Episode 111 - No One Acknowledges The Master Ft. Ali Siddiq

Summary

Grits and Eggs Podcast – Episode 111: “No One Acknowledges The Master” ft. Ali Siddiq

Host: Deante’ Kyle
Guest: Ali Siddiq
Release Date: December 23, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this wide-ranging, unfiltered conversation, Deante’ Kyle and celebrated comedian/storyteller Ali Siddiq dive deep into manhood, responsibility, community, the craft of comedy, and the pain and growth that come from hard-lived experience. Ali opens up about his path from the streets and prison to making four-part comedy specials, the meaning of leadership, and how being overlooked by his peers has fueled his legacy. The talk is full of sharp insights, ribald stories, and hard-won wisdom, making it both a masterclass and a meditation on masculinity, ambition, independent artistry, and Black cultural history.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Family, Upbringing & Privilege

• Ali humorously criticizes his kids’ privilege and lack of chores ([00:43]).
• He examines the contradictions of monogamy vs. household roles for women and the transactional nature of relationships ([03:46]–[06:42]).
• Emotional attachment versus economic transaction in relationships:

  “I can pay for sex. I can’t pay for emotional attachment.” – Ali ([06:31])

2. On Intimacy, Recognition, and Emotional Labor

• True intimacy is about shared history and support—Ali describes how his partner’s emotional investment can’t be bought ([07:45]–[08:47]).
• The difficulty of including loved ones in one’s personal goals ([09:49]–[10:58]).

3. Staying Authentic & Creating Legacy

• Ali discusses his decision to stay in Houston rather than chase industry validation in LA/New York ([11:11]–[12:17]):

  “My whole goal is, I’ma show y’all that you can stay where you are and you can craft and you can build from here. And you will get honor in your own home.” – Ali ([11:30])

4. Overcoming Recidivism and Social “Scripts”

• Raw recounting of Ali’s release from parole and not succumbing to negativity from others still stuck in criminal cycles ([12:35]–[15:09]).

• How words and provocation can threaten progress, highlighting the need for self-control and healthy friendships ([15:19]–[19:19]):

  “Some people don’t have a lot of men around them. They got males that just go with the flow... When people say steel sharpens steel, that’s a part of the challenge.” – Ali ([18:36])

5. The Responsibility of the Comic

• Rejects the idea of only seeking laughs, focusing instead on the weight and history of Black storytelling ([21:23]–[29:13]).
• Discusses how Dick Gregory’s uncompromising honesty in comedy inspired Ali’s own approach ([26:31], [29:13]).

• “Most comics don’t really understand why people gravitate towards me because I’m responsible. I’m not just saying random, random shit.” – Ali ([21:23])

6. Houston’s Influence & the Birth of Hip-Hop Independence

• Vivid perspective on witnessing the rise of Houston hip-hop, and the Texas ethos of “making your own lane” ([33:45]–[36:35]).
• The regional pride, the rise of UGK, and the crossover with Atlanta’s scene ([40:40]–[41:42]).

7. Street Life Reflections & Accountability

• Ali recounts harrowing stories of street life, the seductive cycles of crime, and “taking the exit” from that world ([47:48]–[57:41]).

• The heavy burden of the harm done to the community as a former drug dealer ([94:35]–[100:11]):

  “I always think what was my contribution to that? ...What was my role in that, man?...What did you contribute to this, man, that’s continuing on?” – Ali ([95:56])

8. Redemption, Self-Forgiveness, Growth

• The necessity and difficulty of forgiving oneself for old mistakes ([132:05]).

• The ongoing, non-linear nature of healing, and the humility in carrying regret:

  “Some shit you just can’t fix, but you can forgive yourself for the mistake... You’re not that mistake. I’m not that thing.” – Ali ([132:05])

9. Ali’s Career Blueprint & Industry Rebellion

• Pioneering the independent route in comedy; why he’s “repping for the independents” instead of chasing Netflix deals ([74:12]–[75:05]).

• The pain and fuel of being overlooked by other comedians:

  "They never mention the competition or the master...I’m the only nigga that you still have fucking access to." – Ali ([89:18], [90:39])

10. On Legacy, Leadership, and Community

• His leadership in prison—organizing for solidarity and positive change among incarcerated Black men ([75:35]–[81:32]).
• The importance of a loyal, loving team (“Stop hiring these random ass n****s and hire that, that love you, that's invested in your thing.” – [118:18]).

11. Craft & Process: Comedy as a Practice

• Dismantling dogmas about how to perform comedy (“Everything they told me not to do in the comedy class, I watched you do it.” – [115:05]).

• Drawing on history: his specials pay homage to Richard Pryor, Cosby, and Hitchcock ([85:52]–[89:18]).

• Emphasis on never phoning it in, preparing thoroughly, and facing nerves every time ([127:41]–[128:40]):

  “I want to do good…The fact that I could fail is enough to be nervous.” – Deante’ ([128:13])

12. Giving Back & Uplifting Others

• Lifting up other comics during the pandemic with virtual shows and direct aid ([144:59]–[147:04]).
• Posting the specials of legends like Patrice O'Neal on his YouTube, keeping their spirits and influence alive ([102:20]–[107:26]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Emotional Value and Relationships:

  • “I can pay for sex. I can’t pay for emotional attachment.” – Ali ([06:31])

• On Legacy & Independent Success:

  • “They never mention the competition or the master...I’m the only nigga you have access to…but you rather pay homage to all these other [comedians] that you don’t have access to. My number is in your phone.” – Ali ([89:18]-[90:39])

• On Healing and Regret:

  • “Some shit you just can't fix, but you can forgive yourself for the mistake… You're not that mistake.” – Ali ([132:05])

• On The Importance of Intentionality in Comedy:

  • "I tell comics: stop hiring these random ass n**s and hire that, that love you that's invested in your thing." – Ali ([118:18])

• On Craft and Process:

  • "Everything they told me not to do in the comedy class, I watched you do it.” – Ashton Womack, as relayed by Ali ([115:05])

• On Community & Social Impact:

  • “What did you contribute to this, man, that’s continuing on? ...If I was never out there, I wouldn't think about it in that aspect because I wasn't out there giving nobody this poison, right? So when you really evolve past that and you really think about, man, the damage that you caused...it just becomes a heavy burden sometimes.” – Ali ([95:56]-[100:11])

• On Perseverance:

  • "I want you to be the person everybody wanted to win." – D.L. Hugley to Ali, on why sometimes not winning a competition is better for your legacy ([110:22])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |---------------|-----------| | [00:43] – [06:42] | Family privilege, house chores, and the transactional nature of relationships | | [09:49] – [11:11] | Including loved ones in personal goals, selflessness vs. personal ambition | | [12:35] – [19:19] | Life after parole; resisting negative cycles and provocation | | [21:23] – [29:13] | The responsible comic and Black storytelling tradition | | [33:45] – [36:35] | Rise of Houston hip-hop and the Texas independent spirit | | [47:48] – [57:41] | Street life, cycles of crime, brotherhood—“Taking the Exit” | | [74:12] – [75:05] | Ali’s rebellion against the entertainment industry—repping for the independents | | [89:18] – [90:49] | The pain of being overlooked; “they never mention the master” | | [102:20] – [107:26] | Honoring Patrice O’Neal and legends, the pain of missed connections | | [132:05] | The truth about healing, regret, and moving forward | | [144:59] – [147:04] | Pandemic innovations—helping comics perform and eat virtually | | [148:17] | The difference maker: speed from idea to execution |

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Episode Tone & Style

The conversation is frank, reflective, humorous but also deeply serious—interspersed with Ali’s signature storytelling, Deante’s honest self-reflection, and both men’s commitment to truth-telling, growth, and accountability. The style is raw and conversational, laced with hip-hop and comedy insider knowledge, frank language, and generational wisdom.

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Closing Reflections

Ali Siddiq’s appearance on “Grits and Eggs” stands as a testament to the evolving legacy of Black independent voices. His message: embrace your scars; make your own lane; uplift your circle; never stop growing, and recognize those who paved the way, even when the industry doesn’t.

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For listeners new to Ali Siddiq or to deep-dive interviews on artistry and manhood, this episode is both a robust introduction and a moving personal essay in living history—and proof that the master’s voice can never be hidden for long.

Transcript

[A]

Yeah, Woke up in the morning and to God be the glory Thankful for another day to tell my story Put my opinions in the universe and let them orbit I'm from the dirty soul with a dirty mouth My knee orbit, miss things things on me like a Norbit had to refuse them cause my bitch no rest Fusion she gorgeous as I doubt my sons up and kiss my daughter forehead Tell them we gonna get this money to my pocket Sn morbid. Remember living in apartments now we playing mortgage.

[B]

Yeah, I had to give him one of them have, you know what I'm saying? So you could feel me. I had to let him, you know what I'm saying? But I ain't gonna lie. Been overly respectful since then. Cause it was just like, look, bro, we go get it in. Like, I ain't gonna argue with you. I ain't gonna sit down and lecture you about no respect, no nothing. Cuz the energy you bringing to the table make me feel like you want to do something. Yeah, man, we can do it. I got two boys, so it's like that 11 year old he getting.

[A]

I got a 14 y old, I got that 32 and that 14 y old. That 14 y old is this here is getting extra. But he, he act good, cuz he on his drum team. So he act good in front of him then. Ah, hey, man. Hey, man, what type of is you? I called him downstairs, but he be his more goofy as hell to me. I went in this room last week before I left this, had a turkey drumstick on his floor. I'm like, Thanksgiving was three Thursdays ago. What is, what is we doing? So I put the plate, the drumstick, this ginger beer in another piece of trash on his bed. We got out of the shower. I know, went in his room and changed. I call him downstairs, say, hassan come. You come in the kitchen. I said, so did you see that trash on your bed? Yeah, so. So when you came down here, why you didn't bring it with you? I didn't think about it. So you was gonna sleep in the bed with that? Cause I got the drumstick off your floor. Is on the floor. Like, you're a wild boy, man. Man, you're a wild boy. But this got a housekeeper. So in his mind, yeah, housekeeper.

[B]

It's not his responsibility, but I. I wish.

[A]

Okay, let Maria come in again and say she picked up a drumstick off your floor.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah. Don't, don't bring, don't let Maria come.

[A]

You weird nigga. But it's just all this privilege and And I think that it's a thing that he didn't. He not growing up with chores and the nigga getting away with shit. Cause I'm on the road all the time and I got a, a wife that don't. That grew up without chores. So this nigga ain't. That's why we got a housekeeper. Cause in my mind, my mama ain't let no other woman come in this house. But you don't. But so I. What it caused me to do was write this, this little piece about polygamy. So it's against polygamy in a country where have mistresses and side chicks and all the rest of this. But you don't subscribe to polygamy. I said, well, let's go past polygamy. Let's go past side chicks. The negative this. But you want to have a housekeeper. So is the thing about you, you said you don't want no other woman there, you don't want no other woman having sex or you don't know what other woman doing nothing.

[B]

It's the sex.

[A]

But you don't have a problem with me having a female assistant. She do more, she do more than you do on a day to day.

[B]

But that's not seen as intimacy, even though it is in its own way, it's professional.

[A]

This is the thing. This lady knows how the underwear I wear and everything, she went and got them.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know what I'm saying? She do all, all the little stuff that you can't do. She, she do all that. So is, is it the, it's just the physical part of it. That's the only part that y' all have a problem with the physical part. Because you can get somebody else to do everything else. I can get somebody, I can pay somebody else to do everything else.

[B]

Well, it's strength in numbers though, you understand? So Western society is predicated on what's good for the government. So three people, three incomes coming into one house, that ain't good. Two, you can control it because somebody gotta watch the kids. That's out. That's, that's outgoing money. But like, let's just say like if, if we in house, let's say I got three wives and one of them just specifically is very good with children, so I don't have to worry about childcare. The other one is very good in the kitchen. And then the other one may be a little bit more detail oriented as far as like admin and stuff around the house. Well, shit, we can't lose in this bitch.

[A]

Can't lose. But they won't see it like that because they associate their feelings with the sexual act. And we don't associate our feelings like that. Nah, my penis is not tied to my heart.

[B]

That's real.

[A]

Cause nigga, I can literally be in love with the person who just treat me the best with no type of physical nothing.

[B]

Yeah, it's a different type of love though. You know, I think the sexual part is. And the whole conversation is about transaction, right? Like I'm not paying for your love or I'm not paying for your time or attention, right? So like if I got a. An assistant, I gotta pay for the admin work. I gotta pay for you to know my draw size. Like this is transactional. And the love and the intimacy that come with monogamous relationship is non transactional in a fiscal sense, but it's transactional in a whole bunch of emotional ways too.

[A]

Transaction in emotional ways. Now if somebody is tied to me, if I'm tied to you emotionally, you know what I'm saying? That's deeper than the bread. Yeah, way deeper than the bread, cuz. I'm not going to fight behind somebody who I'm paying, but I'll fight behind somebody who I'm emotionally attached to.

[B]

Oh, yeah, absolutely. But the emotional attachment, I don't even need the money.

[A]

I don't need the bread. You know what I'm saying? And just like I'm not going to be if I'm. I can pay for sex. I can't pay for emotional attachment. Yeah, that's the.

[B]

I can't pay for you to give a fuck about some shit my mama did in the sixth grade.

[A]

You care if. Nigga, have you ate today? Cause the person that you paying for sex ain't worried about if you ate today.

