Best of full interview: A Very Serious Interview With Donnell Rawlings

Summary

The Breakfast Club – Best of Full Interview: A Very Serious Interview With Donnell Rawlings (Jan 5, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this lively and unfiltered episode, Donnell Rawlings—acclaimed yet "slept on" comedian—joins The Breakfast Club crew (DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God, and Angela Yee) for a “serious” interview that frequently veers into hilarious mayhem. Rawlings reflects on co-parenting, his comedy journey, being misunderstood, and the challenges of legacy and social media. There’s a healthy dose of candid introspection—and relentless roasting from the hosts.

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Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Co-Parenting, Therapy, and Personal Relationships

• Donnell opens up about the challenges and emotional dynamics of co-parenting his son, referencing going to therapy and mixed results from advice he received.

  • "It's a tough thing, I tell you, for anybody that's doing co parenting, it's tough. Especially when you...still may have some emotions involved." (02:00)

• The crew delves into whether Donnell or his child’s mother still have lingering emotions, sparking a comedic back-and-forth.

  • "Nobody has emotion. We are raising a beautiful young man." (03:33)

• Donnell explains how he keeps parts of his personal story, especially about his son’s mother, onstage—but with respect.

  • "I never would do or say anything to put her in a bad light...She gave me the biggest gift of my life, so I'm forever grateful." (04:38)

2. Comedy, Authenticity, and Industry Realities

• Rawlings is frank about being “raw and unfiltered” in both his comedy and personal life, sometimes at the cost of opportunities—but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

  • "I am who I am. I don't act like I'm anybody else... If I'm presenting myself the best way I can...I can't care about people." (06:39, 06:47)

• On truth in comedy: Donnell sees himself as a “truth teller” first, injecting humor when the truth happens to be funny.

  • "I'm a truth teller that happens to inject humor with that." (10:25)
  • "I don't lie on stage. Anything I say is really what happened in my life." (10:35)

3. Vulnerability, Legacy, & Motivation

• Donnell admits to sometimes wishing people took him more seriously, even though he knows comedy’s his calling.

  • "It's a gift and a curse...As a comedian, I don't want people to take me that serious." (13:24)

• On his father’s incarceration and their distant relationship, Donnell recounts poignant childhood memories driving his dedication to being present for his own son.

  • "My father was a Heroin Kingpin in D.C...but close to the end of his life...he was still in the streets." (21:08)
  • "I use that as an example of what I don't wanna do with my son...when I do things with him, it just reminds me of things I didn't do with my dad." (22:32)

• What keeps Donnell motivated?

  • "After 30 plus years, I still enjoy what I do… when people come up to me and they're like...you removed me from the things I was dealing with for at least 45 minutes. That's what kind of gives me motivated to do it." (30:11)

• Legacy vs. Checks:

  • "I'm definitely always gonna chase checks...But I don't know what my legacy will be." (30:49)

4. Navigating Social Media Negativity & Needing Flowers

• Rawlings confesses how negative online comments can still get to him, despite his experience.

  • "It's hard for me, the hardest thing, and it's easy for you to say, you just don't give a fuck. It's hard not to give a fuck." (31:16)

• He admits he’s working on not letting social media negativity consume him, acknowledging it’s just “a playground for people to be negative and nasty.” (31:32)

• On struggling for credit and recognition:

  • "I've helped a lot of comics get to certain levels...Sometimes people say thank you. A lot of times they don't." (43:04, 43:18)

5. Comedy Industry: Stand Up vs. Social Media & Evolving Definitions

• Donnell recognizes the comedy game has changed due to social media, but still values the art of stand-up.
  • "Comedy is evolving…The definition...used to be [stand up], but now…one who entertains an audience through humor." (36:12)
  • He encourages new comics to hone their stand-up skills, rather than relying solely on viral skits. (36:45)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Donnell Rawlings on regrets:
  "I'll tell you what my biggest mistake was, first time I ever came on this show." (38:14)

• On legacy:
  "You never know... People gonna talk shit about anything. As much as you try to do the right thing, there's always gonna be some negative energy." (31:03)

• On truths in comedy:
  "I don't lie on stage... Anything I say is really what happened in my life." (10:35)

• On his father’s legacy:
  "Some people, [are] just built for the streets. And that was...unfortunate." (21:40)

• Charlamagne’s roasting:
  "Would you like a biscuit?" (29:47)
  "You call me for advice...you wanted to open up a gay comedy club in South Carolina." (29:11)

• Candid on the struggle with criticism:
  "It's easy for people to say just don't give a fuck. It's hard not to." (31:24)

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Funniest & Most Memorable Segments

• Gift Exchange: Donnell presents custom "Gay Force Ones" sneakers to Charlamagne and Envy.
  (11:10-12:01)
  "These are the gay force ones." – Charlamagne (11:17)

• Bidet Banter: Ongoing jokey debate about bidets and masculinity.

  • "That's the gateway...to your lifestyle." – Donnell (09:18)
  • "The gateway to what? Clean booty?" – Charlamagne (09:18)

• Diving into “trade,” “butch queen,” and categorizations within gay culture, with Donnell calling up his brother for clarification.
  (15:23-17:17)

• Stories about being a “pizza guy” in Spider-Man 2, childhood visits to see his dad in prison, and the impact on his own parenting.
  (18:37–21:51, 23:15–24:52)

• Raw advice to new comics:

  • "If you’re gonna cry about this situation [bombing], I advise you to quit stand up right now." (57:41)

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Special Highlights & Insights

Donnell’s Mentorship and “The Collective”

• Donnell highlights his behind-the-scenes work to help up-and-coming comics, referencing friends like Adrian Washington and his creative retreats/collaborations dubbed the “Raw Edge Collective.”
  (41:58)

• Javanta Roberts, a mentee and friend, shares on his generosity and support, illuminating a side of Donnell that often goes unseen.

  • "He's so altruistic. He's so giving...he'll give the last, like the last thread of, of the last thing he owns." – Javanta (55:06)

Discussions of Masculinity and Comedy

• Honest talk about homophobia among black men in comedy, and how he feels about jokes regarding sexuality.
  • "Black men, period, are just for the most part naturally homophobic. But now we live..." (51:40)
  • Charlamagne counters, “Don’t generalize. You just gave me props for being in touch with my sexuality.” (51:46)

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Recommended Timestamps

• Donnell on co-parenting & therapy: 00:50 – 05:04
• "Do you regret anything in the relationship?": 03:57 – 04:57
• Truth in comedy / authenticity: 10:08 – 10:51
• Comedy industry today & stand-up vs. viral stardom: 36:08 – 37:47
• Story of Spider-Man 2 audition: 23:15 – 26:46
• Mentorship & helping other comics: 41:52 – 44:00
• Raw advice for wannabe comedians: 57:44

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Tone & Atmosphere

• The episode is a blend of raw honesty, bravado, vulnerability, and classic comedic roasting. Donnell moves between introspection and humor, never staying “serious” for too long—as is the Breakfast Club’s MO.
• The hosts (and Donnell himself) continually blend sincerity with playful antagonism, making the heavy moments easier to digest and the laughs hit even harder.

