Black & Mild with Donnell Rawlings

Summary

Summary of "Black & Mild with Donnell Rawlings" Episode on The Bonfire with Big Jay Oakerson and Robert Kelly

In the April 2, 2025 episode of The Bonfire with Big Jay Oakerson and Robert Kelly, titled "Black & Mild with Donnell Rawlings," listeners are treated to an engaging and candid conversation with comedian Donnell Rawlings. Hosted by Big Jay Oakerson and Robert Kelly, the episode delves deep into Rawlings' experiences in the comedy world, his interactions with fellow comedians, and his perspectives on the evolving landscape of stand-up comedy.

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Introduction of Donnell Rawlings and His Current Tour

The episode begins with the hosts introducing Donnell Rawlings, highlighting his ongoing "Black and Mild" tour. Big Jay Oakerson shares details about Rawlings' upcoming shows at venues like City Winery in New York City and City Winery in Los Angeles, emphasizing Rawlings' active presence in the stand-up circuit.

Notable Quote:

Big Jay Oakerson [01:04]: "He is currently out on the Black and Milford tour, which will be at City Winery in New York City on March 28th and 29th, the End in Torrance on April 8th, and Donnell Land in Yellow Springs, Ohio, on May 23rd through the 26th."

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Challenges and Observations in the Comedy Industry

Rawlings shares his frustrations with the traditional Hollywood comedy scene, noting the diminishing necessity of residing in entertainment hubs like Los Angeles or New York. He reflects on Katt Williams' assertion that success in Hollywood often requires compromising one's integrity, leading him to relocate to places like Yellow Springs, Ohio, in search of better quality of life and creative freedom.

Notable Quote:

Donnell Rawlings [02:27]: "It was weird how it happened. I never had intentions on doing that, but my baby mother got on my nerves so motherfucking bad during the pandemic. I just had to retreat and go somewhere."

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Interactions with Fellow Comedians and Industry Figures

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around Rawlings' interactions with other comedians, including Todd Lynn and Charlie Murphy. Rawlings candidly discusses his complex relationship with Todd Lynn, expressing deep-seated frustrations and recounting instances where Lynn's behavior negatively impacted their professional rapport.

Notable Quote:

Donnell Rawlings [13:43]: "Such a dickhead."

He also highlights his mentorship of Charlie Murphy, encouraging Murphy to embrace stand-up comedy, which ultimately led Murphy to develop into a compelling storyteller despite initial criticism.

Notable Quote:

Donnell Rawlings [27:23]: "I bullied Charlie into doing stand up."

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Experiences with Radio and Media

Rawlings delves into his extensive background in radio, recounting his time on various New York radio stations and the competitive nature of the medium. He emphasizes the importance of creating a genuine connection with audiences, contrasting mainstream radio practices with more authentic, comedic approaches.

Notable Quote:

Donnell Rawlings [08:07]: "I was on every station in New York and got fired from one."

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Racial Dynamics and Comedy

The episode touches upon the complexities of racial dynamics within the comedy scene. Rawlings discusses the challenges black comedians face when crossing over to predominantly white audiences and venues. He criticizes the limited definitions of what constitutes a "comedian," arguing that stand-up should remain distinct from other forms of comedic expression like internet skits.

Notable Quote:

Donnell Rawlings [30:05]: "She was like, I'm a comedian. I said, no, you're not. She said, yes, I am. Then she put a definition. Webster's definition of a comedian is a person that entertains an audience through humor."

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Personal Anecdotes and Storytelling

Throughout the episode, Rawlings shares several personal stories that highlight his unique perspective on the entertainment industry. From humorous tales about managing relationships with other comedians to candid discussions about his own struggles and triumphs, Rawlings offers listeners an unfiltered glimpse into his life.

Notable Quote:

Donnell Rawlings [16:27]: "Cause it's all out there. That's the only way you make it."

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Reflections on Success and Authenticity

In the latter part of the conversation, Rawlings reflects on his definition of success in comedy. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining authenticity and control over one’s career, rather than relying on external validation from producers or networks. This sentiment underscores his commitment to self-determination and artistic integrity.

Notable Quote:

Donnell Rawlings [32:15]: "If you're happy, I'm fine."

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The episode concludes with Rawlings promoting his "Black and Mild" tour, inviting listeners to attend his performances and engage with his comedic work. The hosts and Rawlings wrap up the discussion by reiterating the importance of staying true to oneself in the ever-evolving world of comedy.

Notable Quote:

Donnell Rawlings [43:16]: "We deal with all type of fun activities, man. We kayak, we play kickball, we do nature walks, sound bath."

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Key Takeaways

• Authenticity Over Conformity: Rawlings underscores the value of staying true to one’s comedic voice rather than conforming to industry pressures.

• Challenges for Black Comedians: The discussion highlights the unique obstacles faced by black comedians in mainstream media and the importance of creating spaces where diverse voices can thrive.

• Mentorship and Collaboration: Rawlings’ experiences mentoring fellow comedians like Charlie Murphy demonstrate the significance of collaboration and support within the comedy community.

• Evolving Definitions of Comedy: The conversation points to a growing diversity in comedic expression, advocating for a broader understanding of what it means to be a comedian.

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This episode of The Bonfire offers a rich exploration of the intricacies of the comedy industry through the lens of Donnell Rawlings. His honest reflections and dynamic interactions with the hosts provide listeners with valuable insights into the art and business of stand-up comedy.

Transcript

[Donnell Rawlings]

And now the Bonfire with Big J.

[Robert Kelly]

Okerson and Robert Kelly.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I went platinum seven times.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

I know all the words, though. This is my hype song. When I did Premium Blend, this was. Yeah, they call me Cowboy. No one's called me cowboy.

[Robert Kelly]

They don't call you. They call you the first part.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

You're a cow, boy. You're not wrong about that. Bonfire faction talk serious xxm 103. Big J Oversen, the great Robert Kelly. We have an awesome guest in studio with us right now. He is currently out on the Black and Mile tour, which will be at City Winery in New York City on March 28th and 29th, the End in Torrance on April 8th, and Donnell Land in Yellow Springs, Ohio, on May 23rd through the 26th. And of course, he's got his podcast, which you catch on YouTube, the Donnell Rawling show, which I have an episode ready to go on my YouTube. Darnell claps back at the Roast Battle, people. I have to watch that.