[B]

Yeah, bruh, the funniest thing be like, my old lady, she don't come to a lot of events and she don't really like, she know me at home. So it's like, I got the kids, I got this and that to take care of. And then we done had our spats where just like, whatever, you know what I'm saying? Let's keep the business separate from the personal. And we went to this red carpet event and people was like, so how do you feel about like the podcast and it's coming up. And she was like, man, I've been listening to man podcast for 15 years. Before y' all know it, I done heard all these topics. I done heard him rumble through these topics. I done heard it at its inception when he just got the idea hours. Y' all just get to watch it on camera. And it's refined like he grown now. But at 21, when he drunk, he like, let me tell you something about capitalism and religion. How they tied. And she like, nigga, all right. Yeah.

[A]

So they don't. They don't.

[B]

You can't pay for that.

[A]

You can't pay for that. You can't pay for the. The finding sheets of paper with something written on it. Like, hey, man, what this mean right here? I need that. That ties to. I'm looking for another piece of paper that I wrote half. I wrote the whole set on the back of an envelope. A bill. I wrote on the back of a bill. And saying that, you know, you can't really, you know, pay for that type of intimacy at all.

[B]

Right?

[A]

She knows it. You know, like, yo, he. I was there when he wrote the title down. I was there when he changed the title.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I heard it way before y' all heard it. I heard the plan before you heard. And first of all, y' all didn't realize that we had a whole three week argument because the nigga. Because I didn't give nigga enough energy when he said the plan. Look, the plan is this. You know, something, you know, Don't. Don't even bird back.

[B]

Yeah, we don't give a fuck. Just tell me your account. You know what I'm saying? Man, look, when I was rapping, I know she used to be like, this is literal torture. Cause he gonna say this rap 50 times. And it's like, by the 30th time, if she lose energy, I'm like, man, if you don't want to hear me rap, just.

[A]

You know what I'm saying?

[B]

You ain't gotta give a fuck. I go rap by myself in the living room. I don't need this shit. You putting the bad energy on my raps. But for her, it's like, nigga, I just listened 29 times. Enthusiast. I done helped you craft bars, all type of shit. So even when we doing this, like, I remember one time, I had to. I got these notes. I got like, these are everywhere. And there's quarter goals. It's thoughts, it's ideas. And she found one. She was like, you've been looking for this. This a book you like. She was like, it was in the closet behind whatever. It was in a shoebox. I was like, okay, cool. She was like, yeah, I looked through it. You got some goals in there for this year. You ain't mentioned me One time I was like, you gonna benefit from all the success. All these goals that I got written down, if they come through, you winning.

[A]

You win, you win.

[B]

He's like, yeah, but next time put my name on the motherfucker.

[A]

That's the thing. Why? Because when I. In my thought pattern, why.

[B]

I was like, I ain't even put the kids on that. All that shit was about me.

[A]

You know how many people missing from this? A lot of niggas. Listen, these are my goals that everybody benefits from everything. And I, I didn't put beneficiaries of the go. I put the goal.

[B]

Yeah. I didn't have no footnotes on this motherfucker. It's just all goals. You hear me?

[A]

Yeah. You just, just put yourself in this.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Or delete yourself out of this. When you know everything that I'm doing is working for the greater good, that you don't have to do nothing for sure. That's the, that's the benefit, you know, of all of it. And I think that sometimes with other people, their goals are not centered around being beneficial to the community that they have intimately in their house or the community outside. So that's a big thing. When your goals are self centered, I don't think the Creator give them to you. I don't think that you can benefit from that.

[B]

I think it's a big difference between self centered goal and a personal go. Like personal to me. Right? Not personal to like, I can't even conceive a world where I'm the only one that benefit from my success, bro.

[A]

That's probably why I listen to you. Because that's me. I like, I don't see self gratification. It's. It's always everything. Like, even with stand up, when I was in Houston and they told me I had to leave, this is before any other comic ever said some about imma stay at home. And this is one of the things, like I never get the credit for all the. These didn't copy from me because I remember I've been doing it 28 years when the whole goal was to move to LA or New York. And I, 28 years ago was like, no, I'm staying at the crib. Oh man, you ain't gonna, you ain't gonna ever get big like that. Why Then they come with the, you know, a prophet is not on his own home. But why? I'm still on the but why? So my whole goal is, I' ma show y' all that you can stay where you are and you can craft and you can build from here. And you will get honor in your own home. I gotta just. I gotta take that rumor away. Just like I had to take the rumor about going back once you get out of here.

[B]

You.

[A]

The recidative rate. I'm not a part of that. Right? I was gone for six years. I'd never returned. It was. That was a. That was a. A mistake in my life that I. That I, you know, was in. That's not who I am. I don't have to constantly keep going back to prison, you know? And you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, you don't have to. Oh. Once you. Once you go, you just a criminal. You don't have to even just be a criminal no more.

[B]

You.

[A]

You're out of that. That's. That's done. And I remember when all these parole officers showed up when I got off parole, and it was like, we never seen nobody get off road before. What. What you mean? Are you the first person that, since I've been working, I've ever seen discharge that didn't go back? And. And all this. You. We watched you. So when I discharge, I never forget it. How something evil can come into your mix that fast. This is one of the happiest days. October 21, 2007, I'm discharging from parole. Hell, yeah. And I walk out. I'm walking out, and all these parole officers walking me out, happy. And this dude, who I do not know, never seen before in my life. I'm getting ready to go on the elevator. Nick said, snitch. And I went downstairs because I wanted all the parole officers to walk back in. Got back on the elevator, came back up. I said, bro, you know me. Nah, nigga. So what's that snitch comment? I said, nigga. Cause you. You salty, nigga, because you. I'm getting off road. I ain't gotta come up here no more. I say, bro, if I wasn't a different type of. I would wait for you to see your PO and then I would wait at that bus stop for you, because I saw you get off that bus when I was looking out the window and slide your ass all in that street. But I'm not only off parole, I'm off this too. So, bro, you better watch your mouth. And I say, but, boy, I don't know you. You don't know me. You walking up a tree, and you don't even know what I was in there for. And I'm like, yo, bro. And in my mind, I'm like, how this still drawing me back into this negative. And I'm still at. I just got off. I said, man, I can't let this words puppeteer me. Cause I was Joe like, but you don't even know me like this. Yo, this. So you ain't never happy for a to get off something. Cause you still on one. And that was. That's like when I was locked up. These never wanted nobody go home. You want. He want stay here with you.

[B]

How. How. How much do. Have you seen? Well, just something like words send a way back to the other side.

[A]

Oh, yeah. The. We're just. Myself. Yeah, yeah, me and me. I'm in a situation when I tried my best. And I don't think it was the words. I think it was the fact that I told you that I was fasting. Abraham. Fasting. I'm not really on this with you, and I'm not gonna break my fast lying to you, nigga, I'm fasting. And you kept pushing the button, and I felt like you would just. You just. Now you disrespecting my fast and everything. And then the ass comment. And I. And I think that it was more of a nigga. I thought we was friends. I thought we was past friends. When did I. When did I be. When did I become. When did I become this? Like, ever in life since you've been knowing me. When did I. When did I become this? And it. It sent. It sent me that. Because I'm thinking of not just the words. It's the I'm fasting. It's the friendship. It's the brotherhood. And, nigga, you know me. You know me. Like, who you talking to, bro? And now it's like. I felt like you felt like you could disrespect me like that because of the familiarity, like, bro, what we doing, man? And I'm not in that. In that space. And I. And in my mind, I'm like, man, I know better than that, right? I know better than that because, bro is you. It was just something that you was just trying to do to, like, you.

[B]

Throw like some tester type. Throw it out there, see what you.

[A]

Want to be cool no more, then let's just say, man, I don't be cool with you no more. We ain't got to do all this because it's. It's way past the. The thought pattern. And you won't tell nobody that. That's what you said. You'll tell somebody the. The latter part. Oh, he just was on one. But you won't tell nobody that. That man said Several times. Hey, bro, what are you talking about? I'm fasting, bro. Stop talking to me crazy. You won't tell. You won't tell the truth about it. You would just say, what happened. Oh, Ali hit me. What you do? Oh, I was just trying to diffuse the situation. That's what you was doing. So you'll never say that. You said, call that man out his name. You'll never say that part. Yeah, because now people look at you and say, what made you say that to him? Somebody that you know for facts. If you was into it, he gonna be there. He'll protect you. He give you a shirt off his back. He'll do anything for you. You and you and his. That man was friends with your father. So what are you talking. That man know your kids. Y' all didn't went fishing together. Like, what made you say that? If you got real friends, my boy's gonna always say, hey, what you own? But see, I got those type of. Got those type of friends that I fellowship with. That. And I'm not always right. And. And that's the reason why they my friends, because they gonna let me know when I'm. When I'm wrong, when I'm tripping. And that's just a part of the manhood of it.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And I think some people don't have a lot of men around them. They got males that just go with the flow of things. And it's no. When people say steel, sharp and steel, that's a part of the challenge, because the steel stopping still. You have to go up against each other to sharpen each other. Right. So I can't just. Everything you say, either I got to add on to it, or I got to make you stronger in defending it.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Oh, I. I know how to. And you. You have a. You have a theory and you tell it to me. And I'm sitting there poking holes in that. It's only making you come with more.

[B]

Now.

[A]

Now, I'm just saying that's just offsetting your. Then you gotta go read some more to strengthen your argument. And I'm just right here.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Knowing that you right. But, nigga, I gotta make sure that you can defend that. You right. Right.

[B]

Yeah. Because if I. Yes, man, it. And it's not a complete thought or it got gaps in it. Like, if I don't help you fill them gaps, you can be out there looking stupid. For real.

[A]

It's like going on Shark Tank. Hey, man, we need to know everything about this before we go in. It's five People in here.

[B]

Cause you gonna around and let a talk you into only half your business.

[A]

Hey, man. Man, I got a deal. You only, only 10% of the deal.

[B]

Yeah, you. That ain't even your company no more. And you in the whole 250k. You fucking up in the game. Yeah, you starting from behind.

[A]

Went in there up and now you behind.

[B]

Went in there on everything. Lost my 5%. You lost half the company. And you owe a. A quarter million dollars.

[A]

And I lost my boy. Where's my investment in this? It's a crazy thing, but I think.

[B]

It'S the most important thing. Big cat, that's. That's my best friend and co host. That's who you hear behind the camera.

[A]

Hey, how you doing? Come shake your hand. Ken Wilson. Nice to meet your pleasure.

[B]

But it's, it's a lot of that with him for me, because it's. It's easy too, when you kind of feel big fish like going right. It's responding well. And I'm getting. I'm gaining more and more confidence the better and better I do. But he not just gonna be like. He be like, all right, enough. You going too far with. He said, this isn't a complete thought. You can't just say just. Cause he's like. You don't want people to just be like. On a code of personality where they hang on to every word. He was like, that can get dangerous. So it's been entire sets where like, I'm kind of just. I'm getting to a point where I'm rambling. Like, maybe I wasn't focused that day or maybe I didn't really have a template to the episode. So I'm just. I'm like, I'm going to pop my. You know what I'm saying? He'll be like, hey, we'll try this again tomorrow. Because this is some.

[A]

And you need that.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

And that's, that's the thing about being a responsible person behind a mic. As a, As a comic, I think that most comics don't really understand why people gravitate, gravitate towards me because I'm responsible. I'm not just saying random, random shit. You know, for years I had a problem with people saying that Bill Clinton was the first black president.

[B]

I've always had a problem with it.

[A]

And that's because a comedian said it.

[B]

And then comedians let white people get away with a lot of shit by joking about it. And it's some shit I can't stand. It's some invite to the cookout. Ass shit. It's some. Oh, this white man had on sunglasses and played the saxophone of Arsenio.

[A]

He a. And smoke weed.

[B]

Yeah, he smoked weed. But then his wife out here calling y' all super predators. And he just passed the bill that got you and all 15 of your homeboys locked up.

[A]

And he off him and his wife off Haiti. But he. But.

[B]

But he the first black president because he was on Arsenio Hall.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like these don't know how to pander. His wife went on goddamn Breakfast Club talking about, I got hot sauce in my bed. We not. I'm not playing these game with the white folks, bro.

[A]

Because.

[B]

Because. Just because y' all are easily appeased.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I like me personally, but I grew up in a household like that. Like, my mother is. Was hard to impress. So she's a very. She and. And you know, she didn't passed on, but very serious person. You understand what I'm saying? Appreciate you so. But I'm always like, I can make her laugh. If I could make her laugh, I know we good because she don't find a lot of shit funny. So me being able to make her laugh on a consistent basis because like, that's had become our relationship is like, she look at me for relief from like, whatever she dealing with in the world. I also, like, understand, like, when somebody ain't easy to appease, the goal isn't to appease them. So her shit was about me. Like, be like, really just be yourself. Because if you come in here performing, putting on a show. I know.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you think. Or I feel like you're hiding some shit, like you done did something. Because why you. Why you. This ain't the extra shit that you do to make me laugh. This some more shit. What you hiding? And she just poke holes, you know what I'm saying?