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In Closing

This episode offers a classic Breakfast Club energy—chaotic, challenging, and deeply entertaining—while peeling back the layers on Donnell Rawlings’ resilient career and personality. Through candid stories, unfiltered banter, and unexpected vulnerability, Donnell proves why he remains one of the most complex and quietly influential comedians of his era.

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For anyone who wants to understand the mind (and heart) behind the punchlines, this is a must-listen.

Transcript

[Angela Yee]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human hold up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Every day I wake up.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Wake your ass up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

One of the most slept on comedians of our generation. Ladies and gentlemen, Don L. Rollins.

[Jazmin]

Come on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Round of applause for Don. One of the most slept on comedians of our generation, Donnell Rollins.

[DJ Envy]

Man, I agree.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Don L. What's up, Don?

[DJ Envy]

How you feeling, man? How you feeling?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm feeling good. I feel like I just got this product and it works wonders. It's supposed to remove negative energy.

[DJ Envy]

There's no negative energy here.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't know. Positive energy. But it's a Palo Santo spray and it works wonders for people.

[DJ Envy]

How are you feeling, man? How's your son? I've seen you on the river. I seen you. Really enjoying life, man.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It's horrible.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Really?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah.

[Jazmin]

Damn.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And it's got even worse since you recommended a therapist for me to go see.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, yeah. You started going to. You started going to therapy.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yep. And he gave me horrible advice.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What was the advice?

[Donnell Rawlings]

It was a situation with me dealing with, like, baby mama drama.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And I say, sometime I get to a point where I'm just frustrated. I don't know what to do. And then he said, what would, you know, what would you do if you was doing a comedy show, right, and you wasn't, the audience wasn't engaged, whatever, what would you do? I said, well, I've had that situation where I had to fall back, regroup, speak a little slower, you know what I'm saying, to start all over. And he said, why don't you do that in your relationship? And I tried that, and it still didn't work. So thank you for giving me the worst therapist in the world today. No, I'm not saying it was bad. Huh?

[Angela Yee]

What happened when you tried it? Why didn't it work?

[Donnell Rawlings]

It did. It just. It just didn't work. I think we. I don't know. It just didn't work.

[Angela Yee]

I saw you post your son's birthday, though, and it seemed like y' all are.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But that's the son that's not the mother of his child.

[Angela Yee]

Yeah, but you. Different relationships with her. So I figured all the co parenting stuff was going well.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It is going well. It's a tough thing, I tell you, for anybody that's doing co parenting, it's tough. Especially when you. You still may have some emotions involved. Whatever. But I will say this. I dated this.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Still have emotions.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, no, Come on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's okay. Open up. All right.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Can we. Can we have rules? Can we have rules of engagement?

[DJ Envy]

What do you mean?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Like you're going to have to raise your hand. You're going to do something different. All right. The way you communicate. I don't really like it. And I was trying to explain. I dated this girl some years ago, right. And she got separate. She was separate. Her divorced when she was young. Right. And I also. I used to always see you said.

[DJ Envy]

Raise his hand when he had a question. So he's raising emotions, but still.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You gotta let me finish. You have to let me finish my sentence.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Is this about the mother of your child or is this another one?

[Donnell Rawlings]

It's about what I wanted to be about.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay. Okay.

[Jazmin]

All right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes. I'm just asking.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Guys.

[DJ Envy]

We all hairs together, guys.

[Donnell Rawlings]

So I used to see this woman, I used to date. Her parents were still together. They would do Thanksgiving, they would do dinners and do all this type of stuff. And I used to say they must be smashing. No way that they're that connected to each other. But as I got older and had this situation in my life, I was like, nah, they was just trying to give or create the best family situation as a co parent they could do. So that's what I do. I apply in my life and we do do a good job. But you respect.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She let you.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No.

[DJ Envy]

So you don't have emotions is what his question was.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, I don't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I mean, I don't think she still likes you.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't think she still likes me, but I. What?

[DJ Envy]

So there's emotions. Cause you said it's emotions.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Emotion involved. You said that.

[DJ Envy]

That's what you said.

[Jazmin]

You said it can be. He said it can be hard when emotions.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When emotions are still involved.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Thank you. Thank you for the clarity, Jess.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, no. So you still have emotions or she still has emotions?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Nobody has emotion. We are raising a beautiful young man. And I mean, this is one thing I say about my co parenting situation. A lot of times when mom and dad are not together like that, it's separate. It's like my mother, my father, you.

[DJ Envy]

Know what I'm saying?

[Donnell Rawlings]

But my son, whenever he talks, he speak to speaks on us as a family, as parents. It's not like I'm going to my mother's or my father house. So we doing a good job with that. And Austin is a beautiful kid.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you regret anything? Do you regret anything?

[Donnell Rawlings]

What?

[DJ Envy]

Do you regret anything in that situation, in the relationship? Yeah, because you said before that you were the One that messed it up. Correct.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I didn't say I was the one that messed it up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I can see that though. We can see you being the one that messed it up.

[Donnell Rawlings]

What were you saying?

[Jazmin]

Okay, so when you go on stage, do you talk about, you know, your past relationship or your co parenting relationship with your son's mother on stage?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, yeah.

[Jazmin]

Has she ever heard about that?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Does she like it?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Is that. No, it was. I'm gonna tell you. She knows me. My life is gonna go on stage. Right?

[Jazmin]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

She understands that. But sometimes when people get in your head, you know what I'm saying? Like what she thought was a funny joke. One of her girlfriends, uh, I don't believe he did that. And he gaslighted and all that stuff. We had that situation. But, you know, I mean, you dated a comedian. That's what it's gonna be. My life is gonna be on stage. But I'm always. I never would do or say anything to put her in a bad light or anything. Cause at the end of the day, she gave me the biggest gift of my life, so I'm forever grateful for that. And I even said, you know, there. It's a certain amount for someone to have your kids. It's a certain amount of love I think you're gonna always have.

[Jazmin]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Does that mean getting back together or rekindling anything? It doesn't, but it's a certain amount of love and respect I always have. Next question.