[Robert Kelly]

Oh, I. I think I watched that.

[Donnell Rawlings]

First of all, what's up with your staff, son? They slow, son.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Extra coffee.

[Donnell Rawlings]

He gave me a cup of cold water, man. What the hell is going on, man? And then it was. I didn't like the way he asked me. He was like, how do you take it? You know, you can't ask a black.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Man, how do you take it?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm the homophobic, most homophobe motherfucker you ever want to meet, man. And I did, like, all type of pause, pause. No, Diddy. He was like this. I said, how do you take it? But I appreciate it. I appreciate the water.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Is Christine getting coffee?

[Robert Kelly]

Yeah.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Okay. That's what it was. Oh, you know what the mistake is?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Coffee from white women more than black guys.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

That's just. But that is also the funniest thing is, like, there is coffee and Christine's getting it. It's just also the water that we have to give to the guests is a cup of water. For some reason, the only. And I'll say it again, the monopoly on satellite radio can't just have, like, bottles of water in the green in the break room or something.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I think it might be your show because whenever I do sway them, they have a lot of water. Yeah, they got water. They got on. They got everything you need, same goddamn cup.

[Robert Kelly]

Now, you're not going to know which is your coffee and which is the water.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I can feel the temperature body.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

All right.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Good to see you. I ain't seen you in forever, man, Too, buddy.

[Robert Kelly]

Good to see you, too, man. What's happening. Where are you living now?

[Donnell Rawlings]

A couple places. One, Delta Airlines split my time between Yellow Springs, Ohio and Los Angeles, California.

[Robert Kelly]

Oh, no.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Oh, you got a place out in Yellow Springs?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Oh, nice.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It was, it was weird how it happened. I never had intentions on doing that, but my baby mother got on my nerves so motherfucking bad during the pandemic. I just had to retreat and go somewhere. And this was the time they was doing the outside shows in the cornfields. And then I don't think it was just me, but a lot of people during the pandemic realized that kind of like the whole Hollywood scene was played out. You don't need it as much. It used to be, you know, all of us about the same generation. When we came up, it was like the only way you could make it if you lived in New York or.

[Robert Kelly]

La, you had to go out there for pilot season. Remember that for like two or three months.

[Donnell Rawlings]

They don't even do that. And to your point, it's nobody. When the last time you audition, when you walked in, it's always self taped. So I'm like, why am I busting my ass to live in probably one of the most expensive states in the country and not have the quality of life that I thought I had worked up to.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

You were in LA and went to Yellow Springs or New York?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, la. Yeah, I went to la. I was like, fuck Hollywood. But another reason I was like, I was saying, fuck Hollywood because Katt Williams did an interview on Club Shay Shay and he said, you can't make it in Hollywood as a film or TV star unless you suck Cadets.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

True.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And that's when I called my agents and said, I think I need a job, I need a new scenery.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

He was like, he's like, donnell, I told you.

[Donnell Rawlings]

From the streets to the creek from the hood to the woods from horse to horse.

[Robert Kelly]

I know a lot of guys who didn't make it, who did suck dick.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

That's got to be the worst.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But just think about the guys that can't make it, that want to suck dick because it's all out there. That's the only way you make it.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

They frustrated. That was my favorite, One of my favorite things in that. Was it the Kevin Spacey documentary? That was great. They were talking to a guy who was like a quote unquote victim of Kevin Spacey. And Kevin Spacey basically, you know, like made aggressive move on him and he got, he's like, no, no, no, get the fuck off me. I don't. I'm not gay. And he left. And then he's like, a year later, he wrote a script. Do you remember that? He wrote a script? And he goes, man, Kevin Spacey would be the perfect producer for this. He goes, so I guess what you have to do is like, I guess I'm gonna suck his dick. And then he'll take a look at this script. And he goes. And then. So I asked him if he wanted to meet up one night. And then I drove. He drove me around while I sucked his dick. And then he didn't even look at the script. Like, what are you mad at him for? What was it?

[Donnell Rawlings]

The black guy? What's the guy name? The big strong black guy?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Terry Crews.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Terry. I just don't understand it, man. Like, Terry Crews. Like, he's. When he had. I think he kind of outed one of the big agent or something in Hollywood, and then he was like. He grabbed my package and then I was like, whoa, what are you doing? And then he said. Then the third time, I'm like, what time? You know, I know three strikes are out, but what time? See, I'm the homophobic that the first time, I'm like, what the fuck you doing? But I guess he had to realize, I don't know, he had to really take it in and see, like, what it's going to do. But takes a lot of balls to do that. Literally and figuratively speaking.

[Robert Kelly]

Now, let me ask you a question, because I. I follow a lot of the crazy stuff that you do online. Charlemagne, the God. Now you to fight with him a lot. And you call him gay?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, I don't call him gay. I say he has gay tendencies. You gotta watch what you say. Cause then I could be canceled from the TV show, the movies that I don't already have. But I don't know, I started going like eight years ago.

[Robert Kelly]

What are gay tendencies? Like getting your eyebrows done and fingernails painted?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, I mean, I can't think that's kind of socially settled now. I think gay tendency is like, when a guy comes into the studio, you gift him a fucking ass.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Okay.

[Donnell Rawlings]

For sure. A lot of. Yeah. Like when I first went up there, they, oh, Donnell, look in the box. And it was a box and it was like a prosthetic ass.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

It's like a Robert, like, toy.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Why are you looking at me? Like, which one? Like, which model was that? Like, I got different models.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Is that the A5000?

[Robert Kelly]

I don't know what it was, but it was different.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It wasn't appropriate. But he does you want to use.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

A water based polymer though.

[Donnell Rawlings]

See, I don't even know about that.

[Robert Kelly]

Jay's a pro at that stuff.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm old school. I'm Vaseline in the sock. I'm jail type. That's what he doing in jail.