[A]

It's like this how I watch comedy. Ah, Big dog, why you not laughing? Because I'm thinking about what he's saying. I'm thinking about how this could be better, how I can help. I'm processing it. I'm not even here to. I didn't even come to laugh. I came to watch, to see how I could help. And most comics who know me know it's hard. It's a hard nut to crack with me because I didn't seen all of this. Sometimes I'll be looking and trying to figure out, hey, I haven't seen this before, who did this. So when you're done, I can tell them, hey, this is an old such and such said this is an old topic. And then, like, my normal thing is, man, I watched. You don't know shit about. You don't know nothing about you.

[B]

Because it is a performance art, you know? And I think comedy because of, like, how long I've been watching comedy. For the most part, comedy isn't really funny in that sense. Most comedians are not funny. Most of them are trying to carry a narrative and whatever that narrative may be. I'm not the expert.

[A]

I'm just saying, from a consumer, this is definitely. Is definitely changed. Because the funny was in always in the perspective. And, you know, you had Don Rickles pushing one thing. You had Flip Wilson pushing another thing. You had Dick Gregory. Dick Gregory. When people think about if they go back, and I think that by me knowing so much about comedy, when you go back and you think about how Dick Gregory really jumped off, you had the. You had the Playboy Mansion. It's a Southern white audience in there the night that you really blow up. And he's not in there pandering. He's in there saying the thing. So I go back to that moment because I remember the moment when it happened to me. The Tea Party. Remember the Tea Party? They probably all MAGA now, but the Tea Party.

[B]

Ah, yeah, yeah, of course. Of course.

[A]

I get booked to perform for the Tea Party, and I can't turn it down. This ain't even about the money. It's like, I can't turn it down. Cause I want to go and say the shit I want to say to them, right? So the guy who booked me asked me to write five minutes for him. He wanted to do comedy in front of his friend. So we met at this restaurant, Willie G's. I wrote the five minutes for him. So then he went out and he took a shot at Obama. Something that I did not write. And I'm in the back. And in true Ali fashion, I can't let it. I can't let it rest. I can't. So I gotta go out and shoot at Bush.

[B]

Right off the rip. Right off the rip.

[A]

So I go out.

[B]

We gonna go president for president, nigga, what you talking about? Boom.

[A]

So I go out, boom. And they. Damn. So then I start. And then I just asked, I said, what do y' all really want? Tell me what y' all want. And then I'll never forget this one white guy say, I want the people to run the government. And I said, I agree. Hold on. What people, though? Boom. The whole room explodes. So I do an hour in front of these people. The owner, the GM of the improv is Hispanic. And he's sitting there. Raymond is like, this. This shit is crazy, what I just watched you do. And I told Raymond, Dick Gregory, polo at the Playboy Mansion, Southern bat, Southern whites. I know the moments that I reach back in history and connect myself to. I know the moments because I'm such a fan of history. And I think comics don't really look at the overall history of this craft that we're in. This is a craft. It's not a hobby. It's not just, oh, I'm just out doing something.

[B]

It's.

[A]

It's a responsible craft. Because what you say literally has weight, you know, like. Like with Cosby.

[B]

And the craft's origins is in black entertainment. It's a black American craft as well.

[A]

It's a black American craft. It's a. If you go past that, we would be considered griots, storytellers, going back to our ancestry. You know, how. But even with me, I was asked, man, how did. Why. How you. Why is your style like this? I said, man, I'm not doing a magic trick. I am doing exactly what I was raised to do. Everything I've ever learned in my life was based on the story. I've never has never anything I was being taught in my family. Never has not started with this. Come here, let me tell you a story. Whether it's me being in the streets. My grandma's, like, in the book. I got applied advice. My mama told me a story, and it was about how the streets are undefeated. And this is when I was in the streets. Crazy. And when I got locked up, that was the first thing came to my mind that this lady told me that these streets, undefeated. Another one down, another one down. It's like, hey, either jail or prison, they're not. The street's not gonna lose them. Street's been out there for a long time.

[B]

They're saying they got you beat, that every time.

[A]

They got you beat. And they didn't seen all of it. They didn't seen all of it. So whether it was my grandmother telling me historical stories, my mother telling me informational stories, my father telling me his slick. You know how he was trying to be slick and never got away with his story. And then my Uncle Mac, he would tell me outlandish stories. This stories was crazy. But he had already been locked up four or five times, you know, and his thing was like, hey, man, you'll never understand it. And then I understood why his stories outlandish. Because, man, I. When I was locked up, if you want to hear a story, ask anybody in there how they got locked up. And I and it. It never not started. You want to know why I got locked up? You better get your popcorn. My and it's some fantastical story. Man like this and shim it down a building.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The laws behind him like what it was you too.

[B]

Where the you was gonna go after you landed in that water, bro? When I'm watching that, I'm like, okay, you're gonna jump in the bayou.

[A]

Then what Because I said my head aspirations of swimming. Because the because how to buy you is set up in Houston. You can get all the way downtown. Like them ain't gonna get in the water too. Like what about. I'm like, I'm out of here. I get to this water. Like nah, n you not. There's no man, they people had a helicopter. It was so much going on out there that night. And this was daytime. And it was like, bruh, when I looked back at it, I was like, I really thought that I was finna get away.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And in my mind, this swan dive into this box.

[B]

I mean, this the one. Hey, this was shit you never seen.

[A]

These niggas is like, nigga, we own it.

[B]

Yeah, no, we good. We got every base color. Trust me. Trust me. You on feet can't do shit with us.

[A]

Nothing with us.

[B]

Yeah, it's all. It's all.

[A]

It's all type of shit.

[B]

What year. What year was this?

[A]

This is 1991.

[B]

I was going to ask you about this. So nowadays when folk get locked up, they might have access to a cell phone, which mean they still in tune with the streets. And you was locked up for six years, right? Yeah, life changes drastically in six years outside. But you are one of the like, you come from a class of where like life literally is completely different than when you left it. So hip hop is starting to kind of take off in Houston and technology taking off. What was that? What was it like outside of the transition of what you already knew you was gonna do? Comedy. You already knew you was gonna reform yourself from the street. But what was it like as a culture shock for like how different things was? Because by this time, Houston is prominent in hip hop scene. So the streets change a lot just because of that.

[A]

I was at a spot when I started doing stand up. Just joking Comedy cafe. So I was privy to see the rise of Slim Thug. And I remember Slim Thug was with this guy named Mario Slim Thug. And Mario Slim Thug 6 some foot Mario 411. You know, these Rapping together, Little Mario Stim, Thug. So I was privy to see that. I was privy to see the color, the color changing click, which was Paul Wall and Chameleonaire together, you know what I'm saying? So that was them together. So I saw them, I saw the rise of esg, you know, I'm. I'm there with. I didn't feel like I wasn't connected because I'm seeing them on their breakout. They break out years. The only person I didn't see come up was Mike Jones. See, I'm. I'm there when the little Flip was with Humphrey, you know what I'm saying? So I'm. I'm watching Flip because everybody would come to just joking and performing on Thursdays and I'm the host. So I'm watching it in real, in real time, like and not really thinking that because I was part of the hip hop community before I left. So the street militaries and all that before beforehand. I'm not thinking that this is going to.

[B]

Blow up, right?

[A]

I'm not, I'm thinking, okay, this is gonna be this. And then I noticed these not trying to go international, they're not trying to go industry. These is on the independent journey of. I'm trying to sell ten thousand, hundred thousand records here on my side of town. It's a whole different monster. I'm trying to expand from Houston to Louisiana to Oklahoma to Arkansas. Yeah, this is what we own. We ain't. We don't give a damn about the west coast or the east coast, none of that. This is where we selling our records at. Nigga, I'm finna go do a show in Little Rock, Arkansas, you know what I'm saying?

[B]

This is, this is how I create my own market.

[A]

I'm creating my.

[B]

And naturally an untapped market. And this is why I wanted to ask you about that specifically because Texas is known for like, like real imma keep it Texas, like that's a thing. But it's in every aspect. You doing it in comedy, it's been done. We've seen it in hip hop and most entertainment people in Texas care about Texas with them. And then you can go Texarkana, Louisiana and around the surrounding areas. Naturally it's gonna sp. Do well in Texas. As a Texas back artist, you good for life, man.

[A]

It's like Dallas, it's like Houston first. Then if you selling records in Dallas, you selling records in Waco, you selling records in San Antonio, you selling records in Austin, then the rest of the small towns and it's not a. It's not a knock that you was in Tyler, Texas, doing a show, right? First time I ever saw Juvenile, I'm hosting a show. He was in Tyler, Texas, juvie. When juvie got big. And I think Juvenile got bigger in Texas before Louisiana. And it just was crazy. It's like, man, all you needed is Louisiana and Texas now. Then if Mississippi and all the rest of that. But, man, that. And then there's records that motivated you, man. Like the Suc motivated Twitch House motivated. Then you got When Suave House came to Houston with Tila and all them like, oh, so niggas is trying to come here and build a bill, a brand here. Tony Draper. But when I major, I thought that the. That the game was. Was tore up when we lost one of our majors and y' all got them in Greg street, right?

[B]

Right? Oh, yeah.

[A]

When we lost lessons, when we lost lessons of pace, you know, we was like, damn, we losing some. Losing some to some, man.

[B]

Specifically Atlanta. Specifically then because I grew up good. Like I'm telling you, the last days of radio prominence is me being in the car with my mama. And she gonna drive a little extra 30 minutes. Cause 6 o', clock, it's time for grand street to rock. We know that this like, just like a mixtape dropping every day. Because grand street really knocking that.

[A]

We lost our.

[B]

To y'.

[A]

All.

[B]

He's like, God damn school, Greg right up off y'. All.

[A]

I'm gonna scoop that. We was like, say, man, this is a right here. And then we. We got to the point that we started understanding that is really mimicking what we doing. And we still not getting the credit for it. Like, man, I couldn't believe that was asking at the Grill. The grill situation with somebody was like, nah, that's us. That was our thing. The lean situation. That was the rapping stuff. But then we had other aspects that people wasn't. Atlanta should always attribute something to us. Cause nigga, y' all had our nigga. Brian Michael Cox, you had our nigga.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, Atlanta gone.

[A]

You had our nigga who's making the beat.

[B]

You had our nigga. We finesse city, though. That's the thing about Atlanta that you, like most people need to know.

[A]

Grabbed another, came down there and swooped another.

[B]

And we gonna put a town on 38 on that nigga. Niggas will never know. Niggas will never know. That what I'm saying. But, like, I always knew that growing up here, if you ain't got no finesse, you gonna Lose because everybody finessing. So it's like almost to a point too, where it's like, you done did so well finesse in here. You might as well be from here, man.

[A]

It's like y' all was. Y' all was peeling us for niggas, man.

[B]

She was adamant about. Man, fuck it, let her ad and to talk about first, especially in hip hop. And I could be wrong. The rapper. The rapper and producing at the same time. Pimp was doing that. Yeah, he was doing that. Yeah, he was. You know, and that. That became a thing. You know, we got Kanye from that. We got Big Crit, among others. But like off of like just prominent. I'm a rapper and a producer. It started with Pimp.

[A]

You gotta think that whole. That UGK movement. So I'm not gone yet. Me and Bun. Me and Bun at the time, me and Bun dapping each other up at the subway. And I'm already in the streets.

[B]

Yeah. Cause what year did it tell me something good come out.

[A]

Oh, that's 90. I think that's 90.

[B]

You was out. You was outside.

[A]

I was outside, yeah. I've been outside since 87.

[B]

Okay. So that's a good four year run.

[A]

Yeah, this is. This is a. A good. Like.

[B]

What'S up with that bulge in your kakis?

[A]

Willie D and. And face is, you know, coming out. But you had the. Who was before that that just didn't get big. You had always rapping. But for sure it was. I think that that's the big thing. That don't realize what the 80s was like. Yeah, the 80s was a different. Was a whole different monster.

[B]

I was born in 1990. You did what I'm saying, so I don't know what you talking about. Yeah, you see what I'm saying? Yeah. Even when I talk about the 90s, I'm really talking about like 97. When I'm cognizant, I know what's going on. I'm watching wrestling. I'm watching Fresh Prince.

[A]

I'm watching Fresh Prince of Wrestling.

[B]

All my memories start. I ain't gonna lie. My first pop culture was being fascinated by Coolio because his hair. Tupac died as soon as. When Tupac died, it was like something in my brain woke up like, oh, this must be important. Why is people crying?

[A]

You know what's crazy? I remember I did. I said something about Tupac and people got mad at me, but you don't really know why I'm saying it. I was already outside when he was out. Like, I bought this first album Right. But I remember you being with Digital Underground too. So when I saw you, when I saw you at the rap convention, you was with Money B. You was with the Digital Underground. You wasn't packed like that. You know what I'm saying? But I'm already outside. I'm not gonna think that you're a gangster or none of that, because I'm already outside. Yeah, they're not understanding this part.

[B]

Dancing like that. Not like that.

[A]

That same, that same day. Because I remember that same day so vividly because at the High Regency, when they, where they was having the, the convention, the escalator wasn't working to go up. You just come down and Dana Dane was sitting on the escalator. Before, before all them, it was a group called Royal Flush, that, that, that was rapping. And, and people, some people may know him as Cocoa Butter, Rick Rude child's father. Cocoa Butter was off the chain. I think Cocoa Butter may have passed, but the guy Larry that managed them was Slick Rick's cousin. Okay? So it's all of these, all of these instances where I was around way before because I was already in the streets. So if I see you in 1990 and I already did some things street wise, why would I see you as a rapper, as a gangster? Cause that wasn't what y' all were doing, right?