[DJ Envy]

Did you ever ask her, like, how it affects her when you go on stage and talk about it? Cause that could bring trauma. Did you ever, like.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't really get the body question. No, I don't. I can't, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

If I.

[DJ Envy]

Cause you said you care, so.

[Donnell Rawlings]

If I care, but I don't care.

[Angela Yee]

Cause damn, that didn't come out of therapy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That was. That was disgusting.

[DJ Envy]

That was disgusting.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Can you call on me, please?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you think that calling yourself and.

[Donnell Rawlings]

My brother said, the gays don't really like you the way you think they.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do when you said that, you know.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That'S what he said when you said. He said get over yourself when you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Said dating a narcissist. Speaking of not being able to get over yourself, when you talk about dating a narcissist, do you think that's triggering for the mother of your child?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I didn't say date. So you don't know who the narcissist is?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You clearly.

[Donnell Rawlings]

How you know that's me?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Because of what you just said.

[DJ Envy]

Because she didn't Sign up for that part of it.

[Donnell Rawlings]

All right, what we're gonna do is we gonna have to slow down. All right? There's just too much going on right now.

[Angela Yee]

You can't track.

[Donnell Rawlings]

All right, we gonna slow down.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So either way it's triggering. Cause whether or not she had to date you, who's the narcissist, or you're calling her a narcissist. That is gaslighting.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It's up to this, up to the interpretation of who. Think I don't know who the fuck a narcissist.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You don't think that's gaslighting, calling her a narcissist?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't know what the fuck a narcissist really is.

[Jazmin]

A word that everybody.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Every time I use it, it come up in my algorithms. The minute we argue about something, it's always. And the narcissist. I don't know what the fuck a narcissist is. I just think it's. It's a word that you use to sell books and make more money on the side. I feel that question from her because.

[DJ Envy]

You know, she didn't sign up for that part of it.

[Donnell Rawlings]

She just sits there and tries to raise you, the goddamn narcissist, and you.

[DJ Envy]

Just talk about her on air.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You are the narcissist. Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now, Donnell, you've always been raw and unfiltered. Has being too real ever cost you opportunities in this industry and in your personal life?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, great question has been no, because I am who I am. I don't act like I'm anybody else. And then with me is what you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What if you don't like the version of you?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't really care about what people like. If I'm presenting myself the best way I can and I'm putting it out there like I want to, I can't care about people. Like, I can't let the. I can't let. I can't let people control what I'm doing on stage or off stage.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. Do you think, you know, why are you so quiet?

[Angela Yee]

I'm just.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Raise your hand.

[Angela Yee]

Oh.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Me? Yes.

[Angela Yee]

You know, I'm just in here observing. I just, you know, it's been a while since observing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What do you see? What do you see?

[Donnell Rawlings]

What is observing from your perspective? Is it a B or a V? Observe. Beat from your perspective.

[Angela Yee]

I think he's having a hard time tracking because, you know, as he gets up there, too many people.

[DJ Envy]

Wow. Get up there.

[Donnell Rawlings]

What does get up there mean?

[Angela Yee]

Up on the chair where you Sat down at wow.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, okay. What question.

[DJ Envy]

Do you think that, you know, you lost your edge now that you change? You play pickleball?

[Donnell Rawlings]

You do white things. More pickleball gifts. You do white shit, nigga. You was riding bikes with biker shorts on, son. You did that for some.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That is true. That's a fair point. Fair point.

[Donnell Rawlings]

The shoes that go into the thing. You was doing that shit, son. You know, the shoes that you put inside the pedal thing, the bike shoes.

[DJ Envy]

I lost my edge a little bit. That's my asking.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You did that three weeks and you put that shit in the garage. You got your photo op. You probably got a sponsorship for that. And then he was like, okay, on to the next. That's what you did, sir. But I don't lose no edge. What edge? I don't lose no edge.

[Jazmin]

No, I ain't lose no edge.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You did that.

[Jazmin]

I saw you did the Chris Brown challenge.

[Donnell Rawlings]

The.

[Jazmin]

The.

[Donnell Rawlings]

My friend Javanta Roberts right there. That's my TikTok.

[Jazmin]

That's right.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That's my TikTok. That's my TikTok. I did it.

[Jazmin]

Killed it.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, you did.

[Jazmin]

You did better than I thought.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You, man.

[Jazmin]

You killed it. You ain't losing no edge.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I. I was horrible.

[Jazmin]

No, you weren't.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I wasn't that bad. I wasn't that bad, but I wasn't. I mean, I thought it was fun. It was fun and it was like. It's a lot to. I mean, the only. I. I did that part, right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I did this part right here. I did that and I did.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I did.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I did that. The only part I had was I had that. I did that. I did that. And then I did this part right here. And then I did that, and then I did that. Then I did that, and your brother, son. And that was it. That was it. And then I came back. I did the robot. After that, I had to mix it up.

[DJ Envy]

We were thinking about you earlier, thinking about something that Charlamagne and I were talking about that, you know, since we got to this age. It's very enjoyable. Have you ever thought about getting a bidet?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I just don't. No, that's not my thing. That's the gateway.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The gateway to what? Clean booty.

[Donnell Rawlings]

A clean booty. That's the gateway to. That's the gateway to your lifestyle.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

A clean booty.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That's what it is. You wouldn't be who you are right now if you didn't. Your first boy Boudet.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

First of all, there nothing wrong with.

[Donnell Rawlings]

A B I'm not here for all of you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Have you ever been gay? Have you ever been gay for a bidet?

[Jazmin]

Oh, you have gifts.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, I'm sorry. This unfortunate. I'm. It's not a thing. It's not a Just right here. It's because I've had. And there's nothing, no slight on the ladies in here, but I've had a history with these guys, okay. For so many years, and I.

[Angela Yee]

You came up here with gifts for them two people.

[Jazmin]

We didn't earn our gifts yet.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Can I ask you a question before I open this box? Can I ask you a question?

[Angela Yee]

See, I told you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

A question. As a black comedian, how do you balance being funny with being a cultural truth teller?

[Donnell Rawlings]

How do what?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How do you balance being funny with being a cultural truth teller?

[Donnell Rawlings]

As a black comedian, how do you balance. I don't understand that question. What do you mean?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How do you balance being funny and also being a cultural truth teller?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm a truth teller. That happens to inject humor with that. So I'm always gonna tell the truth. And if that truth happens to be funny, that's what it is. I don't really go out after looking for a joke. I just try to recreate life and situations that I come in contact with, and I put it on stage. So people always say, daniel, that joke that you told, was that the truth? I'm like, I don't lie on stage. Anything I say is really what happened in my life. So that's that. If that answers your question.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now, what is.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Check out your.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What is this?