[Robert Kelly]

Remember we used to. I used to use Vaseline all the time. I used to waterproof your dick.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Until you realize that Vaseline is the worst thing to jerk off with. It just gathers room dust and grit. It's nothing. It's not for jerking off.

[Robert Kelly]

And you can't wash it off. You gotta use like palm olive. You gotta like a dishwashing sink.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

And I can't speak for you, Dinell, but it really kinks up my white dick hair.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You're right, you can't speak for me. Let's talk about the bitches. Where the bitches at? Where the hoes at? I'm not gonna sleep.

[Robert Kelly]

We only have one girl on.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, but it's like, it's like people always ask me about that. They like, so what's the deal with you and Charlemagne? I was like, it's like if you have to ask if it's real or not, then it's almost like the wwe wwwf sure. What side you believe in or not. If it's entertaining, you know. And I decided a long time ago I kind of played a certain way. When I first started going out, I was like, I could go up there and just destroy this entire room, right? And I wouldn't be invited back. I said, but if I'm underdog and everybody's like, oh man, why they keep fuck with him? It's a funnier storyline for me to play with that. And since then I've been doing it for eight, nine years. And I probably have the most appearances on that show. And it used to be like, can you guys get another guest? Then I guess people kind of acknowledge that I do have some experience in radio. I'm good when I do radio. So when I come, whenever I go up there, it's almost like a special guest coming in just to have fun with the guys.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Weren't you regularly on Hot 97 1.1?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I was on every station in New York and got fired from one. No, but they saying, were you on.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

The Jimmy Martinez time? Is that the same time?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, Jimmy came. I think sometime after. I think it might have been close to that era because here, this is how it went for me. Starring Buck Wild used to be big radio.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Sure.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Huge radio. They was, they were, I think the one of the only stations that ever gave Howard Stern, a run for his money. They came along and then they did something that crossed the line. They got fired. And then Sway from Sway Morning show.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Was that the Mr. C stuff starring Buck Wild?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, that wasn't. That was a pass.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Gotcha.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But Sway came in in the interim starring Buck Wild. Sway was the first person that gave me opportunity to do radio. He brought me in as a comic guest and I stayed with that. Then Sway left and then Ebro and Envy and Miss Info and some other people, they came in. I was on the show. Then Ms. Jones came in. Well, a lot of people don't know Joe Buttons used to do morning radio in New York.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Really?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yep.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

I didn't know.

[Donnell Rawlings]

A lot of people know because you gotta realize the time. Joe Buttons used to do it maybe 20 plus years ago, radio wasn't the thing comics did. You know, if a comic did a radio show or morning show, it was like interpreted as, oh, you gave up, you had to settle for it.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

You had a job. I know a lot of people, some people would do that too. They would leave New York to find that. And you go to some city doing morning radio and you're like, oh shit, yeah, like so and so. For you to live in New York.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Because it wasn't as lucrative, it wasn't as much money that was involved with it. And every time I came and I never like tried to get a job, it just so happened then I left that job or got fired from there. And then Star and Buckwild went to Power 105 and they was killing it. And then they had a big deal with Envy and Hot 97 because those two stations were super competitive back then. So Star and Buckwild got fired from that job. And then in that time, Big Tigger came in. It was Big Tigger Egypt. Nate Bell was the program director. And Nate Bell gave Big Tigger in Egypt two weeks pretty much to see how it would flow, what it would look like.

[Robert Kelly]

Jacob, these are black radio host names. I don't want you to think it's a child's book. He's talking about Jacob.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

I'll give Jacob a shout out. Jacob worked for Foxhole Radio for a long time.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I remember Foxhole. That was Jamie Foxx situation, right? So Big Ticker and them came in for two weeks. Ed Love was on it on a two o'clock day part. And I came in one day. I think it was the last day of part of Big Tigger's audition or whatever. And they was about to change the day part. They was Gonna bring Ed Lover back to mornings that Monday and put Dig, Dig, Tick. God damn. Big Digger, or whatever the name is, Big Digger, they're gonna put him in the evening. And I went on there, and we had a guest call, and it was Halle Berry, right? And I think they didn't find out what was gonna be the pop of the show. Holly Berry's in the line. And I was like, holly, I got a question. She was like, what is it? I said, you know, a lot of black, young black women, they look up to you. You're a pioneer, you're a legend. You're a mentor to a lot of black women. It's coming out, success and everything. I got a question. She was like, what is. I was like, what color draws were you wearing when you was doing X Men?

[Robert Kelly]

Right, right.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And then, because nobody had came in and just was going off the train like that. And she was like, what kind of question that? She said, I didn't have any program director runs in, like, this is the show. So we did that, and we. It was me, Big Tigger, Egypt.

[Robert Kelly]

I want to watch that tonight.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And then Egypt, they didn't. Tigger wanted a certain amount of money. I didn't know really what was good money. Radio. I was just happy that I could go up there and do it.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

So Tigger left the promotions also.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That was it for me. Big Ticker left. Then it was the Egypt and Ashy show, and we was killing it, man. I'm telling you, I really enjoyed doing morning radio. And then what happened? Something I got. Then they brought Ed Lover back, switched it to the Ed Lover show with Egypt and Ashy. And then I was like, killing with all the benchmarks. Some of the funniest benchmarks we had on that show. I did. We had a situation where we were getting in trouble for stuff. And it was like, if anything. If we do anything, it has to go through the producer. Like, the producer has to prove it. And if anything, any thing happens is wrong or people get offended. The producer, it wasn't gonna be on us. It was gonna be on the producer. And we were. I always wrote this benchmark. You remember that show? Are you smarter than the fifth grader? Or whatever? So I was going crazy. I had, are you smarter than the stripper? We had strippers come up. I said, are you so smarter than a Jamaican Yo? I did everybody. I did, are you smarter than the midget? I did everybody. Everybody was cool. But the minute I said, are you smarter than the Asian?

[Robert Kelly]

You weren't.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

It was overflowing.

[Robert Kelly]

That was also an Asian.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Wasn't that weirdly cut off, like. Because that was hot. 97. Was that the top Todd Lynn.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That was a tsunami thing.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Yeah, they made. They made a parody joke about the tsunami.