[B]

Entertainment was a totally different beast. And all the gangsters was really behind the scenes.

[A]

Exactly, yeah. So it's people who I was like, yo, I got you. There's rappers. I got you. You straight. Go do what you gonna do. So I'm not seeing rappers as gangsters. I'm seeing you as you an artist, you do music. I'm seeing you the same way I see a football player, nigga, go play football, nigga, go play basketball. Do that. Cause what we're, what we out here doing is different, correct? Because you're not. This is a different cloth. I. And I like, I can explain these. This is a different cloth, bro. And I know that you not with this cloth. And even when I hear talk now, I know that you wasn't doing a lot of it because you don't have a lot of mental scars. And that's the worst thing about being in the streets is the mental scars, right? That when you sit by yourself, that, that make you sad. They make you sad inside. You know, even when you behind the walls, you. You don't want to do certain things because that's gonna make you sad again. And you like, yo, bro, sometimes I don't have the. I don't have a lot of life in my eyes when it comes to certain things, because it is. It's heartbreaking.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And if. If I talk to you, I know who didn't really been out there. Cause these is sad inside from things they. That was. That was necessary. I say, right, that you put. That you put in. In your life that became necessary.

[B]

It's. And it's. That's the field you playing in.

[A]

Yeah, that's it. You decided to get in this. And we never wanted nobody out there like, we never. Man, if you. You doing something, I. I hate the. I'm a tip. I got a special that's coming that I'm getting ready to record. But this is one of the stories that. That it always tickles me to death. My. My partner played the saxophone. And because he played the saxophone, he'd be walking through the block, and we would always mess with him because he. He was like, man, I'm gonna come out here with y'. All. When they're like, nah, n. We never called this a saxophone. Hey, you keep playing your little xylophone every. Hey, one day xylophone. Next thing, hey, this here got a little harmonica out here. You just always up this instrument. And I never remember my boy said, hey, I used to play the recorder. This ain't no recording. So the day we. One of our boys that went down like, unlived like this gotten some and this coming through. I say, hey, say, man, these hearts is uneasy, man. Man, do something to sue these savage, man, that start playing that Kenny G. And it always tickles me.

[B]

I'm like.

[A]

And when I see him, I like, phil, remember you played that Kenny G. Nigga, when you was out there talking about, man, you niggas was so distraught. But this nigga professional. He's professional injury. Like, he plays professionally now.

[B]

But look, that's also how Ricky died. You know what I'm saying? The boys in the. That saxophone started wailing. I said, somebody finna die. Dope, get in the car. I was like, oh, shit, somebody finna die. Hey, look, you know. So my homeboy, he didn't pay. He passed at 19. Awesome. Trying to set a straight when he got out of prison. Done crossed him, shot him in the back of the head. Crazy, right? Crazy. You don't think gonna happen at that age. Especially like when you just seen a. And so I call myself, like, trying to get in the mix. Cause I'm like, all these got. Then they got your balls on you. Like, five set pair of air forces. I'm over there G units. And I'm like, I'm just trading out the same five white tees. And I was like, I'm gonna get a mix with these, bro. This look easy type. And it's just selling like weed and whatever. I don't really know what into. I just know what I go to for. I go for weed. So yeah, let me go get a weed mix, man. I go get an ounce from this bro. This say before I give you this pack, this gonna have a talk. Now mind you, we both 14. He talking to me like he a man. And I'm, I'm his subordinate at this point, which technically he putting me on. So he's like, you take this pack, you know you going to hell. I'm like, explain that. Cause what the did ounce of wig got to do with hell? He's like, well if a take that from you, what you gonna do? He was like, and you do something to him, they gonna do something to you. If they can't get you, they gonna get somebody you love. If you can't get them, you gotta get somebody love. He was like this just don't never stop to the point where you so corrupted. You going to hell. This one on me, Just think about that. I say man, I'm walking home, I done got this in my jaws. I'm like bro, I'm not going to hell. I'm not going to hell. And then it started like, like I get in the mix though and start happening. I'm like, damn. I'm reminded of like everything this saying. So by the time I'm still like steadily in the mix and he died and I know what type of he is, so I also know what type of he get into. I'm going to jail for petty. But I'm like, but I need to.

[A]

Leave this alone bro.

[B]

Cause it's like for one I ain't making a noise for real. I'm not making no money. I'm really just making money to get by. I could just go get a job. The same amount of money I'm making is what is making at their jobs. And really all I'm doing is up my life, catching charges, going to jail, probation violation, all this stupid ass. And I was sitting in the county and I'm thinking about that, that said cause like I, I had warrants out when he got killed and I'm just sitting in there. This like might be the first time I ever go to jail where I'm just actually self reflecting happening like thinking about what I'm doing. Because like my mama up behind this crying and. And you go to court and you all shackled the up. And I'm looking at my mama shaking and crying and. Cause I had a copy. Like I said, this is the most serious charge I ever caught. And I'm like, bro, is this, this ain't worth this, bro. Like, this ain't worth this. And two, I don't got nothing to show for this.

[A]

Nothing.

[B]

I don't got no money. Like really more than anything, that's the main thing. Because that's why be in the street for money. I was. I don't got nothing to show for this. This really stupid. And this like might be like the first time I actually self reflected and like thinking about what the I was doing when I was outside and why. And then thinking about all these different ways this unaffected my family before me, how it's currently affecting them. And then I already see the path my sister going down. My sister's still addicted to drugs and matter of fact her birthday today. And I'm like, man, none of this makes sense. And then I'm just thinking like I started praying and that hit me, like, if you stay on this, you going to hell. I'm like, boy at 14 didn't think he was wise behind his years. I didn't know he was only gonna live for five more years. But I know that like what he said stuck with me in a way where it was like, I'm thinking he just talking. And then as life get real, the real of this statement go. The really this sentiment go. Cause you lose friends then either to prison or death or drugs. There's a lot, a lot of. Don't talk about the part where your homeboy that used to sell drugs now addicted to drugs. And it's like, what was that part like for you where it's like. Because while you in motion, it really ain't no self reflection as far as like time to yourself. Cause shit always in motion. Would you say like the first time you had really got to self reflect was when you were sitting down.

[A]

This is, this is a crazy thing. So I'm writing a special called Taking the Exit. Because a lot of times taking.

[B]

Right now.

[A]

Yeah, right now I'm writing. This is going to be. I'm getting ready to film three specials in February. I'm dropping one on the Monday, December 21st.

[B]

It'll be out. Mondays will be out as this draw.

[A]

Yeah. So I started writing because in my mind I got at least right three or four specials at the same time. So I'm writing Taking the exit. Taking the exit is all about all the things that you should have got out of and where that opportunity came. So. And what made me think about it was me going back to domino effect. Why didn't I just get out when a nigga threw me in the trash can? Why didn't I get out when the dop fiends jumped on me? Why didn't I get out when the dude blew the crack smoke in my face and I got the gun? Why didn't I get out when Quincy hit me in the eye? All these things you just could have just stopped. It wasn't that serious. But when you just. Not that you reminded me of it. It's the story. Michael Viann, best friend at the time. Still. This is still my boy. He fried. He fried my turkeys every Thanksgiving. And I don't even celebrate Thanksgiving. It's the fact that this is when all my family can come down and get together. We just. And my sister died. So we just really just get together, right? But he the one that fried the turkeys. Mike could tell anybody. He said the day he. I told him like your boy told you. I say, mike don't get in this game. It's a cold game, bro. I'm getting this game. So Mike went and got an ounce from somebody else. My. My partner, Charles. And Charles feeling like this is his boy, so he vouching for him. So he came got, but he didn't never think about why didn't he get it from me. Because I told no cut to Mike lose the ounce. But you still gotta pay for it. You still gotta make that bread. So I don't find out about it until Charles. Me and Charles randomly together. He said, hey, man, you seen your boy Mike? I said, no, I ain't talking about what's up. You owe me that money, man. Need that 600. That's when the house is going for 600 at the time. He said, need that 600. I said, but what he said, man, he got an ounce from me. Unbeknownst to Mike, I give Charles the 600. I said, man, you. You wrong. As for giving that that because don't know what he's doing. I go to horn clock with a from say, mike Charles gonna kill you straight up. What? You ain't pay that nigga's money, he's going to blow your brains out. Oh, man, that's. Bruh, I told you not to get into this. Charles is a killer. This is what this do. He's going to Blow your brains out. So what you gonna have to do is get the out of here. Took that to the mall, got this, all the clothes, all the J's, all the he want and sent that to college. Wouldn't play basketball. And I would call that, hey, man, don't come home, Charles gonna blow your brain. But this. Don't know. I already paid for him. But he didn't, he didn't, he didn't. He didn't understand. Get out this game. Cause sometime some could just happen like that. You just don't understand.

[B]

And to your point, too, if he was for this, you telling him that would have been like, well, where the he at? He gonna kill who if you ain't.

[A]

If.

[B]

If that ain't your cut, you got.

[A]

To go that and is. It's that, yeah, now you're going back to the point of this. I'm doing my thing in these apartments, and I notice Brooklyn Mike. Brooklyn Mike came, got a 50 pack for me. Said he had this white girl that's smoking like a train. I always. I know lying. They always got a white girl always.

[B]

Lying on white people.

[A]

Got this white girl smoking like a. So doing maybe less than an hour. This back another 50. I said to myself, I said, oh, man, maybe we might cutting this down. Selling to the little over there. Ain't no trip. I come out, come outside, and my man said, hey, man, you seen Mike? Brooklyn Mike? He said, yeah, I seen, I saw the 250s. He said, yeah, came and got a dime for me. I still got a dime for you for what I need. You know Mike smoking. Nah, nigga, not Brooklyn Mike. Not. Not a man. Nah. N that smoking like, bruh, ain't no way. Ain't no way this ain't smoking. I see Brooklyn Mike. Joe, Mike, I want to see this white girl you talking about. Oh, she dying right now. You know, I beat that thing up. She smoke, she high. Like, who you talking to? Somebody that's on crack is not sleep. It's like your ass ain't sleep. Mike, you smoking. I ain't going on with that. Mike, are you smoking, bro? Because I'm gonna tell you this. If you are, I'm gonna shoot you in your head now to save you mainly going on with that. Mike, I' ma shoot you, bro. And you know how I shoot you don't buy, don't don't buy no more dope over here, bro. And y' all don't. So we on ranchester, man. Y' all don't sell this no more dope. Bro, that dead. This. I age. This. This our boy. Y' all is selling to this. Y' all is out of control. I don't give a about no he smoking primo shit. I don't give a damn about none of that. It's the. It was always me thinking because I. This is, this is the part that never say I come from a good ass family. All these in my family went to college. All these in my family became some. I'm out here in these streets because I'm not mentally mature enough not to be out here. It's like I want to be. I don't know, it's like my dad, My dad sold powder, right? It wasn't. He never sold crack. He sold powder. This was. This was some rich people. I don't know what I'm emulating because I, I don't. This is not my life. But so I'm always a nigga out there like thinking it's like it was this. It was crazy.

[B]

You come from a class of thinkers. That's what it is.

[A]

It's crazy being in prison, being a. That's always thinking and you think, yo man, this we doing. Don't make no sense. Don't make sense. So it's not that I'm forced to be tough. Even to this day. I'm 52 years old. I've never started a fight fight ever. In my whole entire life, I've never started to fight. I've never started an altercation. I never started the incident. It's something that I have responded to. I've never started anything. And this is why it's so vicious once I'm in it because I didn't start it.

[B]

So now is. We can turn that up as far as we can go.

[A]

As far as you can go. Because I didn't start this and I'm justified. It's whatever with me because I wasn't bothering you. You right in no aspect was I was I bothering you? If the. If I said some truth and you got offended by that, I wasn't bothering you. I was speaking on a subject that you got offended by. I wasn't. I'm 5 7. I don't go around picking on. It don't make sense. I can walk in the room. What you looking at? I'm not, I'm not.

[B]

Hold on, hold on. Cause I do this, I ain't know when it was gonna come up and how it was gonna come up. You are not supposed to see your breath unless it's cold. You ain't. You you dove. You dove two feet in that. You ain't started, though. Say, oh, yeah, we ain't. Yeah, you ain't starting.

[A]

I ain't starting it.

[B]

But you. You could take it to the max. Because I'm justified.

[A]

I'm justified in it.

[B]

I'm even skull. I. For me, I think I saw Mexican got on Boots and I was like, that's funny. But like, what's the stand up? Like, I want to see the full thing, right? I want to see with this. Like, this is an excerpt. I know everybody will come on this show because I watch this show religiously. This is an excerpt. And this is like what people focus on. I'm like, nah. And then behind these bars, it's like, okay, that's the story. That's. That's where. Okay. And now, I mean, I'm jumping in the car with you. I'm like, wherever he go, I'm going with him. Because that's how I am with like, artist, comedian, movie.

[A]

If.

[B]

If a movie got a certain actor in it, I'm gonna watch it just.

[A]

Because he ain't, you know, I found out about your show.

[B]

How.