[Donnell Rawlings]

What is this? It's a gift. It's a. I was.

[Angela Yee]

Open the gift so we can see what y' all got.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I have a question.

[DJ Envy]

Do you feel like you're a sensitive comedian?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm jealous 1000%.

[DJ Envy]

Why is that? Because usually comedians should be able to take a joke and give a joke, but sometimes I feel like you can. Oh, wow.

[Jazmin]

Oh, wow. Oh.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, my God. Get it close up. Get a close up one. Get a close up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

These are the gay force ones.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Look good. Get a close up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He got me a pair of gay force ones.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, look, it's how. My greatest moments of with y'.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All.

[Angela Yee]

That is so.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I appreciate.

[Angela Yee]

Now I understand why me and Jess don't have them.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I do apologize.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The pink shoelace.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. My guy Kill Evans out of Baltimore. Got artist out of Baltimore. He did.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Very thoughtful gift.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Look at it. But no, it's not. It wasn't supposed to be thoughtful. It's supposed to be insulting. I Just wanted.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I am so appreciate.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Get. I want y to see the memory.

[DJ Envy]

Is my birthday and I'm going to wear them. I'm going to wear them this weekend.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

These aren't even the same pictures on both of them.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That's crazy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

This is amazing. D. This is very thoughtful.

[Angela Yee]

Did I say Diddy?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thank you for thinking of me.

[Angela Yee]

I thought I saw Diddy on the other side of it.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Let me see. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Diddy would be on his cuz he sat between Diddy's legs.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I didn't sit between Diddy legs. I slipped. Booty slept in a puddle.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Of what?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Of oil. All right. No, I was. I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna revisit that. That's the part of my life.

[DJ Envy]

When you read the Juice skit, I thought that was hilarious. That one was.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. I'm gonna always be insulting to you guys.

[DJ Envy]

I loved it, actually.

[Jazmin]

Donnell, how frustrating is it, right when people are not taking you serious because you're a comedian?

[Donnell Rawlings]

It's interesting because I really. For what we do, I don't really want people to take me serious. I want them to find me to be funny. You know what I'm saying? People take you, too. That's not true. That's not your question.

[DJ Envy]

Raise your hand.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know that's not true. You like to be taken serious.

[Angela Yee]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That. You actually get very frustrated when people don't take you as serious.

[Donnell Rawlings]

What makes you think I get frustrated?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Because you told me that verbatim. You remember when you told me that. Remember when you yelled at me over the phone and I didn't realize that you were playing. I thought we were playing and then you was like, no, you don't ever take me serious.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That's a horrible impression of me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I know. You said, I would like to get a real interview once, like every other thing that comes.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, it's a gift and a curse if you want to say.

[Jazmin]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You know, because it's times you want people to understand that you're serious, but at the end of the day, as a comedian, I don't want people to take me that serious. I want people to, you know, think I'm funny and laugh at the jokes.

[Jazmin]

Yeah. But in times when you are really serious, you know, like when you were talking about your dad.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah.

[Jazmin]

You know, and how he.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You're trying to. You're trying to trigger something.

[Jazmin]

I'm not. I just want.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I just said the timing.

[Jazmin]

Okay.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Sometimes. And there's times that I have moments and I was having a moment that went viral and you Laughed and you laugh. And I thought that was very insensitive.

[Jazmin]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What do we laugh at?

[Donnell Rawlings]

When I.

[Jazmin]

He was saying when he had grew up.

[Donnell Rawlings]

He remembered.

[DJ Envy]

Who's laughing now? We're not laughing. I don't find it funny.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I said. I said. I remember when I had. I. I was trying to explain a part of my life, and I think that it was very insensitive.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's only because we laughed before. You got to the part about your uncle.

[Donnell Rawlings]

What about. It was. It was about. Yeah, it was about my dad.

[DJ Envy]

It was his dad, not his uncle who died. His dad.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, it was. That was the part about that. No, I thought he laughed about your dad passing away another time.

[DJ Envy]

What?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But the other part when you were.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Talking about being grown up, I said when I grew up, I was trying to go back to a story of my childhood.

[Jazmin]

His dad.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, I thought that.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And it was relating to the relationship that I had with my son. And then when I was doing that, that's when y' all left. But I, you know, like, I've gotten past that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Did your brother spend a lot of time with your uncle? More than you?

[Jazmin]

Who's your uncle? Who's that?

[Donnell Rawlings]

First of all, my brother, who happened to be a part of the letter community, said that the gays don't like. What is trade?

[Angela Yee]

Trade, Charlemagne.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, trade.

[Angela Yee]

He comes off as, like, not.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But. But he said. But he said. He said, you are not trade. He said you're not trade and nobody's checking for you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Trade is a masculine, potentially straight identifying man who engages in same sex activity for various benefits like money or companionship. So what I've been told is that I'm not trade. I'm actually a butch queen.

[Angela Yee]

Oh, wow.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So ask your brother that call.

[Jazmin]

He sounds very treaty.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Hello? Whatever. So I have Charlemagne here. He had a question for you, Chuck. Okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Good morning.

[Donnell Rawlings]

What up?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you don't consider me trade?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, no, come on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What about. What about a butch queen?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Jazmin]

Oh, his brother said absolutely.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But what is a. What is a. What is a butch queen? What the kids will call Charlemagne. The Y N's. The Y N's would call them. No, not the wires. The older ones. I don't know what.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And Donnell would be a bear, right?

[Jazmin]

What is that?

[Donnell Rawlings]

What am I?

[Angela Yee]

What is a bear?

[Donnell Rawlings]

That's envy. Envy said. What is he. I don't. I don't really know what to put the light skin people. Oh, it's a whole different. It's a whole different category because your complexion. Well, I guess what'd you say? There's rules to this. What are the rules? I'm giving them to you. Okay. I'm here to listen. What else? You wanted to just ask me what was. Charlemagne would not betray Butch Queen. Absolutely.

[DJ Envy]

Charlemagne. The top or bottom?

[Javanta Roberts]

Bottom.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm. I'm a power top. Clearly.

[Donnell Rawlings]

More versatile. That would be me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I can see that. I can see me being versatile, flexible. Could you leave your brother alone now?

[Jazmin]

Tell him. Last thing. Last thing.

[Donnell Rawlings]

His.