[Robert Kelly]

I remember that.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

And then it was funny. When Todd came in the talking about it, he was saying, crazy. That definitely wasn't true, right? He was like, yeah, now it's bigger than that. He goes, the triads are threatening me. Like, no, they're not. The Triads don't threaten you. They'll just do what they're gonna do. Or.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But Todd Landon, rip. But Todd was easy to hate. Yo, I'm being honest.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Christine's one of her favorite things of all time, of laughs that we had together was the first time we were from Montreal together. Yeah. 2011.

[Donnell Rawlings]

So you saw him when he was blind?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Well, that's what it was.

[Donnell Rawlings]

He was.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

He was blind at that point. Yeah, he was blind at that point. And we got into a transport, me, you and Christine, and I was like. I was like, man, I just saw. I just saw Todd Lynn. I go, it's kind of a bummer, man, just seeing him, like, he was such, like, a presence, you know, Love him or hate him. I was like. I was like, I just feel bad seeing that. And you were like, ah, fuck that. I was like. I said that. Oh, yeah. I was like, why? Donnell goes. Donald goes, that motherfucker was a. Was a piece of shit when he had sight.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Such a dickhead.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

He goes, yeah. Cause that motherfucker was a dickhead when he had sight. No disrespect.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No disrespect, but disrespect. I hated this motherfucker so much.

[Robert Kelly]

I did.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I was standing beside him and I held my. So he wouldn't know I was there. I was like.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

He was always looking for a problem.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Here's the thing. He was. They gonna talk about me when I die.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Sure.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It was unfortunate, the case with me, because I remember when he first came here from Ohio, right? Todd wasn't really accepted by too many people, too many crews or whatever. And I remember specifically he was about. I had started a sketch group, right? And I knew he was a talented writer and everything, and he was about to give up. He was like this, I'm sick of this. I'm going back. I'm going back to Ohio. And I was like, man, you know, I can't get you a lot of money, but I can get you some type of connections. You at least have a team of people you could work with. And you could feel you're part of a family when you, when you give yourself to a person like that and then they backstab you and talk. That's what the situation was at Hot 97. I never took a person like you in person, but I was like, we get burnt in this business so much, you can't be mad at everybody trying to fuck you up. So I was like this, you know what? I'm not going to take away from why I tried to help him, but I won't help because once he got that lick he got, he did a banged up show at Montreal in the comedy festival.

[Robert Kelly]

He got a lot of money.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And that's when Montreal was just throwing money deals. And people always say, you know, people always say this question, oh, they were a plant. How did they make it so. So blah, blah, blah. Because a lot of these motherfuckers that are super famous right now make a lot of money. They did the showcase, the three popular showcases, new faces, it was the gala nasty show and the Uptown Monique was discovered. If you want Uptown Russell Peters. Yeah. Those shows that they gave us, them, you could just have a seven minute development set. If you could just tune in, get your point of view and everything, you leave nothing with a quarter million dollars. Sue Costello, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Monique. There's a lot of chicken.

[Robert Kelly]

Was chicken.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, I don't.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Well, that's the one that ended it. That's the one that ended it. Because he got a. Like one of the most unprecedented was like a million dollar deal development deal. Nothing came. And everyone was also, I guess this guy, like locally wasn't. It was one of those. When he got a deal, everyone was kind of like, we thought it was crazy that he got the festival.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

And then crazy that he got this million dollar deal and he ended up killing himself.

[Robert Kelly]

X member X with.

[Donnell Rawlings]

He killed himself.

[Robert Kelly]

Yeah. Well, I know this is disrespectful. Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

What I'm about to say.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Sure.

[Donnell Rawlings]

How did he do it?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Is that it? Yeah. Michael Chicken Roof.

[Donnell Rawlings]

How did he do it?

[Robert Kelly]

I think he hung himself probably.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Which means he could have been jerking off. I always.

[Robert Kelly]

I love the toddler story that.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Oh, no, he's from a tree. Jesus, from a tree.

[Robert Kelly]

Jay always tells a story about toddler because he got that deal.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Oh, it's my favorite.

[Robert Kelly]

Here's the thing. When he got that deal, he changed 1000%. He became way more of a dick when he got the deal.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh yeah.

[Robert Kelly]

And then he. Everything changed and then he came back. But the funny Part is that he. You told that story about him.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

It's a bachelor. It was Dean Edwards bachelor party. He.

[Robert Kelly]

No, he got. Didn't he get his. His apartment?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

No. Yeah. So I'm saying I went to Dean Edwards. Dean Edwards bachelor party. I went to. And I went. He lived in Park Slope. It was at Todd's house. And I remember going up these rickety steps inside the building, and I was like. And then we go into his front door, and it was like, come to America. When I. Yo, I was getting ready.

[Donnell Rawlings]

To say, you know, a black man making money. He was buying monkeys and shit, son. Yo, he was buying monkeys. Where do you get monkey food from, son? Where do you get a monkey, man? Who take care of the monkey when you're gone? You can't just have a nigga down the street like, yo, come take care of my monkey.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Hey, you might watch my monkey fur field.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I was like, yeah, this motherfucker making too much money. He's like, look at this monkey out here. Michael Jackson, the only one. And Bubbles is up dealing with PTSD and child with drama right now.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

He did two. Two things that were hilarious. One, he got that money. He bought an infinity out. Cash.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

So it doesn't help his credit whatsoever at all. And in his apartment, he decked. He put speakers, like, in the walls and the TV in the wall. It had all this stuff, new Pergo floors. It was beautiful. And then I was like. I said to him, I was like. I was like, oh, you bought. You bought this place? And he was like, no. I go. I go, because I'm gonna live here for a while. And then the. I mean, like, months later, this. When it was like, lease time, the landlord came in and was like, oh, this is great. He goes, I'm gonna charge you like, nine grand a month for this. And he was like, I'm. I can't afford that. He goes, well, thanks for doing this, man. I appreciate it. I just fucking sent him out. He was out. That's crazy.

