. Like, I couldn't be sitting there and then you call my lady a female dog. Cause you're doing crowd work. Well, I'm gonna do some crowd work too. Oh, it's gonna be some crowd work. It's gonna be some individual crowd work being done. You know what I'm saying? Because I don't. I don't understand. I don't know if a comic understands, you know, what type of position you putting this man in that you didn't called his woman out of her name as a man. Like, oh, okay, bro. You know, this is gonna be difficult for you because we didn't come to be a part of your thing. So what type of comedy is that? Like, you gotta wait on an audience to. What do you do? Oh, man, come on, man. Like you. You disrespecting the craft like the ancestors of the craft.
- [75:40]
B
Who's the greatest living comedian?
- [75:45]
A
Wow. Is it. Does it have a criteria? Has a base?
- [75:55]
B
I just asked the question, and you decide what it's. In many ways, it will reveal what your understanding of the wor. Greatness means.
- [76:01]
A
Oh, man. Greatest intellectual comic. Hard to say because I haven't seen everybody, but DL Is pretty precise and intellectual. Best situational comic alive. Chappelle. I get it. I get that. To him, Best female. Probably unspoken is Aaron Jackson. But if you go popularity, I would say Wanda Sykes. If best. Like family oriented. Gabrielle plays Fluffy. Yeah, it's most manly. Like on Man Business. Dion Cole, greatest storyteller. Me. Yeah, that. That would. That would round it up for me most. If I had to say. I don't know what I would tailor her as, but life progression. Ali won't because she's somebody who I've seen pregnant. Not pregnant, married. It's just like I've. You've seen her life's progression. She's probably the best.
- [78:13]
B
Who's the last one? What's the best time you ever bombed?
- [78:16]
A
Never bombed.
- [78:17]
B
Never.
- [78:18]
A
Never in life.
- [78:19]
B
Not even the first time.
- [78:20]
A
Not even the first time. Never bombed.
- [78:24]
B
How is that possible? I know. I believe you, but, like, what is it about you? Do you refuse or just.
- [78:34]
A
I can't. In 28 years, I can never. Because being bombing is such a huge. Because I've seen it. This is definitely a rememberable time in life. I can't count my first time on stage. That's the only time I've ever been booed. That's why it's in the next series of stories. The only time I've ever been booed was my first time. And that's because I don't count it. Because I never said anything. I just said, hey. And then they start booing. I'm like, oh, okay, this is what this is. Then, oh, okay, let me go back. I didn't count this either, but I will. So it is Manhattan Proper. Manhattan proper in Queens. So Drew Frazier, Rasheed Rip Rasheed, Cool Bubba Ice, Rob Stapleton. So I come to the city, and I guess because I was. I'm. I'm maybe nine, ten months in, they put me in between. Oh, so Drew's going crazy, Rob Staples going crazy. Then they bring up Cool Bubba Ice. And Cool Bubba's got this. This. I never forget his joke. He was like, yo, he dressed like a Puerto Rican couch. He had his crazy outfit on. So you drop a pizza on me, you wouldn't be able to tell because. And looking at the outfit. His outfit is crazy. And then he's doing this thing where he. All of these voices, like. He's rapping like LL, Puffy, DMX. And he. And he got the 2000, baby. He got this. This night, whatever the song was. He's doing his song. And then I come up and they said I was talking too slow, man. Speed it up, man. You talking too slow. I'm like, what? So I'm getting heckled through the whole thing, but I'm still going. And it's only like five minutes.
- [81:06]
B
Yeah.
- [81:07]
A
So then after that, Rasheed comes up and killed. But it's all what they want is all New York stuff. So I never count that. But that's a good one. Cause I'm like. Just because it wasn't New York. So I come back to New York, two years later, Manhattan Proper Nails. I do, like, maybe 16 spots, and I'm destroying BBQs, everybody. And I was at Manhattan Proper, and I'm killing. They're like, keep going. And I said, hell, no. I remember when I came in, y'. All. So I was talking too slow. So I'VE always went back to these places and got insult my revenge. Oh, yeah, that was. I'm gonna go with that. I'm gonna go with that right there. Cause it was. And I never get that laid out. You're talking too slow. I'm like, I did barefoots. Footprints is what it's called. Did pig. And I did a lot of New York rooms, that last room. But that talking too slow killed me.
- [82:12]
B
Thank you so much. That's it for another episode of Good One. Good One is produced by myself, Zachary Mack, Neal Janowitz and Ann Victoria Kramer Clark. Music Composed by Brandon McFarland. Write a review and rate the show on Apple Podcasts. Five stars, please. I am Jesse David Fox, and you can follow me at Jesse David Fox. Buy my book, comedy book, wherever books are sold. Thanks for listening to Good One from New York magazine. You can subscribe to the magazine@nymag.com pod we're back with a new episode next week. Have a good one.
- [82:48]
A
Sam.