[Jazmin]

His brother. I mean, tell your brother that he loves doing tricks on the bidet. What is that?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, Charlie, man. Loves doing tricks on the boudet. What is that? Being prepared. Being well prepared. I told him that was the gateway. The gateway, but. The gateway. The gateway. But thank you for giving me a little bit more acknowledge on who this really is.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thank you, Chuck.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Anytime. You take it easy, all right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Take it easy.

[Jazmin]

Charlemagne.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I tried to be nice to you. This is what I want to say. Why don't. No. Why don't you just shut the up, period? How about that? Have you ever tried that?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Can I ask a question? No, I got my hair.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Can you have your hand? Shut the up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Can I have my. I got my hand.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No. Yeah, shut the up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I want to ask you a question about your son.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, that is not a good transition.

[DJ Envy]

That wasn't a good transition.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That is not a good transition. That's not a question. All right. What. What.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What if your son watches your career years from now? What's the lesson? You want him to take away that.

[Donnell Rawlings]

His dad tried everything to make. To make people feel good about themselves? It's so funny, because my son, he knows what I do. This is so interesting. One day, it was over the summer, we were talking, and I don't think he knows, like, some of the things I did, movies and stuff like that. So I was like, you know, I said, you know, daddy, dad is somewhat of accomplished actor, whatever. He was like, yeah. So I just started showing him different things that I've done.

[DJ Envy]

What's the first thing you showed accomplished?

[Donnell Rawlings]

After I showed him a scene with me on HBO's the Wire.

[DJ Envy]

Okay.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It was the same when my character just got introduced. It was me in the back room with Lieutenant Daniels, and I'm in there talking trash like, yo, I would steal this. I would steal this. And I said, my name is Damen Price, but I mostly go by day Day. And then on the other end, he says, my name is Daniels. I mostly go by Lieutenant, right? So now I find out that it's a cop in here, right? So I asked my son, I said, what do you see in that scene? He said, I see somebody that's about to get in trouble. Me, Right? He said, daddy, did you get arrested in that scene? I said, yeah. So I'm just thinking as an actor, I said, I want to show him the other scene. He said, I don't want to see that, daddy. I said, you know, I'm an actor. I said, it's not real. It's make believe. He said, yeah, but I don't want to see my father getting locked up. And I. You know, I never thought that he. He separated. He's like, he knows I'm an actor, whatever, but he's in no situation. He wanted to see me get locked up. And it made me think about my father. Like, I used to actually go visit my father, you know? And I. Where was he? In Lewisburg. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Prison.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. And I remember, oh, this is what you did to me. You see that? I'm traumatized, nigga soon as I said.

[Jazmin]

I remember, even your people started laughing.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Soon as I said, this is what this nigga did to me. Soon as I say it, I remember I felt something. Traumatized. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

What you remember going to see your dad in jail?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. Behind the glass and everything. And I. I thought that was normal. And I. That's why I don't understand how some guys put themselves in a position where that would be. How you not raise your kids or be in that situation.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's why we got to start shaming people that's in the street. I don't judge people for what they did during survival. But we do have to start clowning people when they doing street stuff that can take them away from their family.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. My father was a perfect example that. My father was a Heroin Kingspin in D.C. some years ago. Right. And he's been. He was. He passed away.

[DJ Envy]

Sorry.

[Jazmin]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Some time ago. Right. But close to the end of his life, come to find out he was still in the streets. He was still selling drugs. And he was selling drugs like he was in the 70s. The code words they was using. Yo, I'm at the place. How many nuggets do you need? Like, 30, 100. I'm like, how the fuck.

[DJ Envy]

How old was he when he passed?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, my dad was 72.

[DJ Envy]

72, yeah.

[Jazmin]

But he was still in the streets.

[Javanta Roberts]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That's what I understand. But that's when somebody say, somebody's a born hustler.

[Jazmin]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It's like, what would make you jeopardize your freedom relationship? Would you have your Kids, some people, was just built for the streets. And that was. It was unfortunate. But I'm like, when do you stop that?

[DJ Envy]

So your relationship, it wasn't a close relationship? When he passed, it was.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, we was as close as you. I mean, most of my life he was in prison, you know what I'm saying? So we didn't have. I don't have anything bad to say about him. We just didn't have that type connection. But, you know, I was a young boy growing up, just like wanting relationship with his father didn't exist.

[DJ Envy]

You ever tried to get him out because you are accomplished, you are doing well, and say, dad, you ain't gotta do this no more. You can just stay with me, raise your grandson, stay with me. Or push him out the streets or. You was a.

[Donnell Rawlings]

My dad had too much pride to probably ask anybody for anything, you know?

[Angela Yee]

You know what's crazy?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I have my hands.

[Angela Yee]

We see. You wanna go to him.

[DJ Envy]

Dynamo.

[Donnell Rawlings]

What?

[Angela Yee]

Okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Have you unpacked any of this in therapy? Cause she's about to move on and not even care about any of this.

[DJ Envy]

No, no, no.

[Angela Yee]

It's in relation to what he's talking about with his dad.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Have you unpacked any of this in therapy?

[Javanta Roberts]

Nah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I mean, I haven't unpacked it in therapy. I don't know if I need therapy for that. I just look at. I look at my father and I use that as an example of what I don't wanna do with my son. That's why one of the things with my son, I always, like, make memories. Make memories. So I' and then I just remember when I do things with him, when I take my son on the river, when I do trips and everything, it just reminds me of things I didn't do with my dad. And it makes me want to be more aggressively in my, my son's life. Even though me and Stephanie are together, like, I'm like, actively, like, I'm involved with my son's life. Anybody to follow me, they know that. Anybody know that know me, know that?

[DJ Envy]

You want to hug right now?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't want to hug.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Did you let your son see your greatest role? Since you are an accomplished actor, you let him see your greatest role ever.

[Donnell Rawlings]

What you consider to be my greatest role ever.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When you played the pizza heist guy in Spider Man Part two, The pizza.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Heist, that wasn't my greatest role, but it was fantastic. It was good line was amazing.

[DJ Envy]

You killed that line.

[Donnell Rawlings]

For a kid to be a part of that.

[DJ Envy]

Can you show them the line. Cause they probably didn't see it.