[Robert Kelly]

And then he got blind.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But it's so, you know, you want to root for people, you know, I mean, especially. It's so hard for us to make it in this business. Whatever anybody says. The fact that all of us right here, right now, we got 25 plus, you know, it's hot, but it's just so up when you're an ugly person, man. But the thing is, people say a person change, I don't think they change as much as their real personality was highlighted now. They think the money makes them, but that don't make you. And look at. Look at all the cases of people that thought that they're not even here with us.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Todd Lynn did the weirdest thing I said. It was a strange time. I got caught cheating with my ex wife so bad right before I went to South Africa for three weeks to do the South African Comedy Festival. The only other comic I knew on it going out there was Todd. It was me and him and one of the person with the Alu bell were the three American comics I know. So we're out there and Todd was like. He was so nasty to everybody right away that I'd like. But it was good that I was there because I was able to be like, God, Todd's just like. I'm almost like he's a character. Like he's choosing to be a villain. It's this kind of thing he does. And they kind of got it and they were fine. But while we were there, Todd, like, knew I was going through this crazy thing at home. I had like a young daughter and I'm probably breaking up with my ex, it seemed like. And so he was like, not letting me wallow in it. Like he was coming every morning and knocking on my door and be like, come on, man, let's go walk around these nice moments we're having. And then he starts telling me about his daughter and his daughter he has. And she's going to be getting ready to go to college soon. He's paying for her college. And.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But this was pre or post monkey.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Pre monkey.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah.

[Robert Kelly]

Way better person.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

But here's. But here's what was crazy.

[Robert Kelly]

It really was.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

But this is what blew my mind.

[Robert Kelly]

I really like Todd. Pre monkey.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Pre monkey. Todd was all right.

[Robert Kelly]

He was pretty good.

[Donnell Rawlings]

He was.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

No, he called or he was telling me about this daughter, you know, that he has. And I was like. And then so on Father's Day, like a few months later, we're back home. I'm just going through my phone doing like a. You know when you had this kind of daytime time, like, let me tell the fathers who are my friends and give them a happy Father's Day. And I just sent one to Todd. He wrote back. He goes, man, I ain't nobody's daddy. And I went, oh, no, don't you have a daughter? He was like, no, man. And I had a check with my ex wife to be like, hey, what's going on? Am I crazy that Todd told us that he had like a. And he was like, no, he definitely told us that I'm like, what a weird thing.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You know, it's pre monkey. But I'm pretty sure he had put a deposit down. He was just waiting for it to clear, bro. That was it.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

You think every couple weeks he goes by the story. He goes, I just want to check out my monkey.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. Just like, what type of weird shit can I buy?

[Robert Kelly]

How do you get a monke. Get a house?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

How can you get. His grand scheme, I remember telling me was a funny one. It didn't even not make sense. He was like, jay, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna take all this money when these deals are over and the wheels from I'm buying a Subway. He just wanted to franchise a Subway.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'll tell you why, how that happens. Because in our business, a lot of times, and it kind of was part of my life, you got different times. You have times when you have the credit or. No, you don't. Usually you have the credit, don't have the money. You have the money, you don't have the credit. It's not too often that they match up at the right time for you to be able to do everything. And I know my community, what can be disturbing, like, if you've never been in that process, a lot of people haven't been in the process of buying houses. First thing you think is like, they're going to tell me no, it's going to be so much red tape. I don't even want to go through this shit. And I think that that's kind of discouraged my stupid decision.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

I just literally just did it for the first time. And it really was. When you go, you're like, oh man, what is this? Like, what do I have to do? And sign and.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And then you. Then after a while he's like, God damn, I should have done this a long time ago. This was just like. If I would imagine two less monkeys.

[Robert Kelly]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You know, I could have had a multi unit building with those monkeys, man.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Oh, this is wasted money. You do. I know. As soon as you get some, I know you want to spend it so.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Bad, but then you got to start prioritizing and do the right.

[Robert Kelly]

It is weird when people make money. The. I know. Was it Depaulo got a horse?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Well, you know what's impressive though? That's why I've always given Kev Kevin Hart his credence.

[Robert Kelly]

How many monkeys does he have?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Oh, probably so many monkeys.

[Donnell Rawlings]

He was a monkey.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

He's got two.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, I'm not trying to be disrespectful, Jay. You know, when he first started his signature bit, and I've said this on many platforms, it was the monkey.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

He threw a humping monkey.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, yeah, he did a good monkey. I've seen some bad.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

I mean, Willy Robocop would have been taken back by this monkey.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Damn it. They was tied for monkeyness. But Kevin had the shoulders and everything. He had the thing, he had that. And it was like. It was like when you first start, most people having a signature bit. Like for me it was like, do the joke about fat Tyrone stealing your bike or something like that. But it was. They would yell out like this, bobby, we want the monkey.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Monkey, monkey, monkey.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And then these were rough rooms. It was. Some people would even hit. And some people even hit this. And some people even did it. And he was like, come on, man, I don't want to do. He would do it.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

But the thing that, what used to.

[Robert Kelly]

Impress me so much, that's how Richie was. He was the monkey.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

That's how everybody used to. Well, I was impressed with Kevin when we were like still talking pretty regularly was when he got the sitcom, the Big House that he did. It was six, six episodes. It was like a mid season replacement and it didn't go. What was that on NBC? Abc, I think ABC was like a Disney deal, I think. But he had the six episodes and it didn't go. And they didn't give another deal and it didn't go anywhere at all. Was these six episodes. Hey, Kevin Hart's instruction, it's over. I'm like, I will say it's an impressive thing because I would look at that as we said, like, well, that was it. We. That was my thing. They gave me prime time, a nighttime slot sitcom. My idea. He wrote it. Him and Ian Edwards wrote it. They go, that's it. The world's not really into mainstreaming my thing. It's not. Stay with that. I mean, to become one of the biggest stars in the world's amazing.