[A]

And I'm gonna just say Lou almost. Because I know he don't want nobody to know that he been locked up. Somebody who I was locked up with, who. If. When people talk to him, he'll tell people very honestly, no, y' all don't really understand. Like, this came to a prison and he changed the mindset of people, right? He said, I was wilding this, saw me and said, how many words you know? He said, man, I know, man. Me and you. Just me and you. Every day we're gonna get in the dictionary, we gonna find the word and we gonna use this word the right way in real conversation. Said, all right, me and Lou. Lou's right now. He's the person that comes into a building and runs all of the high electronics, engineering, all that shit. This nigga was like, yo, man, I was a wild ass nigga from Dallas. And this nigga came and changed my whole perspective. And I remember one of my boys was mad cause I was hanging with this. He said, but the. The type of level of intensity that this had about us changing was the same level this used to laugh when I used to tell store about this. Had a. A butterscotch suit. I said, luke, black as hell. I said, nigga, you had on butterscotch. He said, dallas. I said, what is butterscotch? Don't look. So he. He sent me a clip. And you was. You had brought Me up. And I was like who who was that little. Oh man. I listen to these podcast and you talking about stand up real stand up. You know when change the game. I was like and I and I'm always taken aback when talking about me because I'm. I'm so under the radar and like man, how this find even find out about me? I don't mean I never know. So like to your credit if you stop at mixing got on boots then you didn't really missed.

[B]

You don't even know what's going on. That's just real. Yeah that's just some funny the said this don't cover first of all from from my family and my cousin that talk about the road that the significance of keeping your boots in prison and like how a take your he was like man if you barefoot you butt naked. Basically like that's his whole because he telling me about prison from like like I'm finna go. That's the way that's the way you tell me about.

[A]

That's how my uncle always say this like nigga are you sentencing?

[B]

Yeah, stop talking to me about it like like this. He was like. And then when you. When you. When it's child time like bro, I'm not going to prison.

[A]

You know what's crazy Child time when I told that story like that and his officer telling like no this was really like this. He wasn't with that child time. And when I tell when I say something right would be on some other but they don't understand where it comes from. And I can simply tell you exactly where the came from. I'm watching cops. Before I ever went to prison. I'm watching cops. How long cops been out?

[B]

Forever.

[A]

I'm watching cops.

[B]

And.

[A]

The cop comes in to this restaurant confronts this white guy about some he's he doing. You know how the cop and and cops always go to they talking straight to the camera.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And he comes straight to the camera said well I know this guy's already been to prison because he referred to me as boss. Which is a the prison lingo I'm saying letting me know that he has already been to prison. So I'm locked up right now. I'm locked up. I never said the word boss. I never said the word all of the lingo of prison. I never said it the whole entire time I was there.

[B]

Because it is boss is just subservient off the rip. I'm beneath you. And then chow is some animal.

[A]

Yep. But it's just. I'm not Coming out with this whole prison. People never even knew I went to prison until I did mix and got on boots, right? I did. I would have been. I had already had success before mixing game got on boots came out in 2015. I was already the season finale on Def Jam on HBO in 2008, right? I'd already did comic view three or four times. Who's got jokes? I'd already did other things. I was on last comic standing in 2011. So it wasn't like that was the launch of my career. It was just that was the launch of. So how I even got that 2013, I win comedy Central's comic to watch. This is like. Comments. Who's just Brandon. This is the comic right here that you need to watch. That's in 2013. With that comes a album, some money, and another appearance on a Comedy Central show. Adam Devine has Adam Devine. They they his house and all that. So they offer me shows that I'm turning down, and they like, whoa, this. This negro is turning down Joe. They don't fit. They don't fit the brand. They don't fit who I am. Chase Deruso, young comic, calls me and says, hey, man, this is the show that I think you should do. I said, well, send it to me. Let me see it at the time. It's on the Internet. This is not happening. Arisha Fear. It's on the Internet. It's on YouTube. Comedy Central picks it up that year. And I said, okay, cool. And I called and said, I'm gonna do this show. It's a storytelling show. He's like, yo, man, this is going to. This is. This fits you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So Eric Abrams, which is the director of all of my specials, is the co creator of this show. Okay? Eric is like, yo, man, I want him already. Like, I don't know him, you know, I like, want to put all my friends on the show. This is the first season we airing. So they make agreement. I come on. The Mitchell story is the story that Eric thinks that I'm gonna tell about me killing. Been about to kill SEO. And then I do Mexican got on boats. They like, yo, this got to be. While we're there taping, they was like, yo, this got to be the fucking funniest shit I've ever even heard. And he's not even telling it from a comical. He's just telling the story. So boom, I go, I do three years of the show, but I got so much integrity about. All right, all right, put me on, Eric, put me on. So they get mad at. At Ari for doing a special with another network. They cancel this show. Then they bring Roy Woods Jr. To do the show. They calling. They calling people to do the show. They call me. I call Ari. Hey, ask me to do this show. I need yay and nay because it's on. You call Eric. It's on. It's on, y'. All. It ain't on me. It's y' all say no, then it's nah, y'.

[B]

All.

[A]

But if they say y' all say yeah, then I go do it. So they say, man, do the show. X, Y, and Z. You know, we want to keep. We wanted you to host it, but they wanted a Comedy Central, you know, which Roy, like, love Roy or, like, okay, we doing it. Cool. They don't ever see the rebellion in me. What's the second. What's the third story about doing mushrooms? Who gave me the mushrooms? Ari Shafir. I'm the only person that mentioned Ari the whole season.

[B]

Wow. Yeah.

[A]

Cause it's like, because I'm saying second. Second season that I. I'm on the show Ari gave me. Ari Ahrii. Ahri. Ahrii. Cause I'm in rebellion against what they doing. So I'm mentioning Ari. It's just.

[B]

So you booking on some. It's a. This is. This is the name we don't say because he not the host of the show no more. But you, like, man, this put me in position, bro.

[A]

And I'm finna say his name. I'm gonna tell the story.

[B]

This is your George Bush.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, this is mine. I'm back to Dick Gregory. I'm back to my, like, yo, I'm. I'm repping Ari.

[B]

That's real.

[A]

I'm here because of Ari, you know, and that's why I'm repping him.

[B]

Yeah, but that name, you know, these. You know how this is, man. You know, everybody's just gonna. They gonna dance to whatever song get played. That's how I see a lot of this.

[A]

And so with me, most of the time, if I look. If people look back on something I'm doing, I'm repping for somebody who came with, like, even with this, people ask me, what about you doing Netflix, man? I'm kind of repping for the independent right now. I'm repping for my city. That's an independent city. I'm repping for all the independents. That's not gonna get the industry shot. I'm repping for everybody who say that black people should have their own. But then Keep trying to sell us off our intellectual property off to other people. It's not a dollar amount that you can buy me, so it gotta be some nigga that's out here still doing the rebellious shit in your face while he's doing his own thing.

[B]

Man, look, it's the path that's taken, but it's the most rewarding. DL And I'm just starting.

[A]

Yep. DL told me. DL told me it's gonna be a long, hard road for you. I said, man, why you say that? Cause you don't bend, you're going to go the road that you say that you're gonna go. He said, it's an easy road. It's an easier road than it's a bumpy road. You want to go through some that ain't got no road yet.

[B]

We gonna undeveloped land.

[A]

Undeveloped land. Yeah, man, you. You always. And I say, man, the. I say. I say, man, I always think I can do the impossible. And he was like, why the Million Man March, bro? We locked up there. Nothing that we can do. Lou is the first person I went and told. I said, hey, we got to do something to show solidarity with the brothers that's outside. We gotta do that inside. And then what we gonna do? I say, I got it. We gonna cost this prison some money. Said what? I say, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Everybody black. We gonna feed each other. Nobody black goes in that cafeteria and eat. October 16th ain't gonna work. I said, they watched me. I stayed on T building. I would come to the wreck yard on. On the main wreck yard. I went to four with the three, with the five, six. Bill, we're on Torres unit. I went to all the buildings, and I'm like, hey, let me talk to y', all, man. This is what we doing. And I just tell Lou, I say, lou, remember, I'm the same who got all the gang to meet on, to meet on the record and exchange books before Monday Night Football. Remember that? I'm the same who stop from fighting with just information. Oh, I ain't bullying nobody. This is information. I said, man, y' all is wild in here. Mexicans got Mexicans. White boys got white boys, and white boys got officers. We just got us, and you is splitting us up due to you being from here. You being from here, you being from there. So you outnumbered. So when them Mexicans come out of there, when them white boys come out of there, they attack you. You want me just sitting back looking at you getting stabbed up, right? It's 30 of you. It's 30 of y', all, it's 25 of y'. All. It's 100. Y' all niggas ain't got enough numbers. But we beefing. I say, bro, it don't make. It don't make sense. And I say, anybody talking about they gang. They was gang affiliate outside. They coming in with the wrong information about gang culture in here. You wild as hell. I'm saying now, just. And we being out, if we want to be honest, we can really Molly Wap all y' all together, bro, we the largest. We the largest group on this thing. And we the most fearless group, but.

[B]

Also the most divided.

[A]

We Muslim.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And we are run. We'll run amok on all of y'. All.

[B]

Oh, you talking about who you running?

[A]

We. We Muslim.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I'm the leader of the Muslims, bro. I'm the coordinator. You, bro. Y', all. Y' all is in a. In a bad position when it comes to who can really put it in perspective. But, bruh, we about the peace. That's why we stay in order, so we can keep y' all understanding the order. Hey, man, let's not be divided, bro. And nothing. So all the brothers get together. Even the brothers who cooked in the kitchen. Did nobody go eat? And I remember. I remember this is the first time I ever shedded joyful tears. Not frustrated tears. I got up that day for breakfast, and I went out. I went out to the rec yard to stand in front, to stand in the middle of the rec yard to watch nobody black come out them buildings. And it was me, Lou and Top. I said, bro, it's gonna. It's gonna work, bro. Boys came in from out being in the fields. Instead of going to the child hall, them boys went straight today building. I said, bro, this crazy. And, bro, we was already used to cooking at night, man. We all cooking for each other. Brothers spending a whole 60 to make sure that everybody got something to eat. Everybody black. And the funny is still. It's always something funny in the course of that, brothers. That's how I know they. They. They knew what was on to. I remember looking at the menu. It was spaghetti. They changed the menu to fried chicken. And not because just the fried chicken. This is the only time that you get a whole piece of meat, like a big piece of meat. This is the only time. The funny part of it is nobody went and got that chicken, but Helene was the cook. And he came to the block and he dumped all this chicken out of his jacket and said, you said, don't eat it.

[B]

In there.

[A]

I said, I. I say, well then you say, boy. I say, boy, you a while. Hey, man, I snuck out of kitchen, bro. You said full of grease, man. But we cost him so much money. And that was the first time that the Mexicans came to us and said, next time y' all do that, we'll do it with y'.

[B]

All. That's so real, bro.

[A]

It's the putting people in between. And then they moved me and I used to get mad about them transferring me and his brother named Muhammad to my. No, we heard you was coming. I said, y' all heard, bro, we this prison. We know everything he's saying. We were so happy. I said, man, what y' all was happy? I was coming from leadership. The man, this unit is in disarray. And everywhere they put me, I changed the game. And people can say, oh, well, I don't think that I say, well, look at comedy. Everywhere they put me.

[B]

Change the game. Change the game single handedly as well. Cause you the reason why I was champion is not. It wasn't about funny. Of course you funny. Of course he's telling stories. I said, he doing something different. And if they paying attention because he independent, you could win. He's showing you the blueprint. You took your life story just those six years. Well, of course time before, but so a total, what, 10 years. And condensed it and you broke it up into four parts and you told it timely enough where it's like, stick around for what's coming next. Stick around for what's coming next. And to be able to drop that over the course of maybe a year and a half, two years, two years. And then not to mention within those two years, two more specials and a book. The output is so different from the confines of what everybody else is doing where they take one special and they ride on it for a year or.

[A]

Two, four or five.

[B]

Four or five years. Go on the road, work new material. But because you telling stories and because it's from your life, you actually change not only the amount of money that you can get from it, but the format, how many people get to see it. The, the. You take the ceiling of growth off because you put it on YouTube and you the my two sons, you did that independently on your own before it went public. I was, I was intrigued by the leadership is. This is different. And he doing it his way. And this is before my podcast even get going for it. Like it's going and I know it's reaching people, but I like, I'm always looking for something okay, there go a beacon. I can go follow that road. I can follow it. Don't got to be the same platform per se, but it is a blueprint to show you, like, how to do it on your own.

[A]

The pain. The pain in it.

[B]

And I would say we don't get the output from Josh Johnson that we get now without your output previous. Because he took what you did and took it to the max of. I' ma do this every other week or once a month. But it's not really specials. It's really monologues. Monologues.

[A]

What he was already doing.

[B]

What he was already doing. He took it to the stage.

[A]

Appreciate him.

[B]

And you showed. Yeah, you could just tell your story. You could be yourself, and you don't have to wait for laugh breaks or the big joke. The way that you was able to take us on this journey with you. I'm seeing every aspect of your life from your perspective. I ain't never watched no comedy special and cried. I'm crying with your ass. I'm like, shit.

[A]

Never. Never ran. It didn't go on the road and work.

[B]

It just.

[A]

It was no way for me to.

[B]

There's no way you could do that. You can't recreate that unless you're doing it in the moment.

[A]

There's no way to. To talk about their pain day in and day out. There's no way.

[B]

And there's no way to cry about it the way you did if it's something that you've been doing routinely.