[Donnell Rawlings]

So it's what's the Spider man nigga name?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Spider Man.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Spider Man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Toby.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Toby. He's working for this pizza company, Eat Right. And every day he's delivering these pizzas. He's late, he's late. And then they tell him, they say, yo, if you, if you, if you're late one more time, you're going to get fired for your job. So he's driving down the street, you know what I mean? He look at the clock, he's going to be late. So he gets off the bike, he goes in the alley and then he comes back as Spider man with a pizza box and he's like, whoa, he stole that guy's pizza. Tada. Let me tell you something interesting story about that. When I got that role for Spider man, they do what you call audition, it's called reaction audition. Like they'll just give you a scenario. They'll just be like this, you're in the elevator, Spider man comes in there. How are you gonna respond? You walking down the street, how you respond? They audition you and just see what your improv reaction is going to be. So when I, before I got that role, that was some years ago, I was supposed to do man on the street for BET awards, right? And at that time, from my generation of comedy, it wasn't a lot of opportunities. So being a part of bet, anything was a big deal. So I was excited that I was going to be this man on the street guy. The guy who was directing it, he wanted me, but the producers were still sketchy about it. So you know, we had talked, we had talked and up until Friday, that Friday we did a wardrobe. I had got a wardrobe fitting and all that. And I was supposed to go to work that Saturday morning for bet. I get a call at night and they said the producers want to go in a different direction. They was like, the road that I thought I was gonna have the man on the street, it just disappeared. And this was like not even, I mean, in 24 hours. So I wasn't fucking with BET. I was like, they be on some bullshit. I was upset about that. Then the next morning I get a call from my manager and he said, we got a call from the Spider man team. They want you to come to work, right? And that was so crazy. And the crazy thing about it was the location where I was supposed to do the BET situation, it was literally right around the corner from the Spider man set. So I had to walk past the BET set and Niggas was looking at me like, did anybody tell him, wow. Like, I walked past and Sam Raimi, he came up to me, he said, down here, you're my favorite actor in New York. Well, you're the only actor I know in New York. And what they do is, I didn't know what I was gonna do. He's got a stick right here with an X on it. He said, he tells you the situation. He said, so, Donnell, this is Toby, right? He goes to the alley, he does like this to see your eyeline, he said, and he comes out as Spider Man. He said, what are you gonna say? And I just said, whoa, he stole a guy's pizza. And that was the improv line. And he kept it. And the rest of the day, that's all he kept saying for the rest of that. So it just worked. It's funny how one situation got shut down and it opened up because nobody would have remembered me doing on the street stuff for bet. But I go down the history of being a part of that brand. And I had one line, but it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Was, did you ever get any cheeks because of that one appearance in Spider Man 2?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I didn't get any cheeks from it, but I made my friends kids very happy. Like my. One of my friends. It was a funny because, you know, dad's always going to try to be proud my friend Brooklyn Mike, right at the time, his daughter was young at the time. And he said, you know, my daughter said, can Daddy, can you introduce me to Spider Man? Can Donnell introduce me to Spider Man? And of course, he'd been a dad. He said, well, you know, I know Spider man too. And his daughter looked at him and said, I know. But Donnell worked with Spider man. So anytime I got to flex for kids or whatever like that, but I never got no answers.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I believe any of these stories happen because there's one little line in Spider man too, I believe.

[Angela Yee]

I think he put a lot of Spider man adjacent.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You got negative. You Spider Man. You know, over and over, that was. I probably got about two, $3,000.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, even with the royalties and all that?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, I mean, it constantly comes, but after a while, you know, it's not like crazy amount, but you get paid just free show. I'm just saying.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you feel that the industry rewards the comedians who take risk are the ones who play it safe?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't think it's the industry that is the connection. It's the audience. It's the audience. At the end of the day, all we trying to do is build a Fan. We could be in film and TV all we want, but for real, a comedian, that's a real comedian, at the end of the day, your biggest concern, can I put my name on the market and can people come and check me out telling jokes so I don't get caught up in what the industry does. I'm a part of the industry, but I make a living without it. If I don't ever get another film or tv, TV gig for the rest of my life, the fact that I can make money telling jokes, it's a win. So I look at like that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, you're telling jokes this weekend.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Actually a new yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

At the Stress Factory.

[Jazmin]

Yes, sir.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Speaking of stress factory, I don't trust your face.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What is your problem?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, I'm just saying it's just like you holding back. It's like your face is holding back some type of negativity, son. And the funny thing about it is that let's get to. Let's get to the real. Let's get to the real deal. Let's get to the real deal. This is not how you talk to me. Off, off. You call me for advice. You do, do you not? Do you not?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Do we have conversations? Do we have conversation? When you told me, you said, donna, I want to invest some money, you told me you never did that. You said you wanted to open up a gay club in South Carolina. No, you said a gay comedy club. You said, the cocks are strong down there. The Cox is popping down there in South Carolina. Yeah, whatever, Cox, it's Cops Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Funny would be dope for a gay.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Comedy club, but I don't know how to say this, man, I'm sick of you, man. I'm really sick of you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Would you like a biscuit?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't want. If I didn't have to sell you a ticket. I'm telling you what. No, I'm good. I'm good on that, you know. No, that joint, look, got some skeet magic on the top, but I don't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Know what you do. Come on now.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Nah, I'm good.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You sure?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm positive.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You looked at it.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yes, sir.

[DJ Envy]

Now, you've been in the game for a long time. What keeps you motivated to still hit the stage, what motivates Donnell and what makes Donnell laugh at this time?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Pills motivate me to go on stage. Yeah, but it just, I really, after 30 plus years, I still enjoy what I do. You know what I'm saying? You got a couple of people that go to a show. It's People that need to laugh and the people that want to laugh. When I do a show and people come up to me and they're like, you know what? I was having a bad day. I lost my aunt or something. I didn't expect to go out. Everybody said, come out and enjoy yourself. And when I talk to those people, and they're like, you removed me from the things that I was dealing with for at least 45 minutes. That's what kind of gives me motivated to do it. And every year, I try to evolve and get better. I really, really genuinely enjoy what I'm doing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Are you chasing legacy or chasing checks, Donna?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm not. I'm. I'm not. I'm definitely always gonna chase checks because that's what I do. But I don't know what my legacy will be. You never know.

[Jazmin]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You think people connect with. You don't never know. People like this world we live in now, people gonna talk shit about anything. As much as you try to do the right thing, it's always gonna be some negative energy. And as long as we try to not focus on that, we've been.

[DJ Envy]

Why do you respond to it, though? Cause you're quick to respond to that negative energy, negative things said to you, and it seems like you're the person that continues to do it, which keeps the motion continuing on.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It's hard for me, the hardest thing, and it's easy for you to say, you just don't give a fuck. It's hard not to give a fuck.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you do care.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It really is.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You do care.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And to a certain. I'm getting a little stronger with that. But at some point, you like you. The comments. I shouldn't be in the comments. But you reading the comments and everything, you're like, oh, this shit is popping. This feels good. And then it's that one person that could throw you off, you know, One person you like. How don't. Why don't you feel like everybody else feel? But I realized social media is just a. It's just a playground for people to be negative and nasty.