[Donnell Rawlings]

What people don't understand, like, like, I'm not in defense of anybody, but people don't understand the work ethics. And when I say that, especially being a black comedy, it's so easy to get caught up in doing the black rooms. You know, back then, the black rooms paid more money than the mainstream rooms. But there weren't no producers. Nobody was going out those rooms. And motherfuckers doing the black rooms to get pussy, get a couple hundred dollars. They was like, man, go fuck with them white boys. They only paying 30 or 40 bucks. But you never knew when There was going to be an audition there. They JFL wasn't coming to Pokers, the spot I used to do because I was making enough money in one night to pay my bills, but it wasn't there. And there's one thing I tell people about Kevin, he would still. And you did the same thing would come up and you balance both, both of it. You would do the hood shit and you do the mainstream shit. But what the people don't understand, one of the biggest things that Kevin did, and I remember this, when I was on tour with Bill Burr with the I'm Rich Bitch tour we had and everything, they was serious about getting those, those comment cards, those email addresses shit that we looked at. Like, I remember Bill Burr used to be passing out shit. I was like, man, we about to go fuck these bitches. What's poppin?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

I say it all. When I used to pick up Kev, we were, I mean, a year in the comedy tops.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

If not months. And I'd pick him up to go like play basketball in the afternoon. He'd like go ask me to take him by the post office. He's gonna drop off a tape and headshot to a black college promoter. And I'd just be like, why you can't, like you can't do an hour.

[Robert Kelly]

Of Billy Bird used to do those comment cards just for that email.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah.

[Robert Kelly]

Back in the day when an email was like.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And I'll tell you, high technology. And here's the thing about that, and he won't deny it on a one on one. @ that time when we were doing a Chappelle show, right, we were getting popular, we were getting names off, we were becoming names off the show. But we really wasn't making no show, no money off the show. That's how it is. A cable show just started. You haven't proven it. And who gonna get the money first, Dave? So I came up with the idea. I said, let's do a tour. Me and Charlie, name was popping, Bill Burr was bubbling, you know he was going to blow. But at the same time, he wasn't drawing like that. Now you put him on the stage, he going to eat it up. We did the I'm Rich Bench tour and Bill Burr used to come, he used to have his CDs and he would always pull out these comment cards, always. And then we're talking about, we were doing like 42 cities a year average and comedy club turning around 15 to 2000 people a weekend. So he started building that base. They started him and Kevin Same thing. They started getting those hardcore fans because you got to realize if someone takes the time to fill out the email address and everything, they want to be connected with you. And they was always.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

But those people, people treating like a business that young is smart in the long run. I treated it as I'm 19. That's what I started with, 19, 20. And I'm like, I don't know, like business or what. Like, I went to this show and they said, I can do that show. And then I do poke knockers. And poke knockers say, come to Avenue D. And then you get another show and just become the rotation.

[Robert Kelly]

I did the same thing Billy did. I just only got eight emails, but they're still with me today. That's a hardcore fan base that I count on.

[Donnell Rawlings]

We toured for a year. Like, you know, it's always a question people like, who could follow who and all that type of shit. And people like asking me questions. I was like, try doing a two or four year and coming behind Bill Burr every show. I had no time to be off anytime. If I had a bad day, hungover and then I go on stage. The comments was caught coming with like, yeah, man, they should have gave that white boy more time. You know, they always did it.

[Robert Kelly]

But I was Charlie now. Charlie. Cause he wasn't a stand up. He became a stand up. On that tour.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I bullied Charlie into doing stand up.

[Robert Kelly]

He became stand up off of that.

[Donnell Rawlings]

People were really critical. I knew I couldn't do the tour by myself at the time. I knew that Charlie Murphy was hot, you know what I'm saying? And I said, Charlie. Because Charlie, the only thing he talks a lot of shit about, like you talk until you get a mic in front of you. You know what I mean? Like, put a mic and see how much balls you got. And finally he got. He was like, enough is enough. I was like, I need Charlie to go up, just host the show. Just give us 10 minutes, do the catchphrase or whatever. Bill go up there and I bring it home. And the thing about it was, Charlie didn't get the same learning curve as us performing for bringer shows for five people. He basically, you learn in theaters as an open micr.

[Robert Kelly]

Yeah, yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

He was like the original social media motherfucker. He was a phenom that people wanted him, but he never compromised on what he wanted to be. People used to always say, well, you don't have the same energy as Eddie. Whatever. He wasn't that person. And he came. People like, they was super critical of Him. But he stayed true to himself and he became a great storyteller. You know what I mean? He would strike. He would. I mean, damn, man. He was just. It's just so bad he's not here because he just was a great dude.

[Robert Kelly]

I heard him very good at the end of the tour. By the end of the tour, he was actually. Yeah, became really good.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

But when they figured out, like I said, that's also kind of the thing to watch them, like, Steve O. Steve O. Came in, started doing stand up comedy with a fan base already on his first time.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Getting those people to turn away for the money. They got to get the money.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Exactly. But he figured out kind of to make it like he's telling stories now and showing video. That's like an AV thing. It's like an audio visual, like, thing to it. It's like, that's great. That works perfect.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And then nowadays, it's so many different definitions of what comedy is.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Sure.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I get an argument. Not argument. I used to. Till I understood. I was talking to this young lady maybe five or six years ago, and she said, I'm a comedian. I was like, oh, let me see some of your stuff. She said, I do skits on YouTube. I was like, bitch, that ain't no.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Way, because I'm old school.

[Donnell Rawlings]

When you say comedian, you didn't separate it from stand up or anything.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

She was like, I'm a comedian. I said, no, you're not. She said, yes, I am. Then she put a definition. Webster's definition of a comedian is a person that entertains an audience through humor. So what their definition of a comedian is, okay, I can make people laugh. But us, if you say comedian, we just associated that with stand up.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

I thought about that a lot when I used to say before I go, how could I not argue through my lifetime, like, mad Mount Rushmore of comedians? Like, how could Howard Stern not be on there? I've been listening to him since I was 12 years old. And I'm like. And it's. I know he doesn't do stand up at all, but he's like, it's a comedy show. Like, what else is it? I listen to it and laugh. I'm not listening to it. To not, you know, two different questions.

[Robert Kelly]

Who's your favorite stand up?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Right. Exactly. That's what I'm saying. There's Stanley. But you're a comedian. But. But a person who just does Internet skits is not. It's not. Not a comedian. There's not a stand up.