[A]

And I didn't have all I knew. If people talk to the director, Eric didn't know what I was doing. My manager didn't know what I was doing. The lighting people didn't know what I was doing. I just said I wanted it in black and white and I wanted it with the. With these street lamps. And I wanted like that first. First of all, if people look at it, the first domino effect, I'm paying homage to Richard Pryor. That's why the filters like that. It looks like the 80s. It starts in 1983. Second special, Alfred Hitchcock. That's why it's in black and white. And it's moody like that. Then the next two specials, three and four, is Bill Cosby himself. So in himself, he had these light boxes changing. We wanted to up that. And if people look at the back of the screen, the screen is changing. It starts off bright, sunny day, and as I'm going through, gets stormy. So then when it starts on four, it's already stormy because I'm locked up And I'm on my way out. So it ends up bright day. The, the. The thought process and the cinematography of it and all this and being the first and only ever in the hundred years of comedy to do a four part special and people to steal and not just people. Not just people. And it is probably gonna sound harsh to people. The fuckery of other comedians to dick ride niggas who doing average shit and pay homage to these niggas. As if what I did is not on another page. And you just. What you do is you start doing what the industry do. You just get. You just, just check the box. So I don't win a Grammy. Cause a nigga don't listen to the shit. You just go with the name that you already know. I don't win the Emmy because you just go with the name that you already know. And you know a put out a better project because niggas want to say. And then to turn around and watch niggas give credit and pay homage to niggas who doing mediocre that of two or three takes and all this and say this is the first time I ever seen it. You a lie. You called me when Domino Effect 2 came out. What the are you talking about? So now another said some tears and now he's a first. This is the first time you ever seen it. So you didn't call me and tell me that a four part series was incredible. But then when you. When you name the top, you didn't mention me. You didn't mention me. You called me to help you write. Okay.

[B]

They never mentioned the competition or the master.

[A]

And the crazy thing is you mention all these other. Because you're just in the. Hey, I' ma mention the who everybody else mentioned. And my only problem is you called me and this is what I tell all these other comics. I tell them like this. Go yourself. Because it's like this. I'm the only on this level that you have any type of connection to. I'm the only that you watched. I'm the only nigga that you have access to. The only one I didn't get big nigga and move out the hood. I still live in Houston. I still be in my same neighborhood. I still walk around dolo nigga. I still come everywhere. I'm the only nigga that you still have fucking access to. Unlimited. But you rather pay homage to all these other that you don't have access to. My number is in your phone.

[B]

Call. You get the sauce, use the sauce and tell everybody else it was A different chef. That's a hell. That's some hella.

[A]

That's the pain.

[B]

That's the pain.

[A]

And that pain keeps that pin going. Cause I'm not mad at you. You're throwing more logs in the fire. Because everything I tell. I ain't gonna never tell you not to get mad. Cause anger is an energy. And everything I didn't damn and accomplished was based upon a. Made me mad and said I couldn't do something. Ah, this got a lot of mitigated gall. Telling me I can't do something.

[B]

Yeah, you Michael Jordan.

[A]

I'm like. I'm like.

[B]

I took that person. Okay, okay. And you don't have no. You don't have no golden handcuffs. This your.

[A]

That's the whole other caveat to it.

[B]

It might be the.

[A]

The.

[B]

The thing is that silently know how you winning? Because it's you and you doing it all dolo. Cause the offers, they come. But it's like, I ain't even maxed this out yet.

[A]

I ain't maxed it out.

[B]

I ain't even maxed it. I'm not gonna give it to you if you want it. You know I ain't maxed it out. Cause don't nobody look, man, ain't nobody coming to buy no juices. Empty carton.

[A]

Yeah. And I'm. And I'm sitting back like, man, hey, bro, I'm. I don't need no bread. I'm straight. It ain't even about the bread. It's about the craft. It's rit. I think that that's the thing about me. These don't understand. I was rich in 88. I got in the streets in 87. I was rich by 88. Like, what that you listen to rap about? I'd already had. That's why I'm not impressed by the. Because I was driving the Jag to homecoming. I went and bought a BMW cash with the bread in a big chip bag. I want it. Like, I've had a lot of things. Getting starting over, being humble, selling clothes in the mall and coming up to the mall that owed me bread and saying, hey, man, I get you, baby. I'm like, nah, nigga, I'm cool. Because I'm turning over a whole new leaf. And I'm thinking in my mind, bro, I get it.

[B]

And is this the same mod you had them shut?

[A]

The Foot Locker, Sharps town. I worked in the same. I worked in the same mall, bro. I never forget working at Sunglass Hut, and the dude who I used to buy jewelry from his daddy. He look. He looked at me and said, my father always liked you. I'm telling Sa.

[B]

You come in here spending money.

[A]

Yeah. And the Foot Locker used to be upstairs, right there.

[B]

So. Yeah, but you gotta be focused, bro. Like, that's. That's a level of focus where it's beyond humility. It's like. Because sometimes the humility come from, like what's supposed to cause me humiliation. The thing that's supposed to humiliate me. I see the bigger picture. Right. So you returning to that mall to work after you done shut that bitch down before. Yeah, that's a crazy just position for one. But also, that's a man that's focused. Like, y' all not. You can't embarrass me with this because I got a different plan. It might take a little longer, but I'm gonna see this shit through. And this is what I gotta do.

[A]

When I said. When I put this pressure on that. And they realized this named Black, they owe me 10 bands. Black came up to that mall and I'm folding shirts. I folded shirts. And I look over and I see this. This nigga said, it's crazy. How the mighty has.

[B]

I said.

[A]

I said, man, what's up? He said, my man. Yeah. My partner say he saw you getting off the bus and. And I said, where this was going? He said, I think the working the Mile selling ice cream or something. They said. So I came up here, I went upstairs. They told me you wasn't selling ice cream when you down here slanging snacks. I say, black, what you want, man? I can't.

[B]

You.

[A]

I'm just coming up because you embarrassing us. I said, what you the one put me on? You riding the bus and got the hood looking bad. Say Black. The hood ain't looking at me. They ain't, bro. And I'm. And I'm cool now. Do I need this 10 bands. Yeah. To buy a car so I can move around and I. And not even ready to buy a car, man. I had a. I had lost all of the calls, but I had a. A 90 Toyota Corolla that been in Sydney garage and the engine was messed up on it. And this Lebanese man told me he had. He had fixed it for me for 1800. I gave him four. And I just paid him in installments. And he. He fixed my car, man. This car had. It had a flood and everything it had been throughout while I was gone. There's all type of happening. And I. I just kept working to get my. To get that little car Fixed so I can move, I can move around. I just wasn't. I couldn't get back in it. The one I had a different sense of. And it's still like this. How much damage did I do to my community? Not just the immediate thing, the things that I didn't see. Like what was my contribution? Like you just said you saw, you said your sister. I always think what was my contribution to that? What was, what was my role in that, man? I remember breaking down. I was in Frisco. I was in San Francisco, man, at this comedy festival for Comedy Central and the drugs and the homeless population is so crazy out there, right? I'm trying to find a street to walk down that because I want to. Because I don't want to see it and I can't. Like it's no street that I can go. And I'm going, I'm walking 10 blocks down to walk 10 blocks and I'm going down. I'm still seeing it and it's just, it's just overwhelming me, man. I just start crying and in, in the street because I'm thinking like, man, what the did I do, man? Why was I a part of this? How many don't have good relationships with they mother, they father because they mother, their father did some on drugs while they. Or they lost them or. Man, it's just, it's just, it's like this mental scars and what you owe to the universe and, and it just, it just, it just becomes a, a heavy burden sometime to sit and think about what did you contribute to this, man, that's continuing on. Like, even when I see people that's on the pills, I always think these are the offspring of the people who was on crack. That's how they became these chemical babies. They the offspring of them that still directly is tied to me because if I was never out there, I wouldn't think about it in that aspect because I wasn't out there giving nobody this poison, right? So when you really evolve past that and you really think about, man, the damage that you caused and for other people to talk about it in such a glorified manner is really disheartening to you. And you don't really have a lot of respect for him because you like, nigga, you didn't really do this. And because if you did this, you would feel some type of way about this. It, it's. You literally destroyed people's upbringing and their lives and their connections and the community all. It's like a four part thing.

[B]

The domino effect.

[A]

Cold piece of work, man.

[B]

Cuz it extend beyond just how it affected you and. And the bigger part for me, it was a never. It was never a woe is me type thing. It was always a raw, brutally honest ending with I did this to myself. And not only did I do this to myself, but look at all the other people that are affected, which is a huge responsibility and burden to put on yourself, but the most accountable you can be. Because to be quite honest, I don't think I've heard anybody outright take the responsibility for it, as they should. I remember the last time when I was watching your other interview. This, among other things, are things that you've just accepting that you'll be burdened with for the duration. So unifying those men in prison towards a greater cause, not only for themselves, but to be an example for others to the point where other people want to coalesce with you. It don't remove what was done, but it show you what you were capable of in another direction. Right. As capable as you were of being destructive is an extension of your capabilities to build as well. And I've seen you even do that with Patrice o' Neill by airing his special on your page, knowing the viewership that it would get. And even it being post hominist is still impactful because he and my top five comedy comedians all time. And I don't do black and white when it come to comedy. Funny is funny. Impact is impacted. How. How is that like, what motivates you to do even that part, like where this don't benefit you, this don't benefit him. This is just a necessary part of comedy. Did that have an. Did he have an impact on your career as well?

[A]

Mm, mm. Just regret, I regret, I really regretted the fact that we had worked together the year prior to him dying. We had such a good time working together and he was like, I thought I knew everybody but you. You ain't no goddamn feature. Like, no, I just don't mind featuring a hosting for anybody that come to the club if I'm in town. So he's like, man, you a badass storyteller. I'm like, yeah, I'm kind of busting your ass, but we could. They came to see you, nigga. So we, we just chopping just around with each other with talk. Periodically he comes, he comes back to town and I'm supposed to come and host the show for him. He called me, hey, man, you coming to the show? I say, no, cuz that day there was a ice storm. Like it was. Was Black ice everywhere. We had like maybe 290 wrecks. It's bad. It's cold as hell. People don't know how to drive in this. And I'm not risking it at the time. I got. I'm driving this big ass Ford F150. I'm about. No, I had an expedition at the time, white expedition. And my ties wasn't the best. And I'm like, nah, I ain't finna get out there with this. And this called me and called me a. It's only a little ice. I said, patrice, I don't care. You're not gonna Jedi mind me to come. I'm not getting on the street. I'm not. Then I don't do the show. He passed.

[B]

Hmm. Damn.

[A]

I'm like, fuck, man. David Arnold. I'm on vacation. David Arnold. DMs me, his number and say, call me. I thought I had your number in my phone. I say, man, I call him when I get back from Mexico. He passed. And I am. Up about it because I'm like, I never knew what he wanted.

[B]

It.

[A]

Is it the. Is it the apology from when we met? But I'm like, nah, we talked since then. Is it the. Hey, I want to do something with you. Is it What? What is it? Never know. Never know what would have happened if I would have made it to the show with Patrice. Never know what would have happened if I would have called David Arnold back. So I make it a point to try to do them things as fast as I can. Somebody hit me on something, let me do it now, you know? Let me stop what I'm doing and. And give some type of reverence to this. So when it was. I didn't want people to forget about Patrice, right? I don't want people to forget about him. I want people to not mention him. I'm saying I wanted to really do something that I got a lot of attention on my page. Let me put something out on Patrice. And that was the whole motive behind it, man. Let me. Let me do something for somebody who I called a friend other than. Oh, man. Man, we was cool. This. We was cool. I know it was out on Showtime. I know that this is what they wanted to license. This is what I took the opportunity to do. It was some other original out there that. That Patrice had. I would have put that up, right? But we not gonna forget him, you know? And if it's other people that want to release something, you know, I'm willing. I'm willing to do it to pay Homage to the grace and trying to start categorizing. This is. This. These are originals. These are. These are reposts of greats. You know, trying to put it in. In some sort of perspective on the channel.

[B]

Yeah. Cause you put Sydney's up there too.

[A]

Yeah, that's. And that's. That's my. That's my man. You know, I remember Sydney was a young kid when he moved to la. You know, like, people like, he. That's Texas, you know, he. He from Fort Worth. And he was a young, young boy because he. He didn't even go to LA for stand up. I know he always hate when I say this. Sydney went to LA to be a model. And then. And then I told that his. His adult weight started.

[B]

Waiting that hairline to do it.

[A]

Man, that was. And that was out of there. And Sydney's one of the people who. Who always say this. He said, man, he never thought that I was funny. Like I would do. I would send all these tapes to him and he. I would just look, this is. I would look at sitting like this. And then he finally got it. And I called him, I said, yeah, you was funny tonight. And he said, nigga, that shit meant the world to me. Cause this nigga wasn't. I don't pander to it. When you. My daughter. My, my, my. I have a daughter, Helena. Helena, probably. If she keeps going the way she's going, Helena. Y' all will probably watch Helena in the Olympics ice skating, because she's. She's phenomenal. But I don't tell her. She. Her first meet, the first meet ever she had, she gets second place. She come to me, she excited, said that I didn't win. And I said, I didn't want you to. She's like, what? I didn't want you to win. You win your first meet, you'll never try hard again, right? Bring the funny. Night 2019. I'm gonna bring the funny. I called D.L. i said, hey, man, I'm in this competition on NBC. He said, I hope you don't win. I said, what? He said, I don't want you to win. I want you to be the person that everybody wanted to win. I said, what? He said, tell me the last five winners of last comic standing. Tell me who won second, though. I went all. I knew everybody who won second. Career crazy.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

People wanted lavelle to win. He didn't. But he's on Breaking Bad after that. He own everything outside. He's on every goddamn.