[DJ Envy]

You just realizing that today?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, not today. No, not today. I just. It's just. It's a constant thing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Have you unpacked this with your therapist about why these comments bother you?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Like, why everything got to be about unpacking? Man, I don't want to unpack.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Unpack.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Why the. Is that the new word?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Is it comedian? Is it regular people?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Do you get, like. When you do therapist, do you get words of the day, like, you have to Use.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Calm down.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm not upset. Yo, please. No, I don't want to hug. You do know that. You do know what you're doing, right? You do know what you're doing. You're.

[DJ Envy]

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Just breathe, breathe, breathe.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Be.

[Jazmin]

Sorry.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Is it regular people that do this to you or other comedians?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm sorry. No, comedians don't. With me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, yes, they do.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, they don't. They don't who?

[DJ Envy]

I mean, they don't like him. He means they don't like him. Comedians don't like him.

[Donnell Rawlings]

He says they won't say it to me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, yes.

[Jazmin]

Well, I love you.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, when. Tell me.

[DJ Envy]

A lot of us.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I don't want to bring up anything old. I don't want to rehash old wounds.

[DJ Envy]

Good job.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, but what. What I'm saying is anybody can be boisterous online, but, like, face to face, it's a whole different story.

[Jazmin]

Absolutely.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And you give me an example of anybody that had an issue with me, had brought it to my face.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I don't want to do it. I don't want to.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I would love for.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You don't want to. I don't want to talk about it.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No. This is a good time for you to unpack.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, I will leave it there.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I will leave it there.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, I'll leave it there.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You try to start some with Arnes J. Huh? When you call me, you try to make it seem like I called to something like that and I got nothing but respect for honest J. You tried to. You try to start some.

[Jazmin]

You starting beef with comedians now?

[DJ Envy]

No, unpack it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's not what happened.

[Jazmin]

What the hell is he talking about? You started something between him and Arnes J.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's something, Donnell? What's something you learned about yourself recently that surprised you?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Nothing. I don't be learning about myself. Nothing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's the problem, right?

[DJ Envy]

If you weren't a comedian, what would you be doing right now, Donnell?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I would probably be a. I wanted to be a car first. I wanted to be an architect, but I wasn't that nice in math, so I was like, that's not gonna be a good thing. Then I would have probably been the carpenter.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You'd have been a good sous chef.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No.

[Angela Yee]

Give carpenter.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, I would have been. I would definitely something. Something blue collar for sure.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How do you. You don't think you've been a sous chef?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I would have been a chef. I wouldn't have been a sous chef.

[Jazmin]

How the hell does somebody give carpenter?

[Angela Yee]

Lauren, they just sit. They got stories they got a toolbox. They walk around with how they come in your house and how you doing, man?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Blue collar n get the most. You wanna know who fucks the hardest in the community? I'm gonna tell you. Football coaches and handyman. Do you know personally handyman? I know football coaches and handyman. Football coaches. Especially in the inner city because there's so many fatherless kids out here. Coach Johnson is fucking all of the mothers just because he spends time with them kids.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Coach Johnson. Johnson is amazing.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. I mean, that's not a real name, but I just put it out there.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Richard, Richard Johnson out there. Just fucking everyone's mothers.

[Jazmin]

Children, when you look at the. The state of comedy today, right, the climate of comedy, right, what pisses you off and what makes you proud?

[DJ Envy]

Great question, Jess.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Nothing, Nothing pisses me off. I used to not understand certain things and I would just say that, for example, like I've been doing it for a very long time. People that haven't been doing this longest, I have. Like yourself, you came along, you had different tools to advance yourself. You know, it's like a lot of older comments, well, they, on social media, whatever, but those are tools that, that exist. Those are tools that they, they sharpen their toolbox to do that. But I do say with that, with all the success like some young comics get, like, like in the moment, I would really appreciate if people took the art form of stand up to be good at it and not just like, okay, I got this five minutes of fame, whatever. People come to see me, but really give a fuck about being a dope. Stand up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you think social media comedians are watering down the art form?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't think. I don't say watering down. It's. Comedy is evolving. The definition. I remember some years ago, I was talking to this girl and she was like this, I'm a comedian. I said, let me see some of your stuff. She said, I'm on YouTube. And she said, she started showing me some skits. I said, that's not a comedian. She said, yes, it is. Because when I think of the idea of comedian, I think of stand up. Stand up, stand up. But if you really look at the definition of comedian, it says one who entertains an audience through humor. So what used to be the definition of a comedian? It has changed and it's evolved.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Chappelle show wasn't a comedy then why wasn't what? Chappelle show wasn't a comedy. By your logic, that makes no sense. Dono.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't understand what you're Saying you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Said, she showed you sketches and you said, this isn't comedy.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, stand up. No, no, no, no. Because when I. When she said comedian, I was just thinking, stand up, comedian. You know what I'm saying? Not thinking of just somebody making sketch.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Comedian.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, it could be a sketch comedian, but that's not what.

[Jazmin]

Say that she just said she was a comedian and his mind automatically reverted to.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It went to, like, stand up. But she's a comedic actor. Whatever you want.

[Angela Yee]

How do those comedians you talk about get their stripes then? Like, what is it that they do? Because not everybody that is online does.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Stand up where they get their stripe. A lot of people, they. First off, they. They want to know how they can get some more money. You know what I'm saying? It's like this, okay. I got this fan base, you know, I'm saying people follow me, they see me doing sketches, but I want to turn that into something else. So eventually it. It turns into you doing standard. Because how else if. Are you going to get the other check if you don't go. Go perform? So it just turns into that.

[DJ Envy]

I have my hand up. Can I ask a question?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't know what it is, but I just don't trust you, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Just a question.

[DJ Envy]

I'm having a real conversation.

[Jazmin]

He hasn't trusted you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You need to really unpack that with you.

[DJ Envy]

I'm just asking, in this long career that you had, you know, you've done standup, you've done skits, you've done comedy, you've done tv, you've done morning radio. Out of all the things that you did, what would you say is your biggest mistake that you've ever made? That you think back and be like, that was wrong, or I apologize.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'll tell you what my biggest mistake was, first time I ever came on this show.

[DJ Envy]

Why do you feel that way?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Cause look at what this created. It's created a monster. I gotta come up here, I gotta look at you. I gotta worry about unpacking shit with this nigga over here. And then wherever I go, people like, why you? Like, the fuck would you like that? And I don't. That's probably the biggest mistake in my career was actually coming up here.