[Robert Kelly]

It'd be Howard Stern, Jack Tripper from Three's Company.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

His name was. He had a name with something. What the fuck was his name? I could think, am I drawing a.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Blank on right now?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

John Ritter.

[Robert Kelly]

There you go.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. Didn't like those people. Like, especially from. I keep saying outclass, but, you know, oh, they do. So I'm like, if they, if you have the opportunity to put yourself on. That's one thing I'll say about the Internet. Like, there is some work ethics you have to have. There is a type of energy you have to have to make it work. You're not just going to post one video and you blow up.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

But isn't there a calming nature to the fact to watch as. As we get older, to watch that have. I'm, you know, I'm almost 50. In like two more years, I guess I'll be 50.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, me too.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

But I'm saying just. You're already in your 50s. You're already in your.

[Robert Kelly]

How do you know? You don't know nothing.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

If I'm saying as I get older, the success of the young doesn't hit me when it does. When they were like your peers, like that was. It would hit you more sometimes because you're like, but I'm doing this thing when you kind of find your lane, whatever it is, even if you're not like, it doesn't, you know, I remember we brought Shane Gillis, like on the bonfire. Like, he was so excited to come on when we brought him up from Philly with me and Dan to like, you know, I'm opening for him at fucking arenas now, you know, I mean, but that doesn't make me go like, Mark, I'm like, whatever, man. Like, I'm like, good for him.

[Donnell Rawlings]

If you're happy, I'm fine.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

If you're happy with. Here's the thing, people I look at like this success. My opinion of success for someone that's a true stand up is being able to put your name on the marquee and people come see you and that's your fucking life.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Now we could get the extra stuff, the TV shows, the film or anything, but to be able to wake up you calling your own shots, you work, you. We could still maintain a lifestyle without getting approval of a director, without getting approval of a producer. Like, they don't have to pick us. We already picked ourselves.

[Robert Kelly]

We're the boss.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, we're the boss. And there's another level that you could get. You could be a multi, multi, multi millionaire. But the fact that me personally Being a person with no formal education out of the high school military into comedy to be able to put myself in a position to make seven figures telling jokes. It's a win, you know, Absolutely crazy. It's funny when I want to feel good, I go back to my old neighborhoods and look at people that's doing fucked up.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

No, you're absolutely right.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And take them to 7:11. Get whatever you want, motherfucker.

[Robert Kelly]

I was a 7:11. I was a 7 11.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

I was bummed out. The one thing that existed when I first started though that I don't know if there's. If this is as. As cut and dry now. But like the black circuit comics, man, there was such like high level guys that wouldn't cross over because. And I said the quote unquote the term. They'd be like, I'm not going to the white clubs. And you're like, they're not really white club. Like it's just like tourists essentially in New York. Like it's. Everybody's there. But they would call the white. And then I'd see some of the comics come over and then I'd see them like freeze and do like their like they're not best stuff. Because it was like hacky. Because they were like, well, this white audience will get it. But there was so many guys I thought would have crossed over. And I've brought them on the show many times. Tony Roberts. I can't believe Tony Roberts isn't world famous.

[Donnell Rawlings]

He's so funny. That's when you take them out of their comfort zone.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Like the average. I would say like probably 80% of the most successful working black comics. If you put them in front, say they draw 3,000 people for a show. If you put them in front of a thousand white people mix that show, they uppa uppada uppada. Because they not in their comfort zone. That's why I always worked everything People are like, does your show change from. Nah.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

But how about when the audience changes completely? That's an interesting thing to watch. I don't know if I ever talked with anybody about this. Oh, I was but trying to describe J.B. smooth in 1999, 1998, 19 2000. Coming through the laugh house was like an explosion of comic you'd never seen. His audience is now Curb youb Enthusias enthusiasm. Very interesting. It's very interesting to watch him like it's a different energy he brings now white people.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Didn't Cat Williams when Cat Williams was smoking. Smoking. He's still popping, right. White People, management, they just didn't know what the fuck was going on. They was like, this dude is doing all these shows. They just didn't. They didn't understand it. And another reason why they didn't understand it, because as much careers as Def Comedy Jam propelled for black folks, it still was like. Like they put us in a bubble. Like, you couldn't even be black on the show. They was like this. Oh, he's one of those deaf jam acts, you know?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

And it kind of being a white guy called that. They would call me that in Philly. When I'd go to the Main Street Rooms, they go, the Def Jam shit's not going to work here. I'm like, I'm white. In fairness, I was wearing a FUBU jersey.

[Donnell Rawlings]

We look at you like a light skin.

[Robert Kelly]

Where are you, Jay? Were you white? You don't even.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

I was rocking a FUBU jersey.

[Robert Kelly]

Well, this happens with a lot of Boston comedians. Like all these guys that are. Don Gavin. These guys are so. I've never seen people kill the way I've seen these guys kill in front of 500 people, thousand people. But they'll never. As soon as they came to New York, something happened where it didn't translate.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

The one. The one. When the. When the one risk pans out and you're at a level where you respect it, at least in your circle, it's got to be hard to go like, well, let me just go a complete start over.

[Robert Kelly]

So, yeah, plus, plus, when you. Why would you leave if you're the kink of this?

[Donnell Rawlings]

And you can't even be critical. Not critical. You can't even. I know you were talking earlier. I had an incident at Jeff Ross Rose Battle. Yeah, right. And it. Well, first off, was that real or was this.

[Robert Kelly]

This K Fab stuff?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, no, it was real. Every time I've been labeled the walk off king, right?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

I said, you gotta stop doing it.

[Donnell Rawlings]

This notes.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Yes, you guys, I follow all this stuff, but you have to. You gotta stay off these goofy white guy shows. They're setting you up for failure.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You know what the thing is, like, the thing is, I got relationship with all of them. Kill Tony. I had a situation with Kill Tony, right? And it was unfortunate about Kill Tony. This was when that show was always bubbling. I remember when they moved the show to Austin, Texas. People would come to do Joe Rogan's podcast, but they were like, fuck, Kill Tony. I'm not staying on Monday. And I was there. He needed. His band was a different band. He needed help. He was like, yo, D, could you come do it? I was like, you know I don't do this roast shit, man, because I'm too sensitive. I'm telling you straight up. I don't want to put myself in a position to want to beat one of you motherfuckers ass with y'all fake laughs and y'all like, ugh. Come on, Donnel. Oh, no. Donnell. Why are you so upset, Darnell? Oh, no.