[B]

Lost a little weight, everything.

[A]

Doing Jiu Jitsu Yeah.

[B]

You know, this is a thing I talk about a lot and we see it in like that is that culture versus that commerce. It's what the people want versus what's good for the business.

[A]

So the people who won in all of the top. If you go to the five finalists, I'm the finalist. That the day. Once the show was over, I had a. I had a weekend at the Ontario Improv. You couldn't get in the place and I didn't see nobody black until Sunday because I remember mentioning it. I said, I didn't think y' all had black people here because of this. White people watch NBC from 40 to 65, disposable income. I had never seen that many white people ever in my life at a show. And they have continued on to now. DL. First time I ever worked with DL on a weekend by itself, it was in Austin. There's three white people and it was three black people in the whole building. DL, me and this dude named Derek King know in the whole place.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

D said, this is when I knew that you was going to be good. Cuz you dabble in the silence. You, you don't get. You don't have to hear. You. You are in the silence. This is where you the most dangerous at, in the silence. Like, people like, oh, it's silent out there. He must not be. No, like, no. They're listening to this. And you watch what's gonna happen at the end of this silence. You better hold that goddamn door because they. It's gonna be a roar coming through this door and they go right back silent. Because he is really doing something different in this room. They are listening to him. And the fact that he has this makes him literally. You can't follow him. And he can follow you any day of the week.

[B]

I'm working, bro. I don't got no charger. What? That's my son. He trying to whisper and like, it's quiet as hell. He whispering.

[A]

And it's that silence. The silence thing.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, it was just in here.

[A]

Teaching comics. Stop, man. They had comics rolling around in their head about laughs per minute, all these things. And I never get this one. He went to a class. Ashton Womack. Ashton Womack writes for the Daily Show. He wrote for. What's the Nigerian guy? Noah. Trevor. Noah. Trevor Noah wrote for the Emmys because Trevor Noah was on there. You know all this. Ashton was. He went to a class, a comedy class. And then Tuesday night he said he came to the improv Tuesday night and he said in the Back he said that was because that was my night. And he said, you know what was incredible? He said, I just couldn't believe it. Everything they told me not to do in the comedy class. I watched you do it. Every single thing they said don't do. You didn't speak to the audience. You had the microphone in your face. You. It's like. It's like all this shit.

[B]

You start out sitting down.

[A]

It's like. And I was just sitting in the back. Like they can't know what they talking about. Cause I'm watching him destroy this place with all the. These are the mechanics of it move the microphone here. I'm like. I am anti all of that. It's a structure to doing things. But that's not.

[B]

But it's not one. You create your structure.

[A]

If you gonna be comfortable in your skin for sure.

[B]

Cause you literally just be like, hey.

[A]

In front of that.

[B]

Get a laugh every time. Because it's like what's up? You don't pander. You don't do none of that 5.

[A]

000 people saying it back to you. When I came here to the Fox 4650 because we. We only gave away two comp tickets. So we know we. So we sold 4653 tickets tickets because we know exactly how much it's. So want to get away. Two comp tickets.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And for me to walk out and sit down and. And the big thing was a lot of comics didn't understand what was happening in certain places. I came and did Atlanta by myself. No opening act, no nothing. I came and did the Beacon by myself. No opening act or nothing. It was certain places I came to to by myself to let these know. I get it that y' all think y' all some bad. But watch this. Watch this. Two hours. I'm gonna put on your ass.

[B]

That what I was just gonna say. You would go do two. Part four was two hours.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You ain't lose a beat. Whereas a lot of times in a lot of hour I'm like, what we doing? We. We 20 in. And I'm like, this ain't it. And you might really kill at 40. But I ain't gonna know. Cause I'm out. And you'll go do two and have like you ain't got one more.

[A]

He got.

[B]

I know you got at least another hour in you.

[A]

And that's the. And that's the crazy. The crazy part when was like, I. He'll tell you. I'm the only in comedy history to get booed for doing two hours. And then I say, man, I'm about to go, boo. I said, hold on, wait a minute. Y' all books, I'm leaving. They like, yes, we I'm this. Told me, I'm nestled down in here.

[B]

I'm cooling, I'm good, I'm good.

[A]

You ain't godamn leave.

[B]

They be mad cause he leaving. Hey, look, Dre that came in here. Now look, you see how you can see his whole face right now? Yeah, he came here, the hat was right here. I said, all right, I guess it's showtime. He gonna check it out. I said, don't play with a who don't want you to see their eyebrows.

[A]

25, 25 years is.

[B]

Yeah, that's real.

[A]

The lesson, the lesson. The lesson with, with. With Dre. Now tell comics this. You not you never going to get on the road by your management, your road manager, your people. If you employ people who love you, stop hiring these random ass and hire that. That love you that's invested in your thing. I need to tell you, I'm. And I'm the worst sometimes that had a corporate job still with me the whole time 20 way going out with me. And I remember I was in Pittsburgh, my daughter got attacked by a dog. A mastiff. I called him because I couldn't get there. That right there. I say, Dre, what she like? Oh, she's sitting right here passing gas. And she could. So. So when it comes to having people around, you know, like Marcus D. Wallace say, always, man, you gotta get the people around you that love you like you got Neil. I'm saying. And if you don't get people around you that love you, bro, you, you. You setting yourself up from failure from the beginning. They got to be invested in what you're doing. This had a corporate job, right? To go back to that. He came down, stick it down. It was down. Said, man. And they let me go today, man. They. I lost my job. And I said, good, now you can make some real money with me. Like, I can't wait for this to lose his job, man.

[B]

Look, bro, Big Cat was still working. I quit my job in April this year. Big Cat still working. And I know his off days Monday and Tuesday, cuz that when I try to goddamn day do everything with the Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday, cuz I know you ain't got to go to work. And it was a Thursday. And I'm like, hey, I'm going to go do this, man. You trying to pull up. I ain't thinking about the work. I'm just extending the offer. I rather just say, come with me. And you be like, you know, I got to work. He like, hell y' all be, though. We staying out all night. I said, man, this ain't said about work. Call the month. I said, man, I gotta go do this thing, man. You trying to roll me? Hell, yeah, I'll pull up. This went on for two weeks. I said, man, you ain't got no job. He's like, hell, no. I did. He said. He said, you be doing too much. I gotta be there. That y'. All. He said, I know you gonna look out. I know you gonna take care of me. Because you don't even tell me when it's payday. You just send me a wreck. Send me two wrecks, whatever. Like. Because I got him cut into everything we do. Because the reality is, yeah, I'm captivating, but that back and forth we have, you can't buy that. You can't buy the chemistry. People bought into that. I can't go to the Breakfast Club, and he not with me. It was definitely. It was honestly like, where his chair at? They only know who this big ass is, bro. Cause he ain't on camera.

[A]

Yeah, cat.

[B]

I was like, oh, that big cat. Where's chill. Everywhere we go, he got to be included.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And the thing is, is a lot of are like, Fer don't. Ferg ain't know who the he was when he first came up here. Like, you got security, slick it. Hey, depending on what your definition of security is, hell yeah. You know what I'm saying? But I was gonna ask you, and you answered it. On the Independent Journey, what is one of the keys to building the team? Because it is a you on stage, but it's so many people that's involved on you getting on that stage. And what I know now, it's a lot of goddamn hands gotta touch that money for it to keep going, man.

[A]

Between Joe. I remember Joe told me that a white guy told him, comics don't have no loyalty. Just work warm. They don't have no loyalty. Joel Argy argue that man down about that. He's like, lee ain't no comic your man. Never. I've never. Never turned my back on him. Never left him roll with him. So it's. It's Joe, it's Dre. Then the now is white guy named Jake. That's the. The tour manager. Who is my manager, My road manager, my tour manager. Then it's Marcus, you know, and then. And after that comes my Friends, you know, but those are the, the entities that we gotta talk every day. We gotta, we gotta be in it. We gotta be in it. Then you got Ryan, which is. Which does all the social media stuff. You know, you got Janice, who does her. Her portion. Then you got. Got the attorney who makes sure all that is Bobby Cox, makes sure everything's straight, you know, with Stan Broussard. It's all of those entities that. Man, I, I'm not, I'm not the, the four. The main four, main five. Nah, bro, this. This is this family. And I care when something happening. Don't let me find out. Somebody sick in your family? You ain't said nothing to me. You talking about I got a kid? Cause that, that a part of your well being, right? What you mean? What you mean, your mama sick? I don't know.

[B]

And also what you apologizing for? I tell people in my team, all y' all did this for me off of love, like pure.

[A]

The.

[B]

The website, the graphics, the merch. Shawna did that shit. Cause she with me. Like, she like, look, bro, I just.

[A]

With you and, and, and it's hard to. I think that's one of the things, man, that people forget. I don't believe in. Ain't no good motherfucking people. I don't just. I don't believe in that shit. That's crazy. Well then.

[B]

Cause if I, if I, if I subscribe to that, I mean, I can't be no good person.

[A]

That mean I can't be a good. I don't believe it. Ain't no. Who do it for the. I. I don't believe in all of this stuff that people think that you supposed to believe in, cuz that's the, that's the, that's the norm, man.

[B]

Bless.

[A]

I said this one time. Said this one time. And, and, and. And I mean, this ain't nobody perfect. I said, well, you can say that because everybody around you has stopped trying to be. That's why you say ain't nobody perfect, cuz everybody around you has stopped trying to be. I think that's a bunch of. I'm like, okay, well, name me one NBA player that goes to the free throw line and try to miss them, is trying to hit the free throw. These want to go. They want to go 6 for 6, they want to go 10 for 10. They.

[B]

You ever seen how a perfect game in baseball, a kill a overjoyed, you.

[A]

Know what I'm saying? It ain't a kicker. It ain't a kicker. They go out there Trying to misfit.

[B]

Trying to miss. Yeah, the pursuit. The pursuit. It's not the. It's not the. I know I'm not. That ain't the point. I'mma pursue it.

[A]

It's the pursuit of it.

[B]

You know what I'm saying? And it's the attempt.

[A]

I ain't went out there one time and tried not to tell this story the right way.

[B]

Right?

[A]

It's not one time. I'm going out there like, oh, I'm finna half ass. It.

[B]

No phone in Big cat. Look, I ain't went to this notebook, but this been me all day. Because once I write it down, it's here. So I don't gotta go back. I do. I will reference. But if I don't do that part, if I don't do the things I know make me good at what I do, then I'm phoning it in. You know what I'm saying?

[A]

And you gonna do it every time.

[B]

And I'm. Cause. Cause guess what? If I phone it in once and I. And it's good. Oh, no, now I don't need to prepare no more. Once your ethic become a lack of preparation, you might well go ahead and hang it up.

[A]

Hey, man, when the last time you got nervous on stage, Ali? Every single time. Yeah. I said, you don't know what's going on with me. Before I walk out there, I'm staying on. I'm standing on the side. And I may look like this, but inside my mind, I'm like. I'm like this. They out there. They out there. Listen. Listen to me. Calm down. Get your shit together. Cause it's the. It's. It's the healthy respect for the audience.

[B]

I want to do good.

[A]

I want to do good.

[B]

And the fact that I could fail is enough to be nervous. Nigga, I've been on stage and this less than five times. Times petrified. And so when people like, man, you did so good. I'm like, I don't know that I was up there doing the shit. I don't know. You have spent the last 28 years of your life on the stage.

[A]

And every single time, man, let. Let me not be able to find him to get. Get them three claps. And I went out one time without them trousers. I almost did bad. I'm gonna blame this on this. You told my. I was up. I was in the front doing merch. I thought about it. I said, yeah, yeah. Cause them three claps, I ain't get them. I was like, man. And I was Looking for this. I'm like.

[B]

That baseball superstition, bro. I'm telling you, it's a real thing.

[A]

And I don't go out to no, they don't mention my name. I just walk out and I was in my mind, I was like, man, this nigga Dre. And then I seen him on the side of the stage, I was like, okay, I saw the. Nah, we good.

[B]

Mental three clap.

[A]

Now I'm ready. I'm like, but I'm on some shit. I'm like, man, where is this nigga at?

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Then the very next show, I see the nigga running around the curtain. Right before I was getting ready to go, I said, say, boy, you was almost five. You playing the game, you almost lost it.

[B]

You don't the up. I, I, I want to say this before we go. You speak a lot about breaking rules, blazing new trails, these different things. And of course, the people who create the rules always have a healthy lack of respect for authority. Right. I'm not just gonna go where you tell me to go. I'm not gonna do this the way you say. And like when you say you're approaching undeveloped land, if you look behind you along your path, you done developed it. So I know I can develop this land look behind me. But as a man, the trend is he'll no regrets, no burdens. You supposed to get over everything. And this is not, this is me as a man in respect to you versus what's being put out to the population that it's not popular to say you still have regrets. It's not popular to be burdened by things. You supposed to heal every damn thing.

[A]

And.