[Robert Kelly]

Ah, shit.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Well, there is but for a friend. I said I was doing it. I was on this motherfucking show for two hours, had a couple drinks. I had something to do, right? I'm like, I don't want to stay here. And then he had this punk ass motherfucking open mic roasted motherfucker want to fuck with me. I'm like, why? He was the only black guy. I felt like it was black on black crime, right? So. So I was. What they did was and Tony doubled down on this and talked about the video wasn't doctored. They showed two things. They showed me leaving the show because I was getting lit and I was ready to go. Then they showed a motherfucker that was roasting me. So they had the roast. This guy roasted me. Cut to me leaving. Now I'm the walk off king.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

It was after that.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It wasn't the same sequence. It was a different sequence. And I don't want to do this. I've been Teddy Swims, right? I've been listening to Teddy Swims album for, like, the last three years, right? His intro song, lose Control has been one of my favorite. So we met, as we do sometimes people on the Internet. So I never met him in person, but he had been on my podcast. He phoned in. He's a really, really dope dude. And one of the waitresses at the. At the Comedy Store said, your boy is going to be here. I got excited. Black people don't take me. Don't get. Don't be mad when I say. I said, oh, my God, Teddy's gonna be there, right? I mean, but then translation, your. You heard and all that, right?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

All right, all right.

[Donnell Rawlings]

So I pulled up on Teddy, and he was doing Adam Carolla's Dr. Phil. Dr. Phil show, right? I pulled up on. Soon as I saw him. It was. It was thug at first sight. I don't want to say love, but we just connected. He sent his pregnant fiance home. We down in, you know, the little private bar at the Comedy Store. It's like, I'm off. I'm not even working. We start doing Shots we start getting. Then Teddy was like, yo, you want to go up to Roast Battle? One of my friends is going to be up there. I was like, that's not a good idea for me. He was like, come on. I went up there and I had 1, 2, 3, 4. Whatever number of drinks I had, I had them. And they started having these roasters up there. And the Negro, what's his name, that host that show, Prime Moses, the Negro. I don't. I'll never say his name again. You know what I mean when I say the Negro. The Negro.

[Robert Kelly]

That's what Jay calls him.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, the Negro.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

And I didn't know everybody.

[Donnell Rawlings]

What happened was I went up to it and I was. I did have some drinks. I was. Something's got a hold of me. I was in that mode. And then they came to a point where they asked the judge, how do you feel? And how do you feel? And these guys, clearly not to say they didn't have a future, whatever. But that day, it was not their day. And I got my own brand of comedy. First off, the Negro was upset because the minute I went on set, I took control of the whole show. This is why he's a dumbass quarterback. This is why he's stupid. That show's been around for 11 years, right? It's had its heyday, right?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Sure.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Not being cocky. You got a person like myself show up, you got Teddy Swim show up, you got Jeff Ross. You have to be quarterback enough to know don't make it the show all about you tonight. You got every week to fuck with these motherfuckers. Now you got a special moment. It's being funny, and you want to retract. First off, this show ain't on no time schedule. It's not like we got a heart out. And so. And so you could run that shit for whatever you want to run it.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

It's a midnight show, right?

[Donnell Rawlings]

It's a midnight show, but you can run it however you want because your editor is going to do the magic at the end if Donnell is on one, having fun. As long as these left, let it roll. But now you want to make like, oh, come on, Donnell. Here's the rules. This is how we do the shell and blah, blah, blah. They got mad at me because I looked at Jeff Ross. I said, jeff, you can't believe in everybody's dream.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

I was like, I can't say everybody's good.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I said. I said, jeff, they're not gonna make it. Jeff was like. Then this is what they flipped. He was like, oh, come on, Donnell. You can't say that. Yes, I can.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Well, it's a roast battle judging.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I said, but this is the reason why I told him. I said, not gonna make it because of this. Because I had some drinks. Nobody want to take me serious. The truth comes out when you drink. I was like, this is why, if this is your biggest moment to perform, neither one of you prepared. You guys are doing a roast battle, acting like y'all best friends. Fuck that. If I'm roasting you, I hate to say it, but we just gonna go at it.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Sure.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You're not making eye contact with anybody here. You got one fucking joke, you're looking down, you get one chuckle, and you laughing like, ha, ha, ha. That's the best thing. That's not what's gonna make it for you. And I also told him, I said, I hope you motherfuckers get so mad at me and hate me so much that you wanna prove me wrong and say, fuck him. I'ma do something else. Then the negro switched that into this. How the punk shit he did he. Oh, Don, hell, you know that. Oh, Donnell, come on. You can't just come in here and talk about us and our show. You know what? Whenever he says something, guys, I want y'all to boo him.

[Robert Kelly]

Oh, no.

[Donnell Rawlings]

So now his audience is trained, sure to go, whatever they say. And I was like, yo, I've been booed by bigger and better than that. And that's how this got out of control. Oh, you was obnoxious. And the thing that me up the most. How you sensitive at a roast battle, by the way?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

I'm. I'm on your page, though, with that. I think about the roast. But I said with the Roast Battle, stuff like particularly or even Kill Tony, when a young comic comes out and they go. They decide that they're gonna start going at you.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah.

[Big Jay Oakerson]

You know, the thing is, like, it is, only I'm the only one with anything to lose.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Is the show old over?

[Robert Kelly]

Yeah, we're done.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Did I even talk about where I'm gonna be this weekend?

[Big Jay Oakerson]

Oh, okay.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I didn't know.

[Robert Kelly]

Donnie Rollins is going to be out on his Black and Mild tour, which will be at City Winery in New York City on March 28th and 29th. That's this weekend at the end. Into Torrance on April 8th. And Donnell Land. What is that? Donnell Land in Yellow springs, Ohio, on May 23.

[Donnell Rawlings]

We deal with all type of fun activities, man. We kayak, we play kickball, we do nature walks, sound bath.