[B]

It do let me know that some of the things that I feel I might not never get over it, that that is okay. And I could still be successful. And like, I don't have to patch every goddamn wound that I got. I, if it heal on its own, I still got the scar. But I appreciate you in that respect of I still do got shit I regret. I know that I done up to the point where I can't, I can't fix all these fuck ups, I can't fix the people that is affected. And yeah, man, I just want to thank you for like being an example not only independently of what you can do and what's possible and what you can come back from, but also that like, like the healing part don't got to be linear and you can accept the fact that sometimes you won't heal.

[A]

Yeah, some shit you, some shit you just can't you can't fix, but you can forgive yourself for the mistake, you know, Absolutely. You and. And understand that you're not, you know, I'm not that mistake. I'm not that thing, you know, and that's. That's just a big thing about the mental health of men. You know, that sometimes we gotta tell niggas, man, or call niggas and say, yo, bro, nigga, what. What you. You did. You did this. You did your best to. To rectify it. You still gonna feel that hurt, nigga. You still gonna feel some of this hurt. That's being human and letting niggas know, hey, bro, it's a lot of different type of tears. They taste different. Anger, sorrow, happiness, joy, you know, it's all type of different type of tears, nigga. And sometimes you may have to use that. That natural release to get over some things and. And forgive yourself and grow some new skin over something and don't tell each other. That is all right. Enough. Hey, bro, that's. That's all right. This ain't. You ain't that person. Ain't the same person you was five years ago. So to keep you in some type of mental prison, people try to keep you there. People try to keep you in your past all the time. That's why when a started interviewing me and the first thing he wants. So you was locked up. You know how much I done did since I was locked up? But you only thing you see me is somebody that was locked up. It's a. It's a different feel to how somebody approach or what's. How somebody's trying to learn from you. I'm not a. A convicted felon. I was a Who was incarcerated. But what about the. All of freedom now? But you will never mention some of the fresh new skin that I got, man. I got the same city that I. That I ran amok in. I got a day in my mind that's. It's Ali Sadiq Day. What does that even mean? Like in the city, like why they.

[B]

Give me that Alisa deep day in 91 was a different thing. Yeah.

[A]

You know, for philanthropy and humanity. That gave you something for being human, for the cleanup, you know, for the. The social justice. To ask me to be a part of their board. And this is based upon young men staying in school and becoming like, you asked me to be a part of your board. That's crazy to me, you know, being a part of the Urban League or doing all of the. Doing all these things, finally. Finally going over as an Omega. Finally you Know, doing some things that I. I really wanted to do, you know, putting a new roof on the masjid, you know, all of these things that, you know, somebody just found out. I've been feeding the. The Houston. The food bank for 20 years. Like now. You've been doing for 20 years. Like, yeah.

[B]

How.

[A]

If I got $500, I give a hundred.

[B]

You do what you can.

[A]

You do what you can. Everything doesn't have to be some phenomena. And guess what the other thing is. It's not a social media op for me. It's not a picture op for me. Do things for the universe and let it happen. And watch the good that comes to you from healing. Because, man, you don't really never see your scab. Then you wake up and it's like, oh, that.

[B]

It's when you stop looking. Yeah. Yeah. It can't heal through observation.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The only thing you can do and the healing process is ruin it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because you look at something too long, you start picking at it.

[A]

You start just like, we're getting some ink.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You get that ink and you gotta let it go. And you don't. You don't know it's healing until it start itching.

[B]

Yeah. Real.

[A]

Yeah, that's. That's the. The thing, you know, and, bro, I appreciate you, man. I won. Brad, let me say how much I appreciate you having me, man on. On this platform, because it's. Bro. Yo, your platform and your voice is important. And it's increasingly becoming more important when you think about the other entities that do a bunch of, I guess their nonsense is necessary, but you also have to have a level voice that's louder than the nonsense, you know? So anytime you pop up, I'm like, what he about to say? Cause I know he finna get ass something. And that's all I think he about to get ass something right now. And that's the bigger spot for me than. Look at this silly ass nigga right here. That ain't giving no food for the people, just giving some more bullshit. But this is the food and it's. And it's necessary. And it's necessary that it's coming from you. It's necessary. That's coming from your demographics and your age group. Giving old like myself, somebody to point to. See you. Silly ass. Ain't gotta be like this. Look at him. It's making me feel like, what blacks? Your dude asked me, man, who was the dude in prison that really changed you? Blackshaw. Blackshear. I never knew it. He said, man, we planned to get you because he said, man, the brothers having all this problem with these niggas fighting on this unit. And they asked. He said, man, how we gonna fix it? And I pointed right at you. And at the time you was throwing the basketball over the gate. He said, if we get him, we'll get the rest of them. And brother's like, him that little is, wow. Him and his partner Elliot, these two little five seven don't give a. On this unit. Black should walk me around. And I. And. And I never forget him for it, man. I. And I love him for it. Said, man, can I talk to you? I said, about what, man? Just life. Brother went on the wreck yard, went on the field and just walked around the field. I spent my whole wreck talking to him. And he said, man, just come holler at me. I would come out there on that wreck yard. I wouldn't get on the basketball court. I was just talking to him. Him walk around, talk to him. Well, I knew it. I was talking to three or four old head brothers, just walking, talking and listening. And I went back to my block. I said, hey, man, man, we got to get better, bro. We. We kind of like an embarrassment, man, right now. Oh, I'm just saying. And every day, I started talking about the same shit, being embarrassing and constantly coming back to this place. Cause, nigga, you not growing up. And when I never forget, Malik gave me the Al Fatiha. He was a barber. And this look. Bald head just look got. He so mean. Nigga had muscles in his head. He gave me that Fatiha and said, hey, next time I see you, you need to know this. I'm gonna see this in hours. I'm gonna see this thing in hours. It is seven verses. I'm. I am reading these verses so intense, trying to get. Trying to get it to memory. And I was coming down the highway. He going, one way, I'm going this way. Let me hear. As we walking past each other, I say, like, four of them. He said, yeah, give me the rest of it when you come back. That was standing in the hallway waiting on me to come back from the cafeteria. And I said the whole thing. He said, I'll have you another one tomorrow. I'm like this. Yeah, but it was like, hey, constant educating yourself, right? Ain't no. Ain't no stopping this. And Lou would tell anybody that, man. I would come to people and ask. And the brother named Cotton. Hey, brother, you. You how old you, brother? I'm 19. I'm 20. I'm 22. You in school? You Got. Did you graduate Street? You got gd? What you got? Man, I ain't got nothing to come get out of. Get out of that field. Get out that kitchen. Enroll in school. Oh, man, I say, bro, listen to me. We not really asking. I'm telling you, this is going to be more beneficial for you. Enroll in school, get your ged, then you're gonna go to a trade onto your unit. If you wanted me to beat the dog out of you, don't go to school because I'm doing this to save you. Because if you don't go to school, what you're gonna be doing is on this block doing some, you gonna steal some, you're gonna be into the. And these Mexicans are going to kill you. These are going to kill you. I'm not doing this to be no bully to you. I'm giving you some real understanding because this is not a unit to where these niggas fight.

[B]

Right?

[A]

They're going to stab you. Right? And they gonna stab you up my every. Who went to school and then got a trade. When I run into these in the street, these like this. The reason I'm electrician, this is the reason I do a AC and refrigeration. This is the reason. I know, obviously. And he wasn't asking us to do nothing that he wasn't doing himself. And this had already graduated. This was already in college. This was doing all this over just. Hey. Cause. And this is the reason. This is the way to keep you out of the administration's. Oh, this in school.

[B]

Yeah. Constantly working.

[A]

Constantly working towards something. So when you come up for parole, they see this. I'm giving you the. That the old is not telling you because they don't with you. They with me. And they telling me to tell y' all because you niggas wasn't listening before. Then they saw it in my mind, like, yo, this nigga still respect his elders, and that's a big thing. I'm not finna argue with no nigga who I've been living longer than. Nigga, I've been your age. You ain't never been mine.

[B]

Hmm.

[A]

And that's old. Niggas used to tell me this shit all the time. Nigga, I been your age. Nigga, you ain't never been mine, so you don't really know. You think that, you know, you have this. You have this. This grandioso thoughts of what this is, but you really don't know.

[B]

And teachers, you lose respect for teachers when they argue with students.

[A]

Yep. In comedy, I don't argue with no. Like how long you been doing it? I've been doing it 10 years. Okay. Where you started at how you started. Even if you a guy that came from the Internet, I can guarantee you don't have all the tools arguing me about this. Now let's cut to pandemic happens. Who turns up during the pandemic on the Internet? Real comedians that don't need no to edit. Don't need no real comedians is owning the Internet during the pandemic because we can just, we can get on and talk. I was right in front of my phone. Cut the camera. I was doing shows in my den. People people would never forget before Kev on stage because they got all of them got it from me. Pandemic started March 15th. I do my first show month not even three weeks after the pandemic stopped. So then I started. We had the Corona Comedy Club. I would come up in the top. I would have the DJ on. Then the dj I would take the DJ off and then bring the comic up. I did several episodes of that. Ronnie Jordan was one of my first runs. Like, nah, nigga. Before anybody was doing comedy where he was. And I would have your cash app on another board. I was what? But making sure comments could eat during this time. I wasn't thinking about myself. I'm thinking about yo, hey, I was calling, hey man, you, you at the crib. Hey man, I just need to do 10 minutes. We gonna put your cash app up, nigga. And people gonna come in, they gonna donate to your cash app while you, while you doing your show. Couldn't believe how much bread they was making for a 10 minute set it in they this in they living room.

[B]

Incredible.

[A]

Just thinking about constant community. Hey, man, I love these, man. These. Everybody not going to be making bread during this time. Let's figure out a way to make sure that everybody eating.

[B]

Concepts is how I like. That's how I figure out. The thing is is that would separate you from everybody else and would make you the leader is how long it take you to go from idea to execution. All throughout this show you've been talking about I had this idea and then I executed almost immediately. And if I didn't have the idea, I know from previous I'm a fine. I'm a. I'm a get one and then I'm gonna execute. And I think the biggest thing for me is idea to execution. And what's that time. And if you let too much time go by, it won't be no execution. And then you'll say, well, this person do that. But it was my idea. But you have executed on all your ideas. So no matter who run off with it, you already created a blueprint for it.

[A]

Gotta start trying as soon as I think of it. Because that's why the thought came.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And I don't think on the sir. I'm thinking, okay, boom, this is the thought. Nigga, how we do it. Boom, let's start. And then. And it's once again, it's to try. I don't believe in nobody who say they are perfectionists. I've never met a perfectionist that's ever done anything. I only meet people who are in the pursuit of perfection that do something right. Because as soon as you're a perfectionist, I think it ain't. It ain't right. I can't. I need. I need this. I need that. You got to be perfect. The try. The try gotta be perfect.

[B]

You gotta try your draft. They teach you that in school. You gotta. You need an outline, then you need a rough draft, then you gotta edit the draft, then you get a final.

[A]

That it don't go. Like, it's no such thing as a rough draft, right?

[B]

Yeah, we gotta have a rough draft, at least cross some out or something.

[A]

So you just going with the first thing?

[B]

Yeah. What you mean? This the last thing.

[A]

This. Never do nothing else. But you gotta. You gotta try some, bro.

[B]

Man, thank you. You, man.

[A]

Oh, man, I thank you.

[B]

It's it for me. I'mma be honest. It's been a hell of a year for me. And to end it with you, man, it's just like cherry on top, bigger than anything, cuz. You've been a. A huge inspiration for me. So champion. And you hasn't been out of no. Look how in the know I am champion. You has been like, look where I'm f to go, right? Pay attention. Cause then where we going with it?

[A]

And I still got that bread. I brought it. No, no, I brought it. I brought it with me. I said. I said I still. Because there's one thing about it.

[B]

I said it.

[A]

I said, I'm still bringing that bread for that promotion. And that's letting everybody else know if you on the show contribute, you know, contribute something to the show, you know, in some form of fashion, you know, like, that's big for me. Like with Roland, when Roland put his thing out and I heard about how you could donate to him, I ain't even want nothing. I just wanted to see that succeed.

[B]

And I just gave a nigga $100 yesterday. Cause he got in a fight at work. You seen the Amazon delivery driver? Beat up that white man for spitting on him. Lost his job.

[A]

Nah, but he should have. He should have.

[B]

He beat the out of him. Let me tell you. The video is the white man in a raincoat with blood all down the yellow raincoat. I said, y' all tag me when the set up the gofundme. And as soon as it was set up, I'm in there.

[A]

Yeah. Oh, man. And I'mma give.

[B]

And the goal was. The goal was triple exceeded. He was like, shit, this is how much I need. They could have tripled that. Because it's like, yeah, bro, dignity means something. Yeah, bro, come on. I mean, you lucky he ain't killed a white man. So just busting his mother, he busted shit up.

[A]

And I was like, and should nothing happen to him? Because we would like to thank white women for this. Let's thank white women. White women had. In 1994, white women had spit on so many officers that they made this shit an assault.

[B]

Man. It ain't much you. It ain't much white women have created, but shout out to y' all for that.

[A]

Like, yeah. You spit on somebody, you throw your.

[B]

Body fluids fucking over the police. And over a shout out to Michigan. Size of my boy. Michigan, man, a long road ahead for you, my brother.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Hey, man. Yeah.

[A]

They say without the proper labor, faith don't stand a chance. I put my faith in faith instead.

[B]

On fertile land I planted seeds Adeline.

[A]

Deed turning the trees before Rest in peace tease get printed to me.

[B]

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