[Angela Yee]

So why you keep coming back?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I gotta sell tickets.

[Jazmin]

We promote shows.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

First of all, we don't fuck with you. Like, that's. That is such a, you know, false narrative.

[Jazmin]

So why would y' all let him come up here if y' all don't fuck with him?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, no, no, no. I mean, like, we don't fuck with him.

[Jazmin]

I was gonna say that is so myself.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Nobody messes with Donnell. Oh, you think we fuck with you, Donnell?

[Donnell Rawlings]

You want to love. I don't even. I used to like you.

[DJ Envy]

Ooh, wow.

[Angela Yee]

You didn't speak to me when you walked in today.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I didn't notice. I wasn't. I was. That's the thing. When I come in here, I don't know what to expect.

[Jazmin]

He's so triggered.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Did you notice her pin starter kit?

[Donnell Rawlings]

What?

[Angela Yee]

My beyond measure chains.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, that's nice.

[Angela Yee]

Thank you. He knows true fashion. Look at his sweater.

[DJ Envy]

Another question. When you were in the Air Force, right, and you were stationed in South.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Korea, what did you mean by that?

[DJ Envy]

What did you.

[Angela Yee]

I like your sweater. It's nice. I know what.

[DJ Envy]

What did you learn in South Korea that you still use in today's world?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Nigga, I don't trust nothing about.

[Angela Yee]

You got three buttons, and they all button, and it's crisp.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That's wrong. What'd you say?

[DJ Envy]

I said, when you were stationed in South Korea in the military, what did you learn there that you still use in today's business or in comedy?

[Donnell Rawlings]

It was a phrase, and it's. I'm gonna say it in Korean. Pojio mayo.

[Jazmin]

What that mean?

[Donnell Rawlings]

How much for the pussy?

[Jazmin]

Oh, poji o mayo.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Poji o mayo.

[DJ Envy]

So you bought vagina in Korea? South Korea?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, I didn't buy it, but I needed.

[DJ Envy]

Why would you know that?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Cause it was the phrase poji o my yo. You had to know that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why did you have to know that if you weren't buying them?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Okay, all right. I was 18 years old, and I was over there stationed in Korea. I was 18 years old. I was on a remote base. A remote base means that for every one female, she has 15 or 20 guys to choose from. And I wasn't in nobody top five, so I had to learn how to say pojio.

[Angela Yee]

So your issues don't come from the Breakfast Club? They started back when you were over there and you were top five.

[Jazmin]

Damn.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But I didn't buy I had a girlfriend over there. Isn't it true that called a yobo? It's called yobo. Yobo is like a girlfriend for a year.

[DJ Envy]

Is it like. Is that have like lady?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Pretty much. Boys, Is that. Is that a. I didn't traffic her. I was in the country.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You le. You leased the lady?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. You could lease yobo.

[DJ Envy]

Was she full lady?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, she was.

[Angela Yee]

She had to think about it.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I have to think about everything on this show because I don't know the energy and where it's coming from, but yeah, I had a rel. I was in relationship over there. I thought so. Four year old.

[Angela Yee]

You thought so.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How much did you pay to lease her?

[DJ Envy]

Did Miles matter?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's a great question. Did miles matter? Was she a hoe there and you didn't know?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, she was a hoe. She was a yobo.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's that?

[DJ Envy]

What's that mean?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Just your partner for a year, Somebody to take care of you and make sure you're all right and make sure you get all the. All. All your needs taken care of.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But she wasn't a lady boy.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, she wasn't a lady boy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's what I was asking.

[Jazmin]

Do you have any favorite comedian these days? Like any newcomers? And you got any favorites on the Internet that you like to look at?

[Donnell Rawlings]

One of my guys is here right now. Adrian Washington. He just had. He did the bucket pull on Kill Tony show. I've been working with him for like a year. I think he was voted.

[DJ Envy]

He didn't even mention his name.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Minneapolis.

[DJ Envy]

He's been here 40 minutes. Didn't even shout that brother out one.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Time because we shouted out your podcast.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Co host, Gervonta, what's the.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Name?

[DJ Envy]

One time and he's been sitting here for 40 minutes.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Because we know what we do.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Ignore each other.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, it'll be the right time for it. You know, it's the collective. I started this new thing. I realized that I've been. I've had a lot of influence in this business. I know a lot of people. And I said, you know, I wanted to do something where I got a group of creatives that we come together. We have like creative retreats, we create content and we pretty much hit all type of areas in this business. And I was like, instead of. It's not like I represent anybody, but we have a group of people and I'm gonna start this thing. It's a raw edge collective where we come together as a crew. And if somebody's like, oh, we need somebody to choreograph this dance routine where the first thing I'm thinking about is your Vanta. Why would you be dancing, huh?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why do you need a choreographed dance routine?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, I'm not saying for myself. I'm saying if somebody had a situation.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Like that Got you. Gotcha.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm going to be a tick tock sensation. You'll see. You'll see. That's right.

[DJ Envy]

You said you influenced people. What have you influenced? Are people stealing your stuff? If that's what you mean?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, like, I've helped a lot of comics. I've helped a lot of comics get to certain levels.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why don't they give you credit?

[Donnell Rawlings]

That's just part of the business.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, I mean, other people get their credit. Like, Dave gets his credit.

[DJ Envy]

Chris Rock gets his credit all the time.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Time people, you know, like, those guys get their credit. Why don't Don L. Rollins get his credit? If you helping people?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Like this word. It happens sometimes. Sometimes people say thank you. A lot of times they don't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, I've never heard that. Kevin Hart gets his credit.

[Angela Yee]

Who have you helped?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Good question.

[Donnell Rawlings]

A lot of people.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, who?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Right here.

[DJ Envy]

Who?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I want to talk about it, because then I don't want to talk.

[Jazmin]

He helps me all the time. He gives me great advice. I call him.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I had a group years ago. I'm sorry. It's hard for me to stay focused. Jazz, I'm so sorry.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That raised their hand and said, hey, you helped me.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, go ahead, go ahead.

[Javanta Roberts]

That's all I was saying.

[Jazmin]

Oh, you just helped me. You know, just giving me inspiration and, you know, mentoring me and things like that. Just great advice.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I appreciate it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You're one of the best come. You're one of the best stand up comedians ever.

[Jazmin]

Yes, you are.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I really.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I really. I really. I appreciate you.

[Jazmin]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And I say it all the time.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, you do.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And I'll probably repeat myself. I remember years ago, you had reached out to me in a dm, and this was when you was first starting. Only thing you want to know is, like, what I need to do. And I didn't give you. I don't think I gave you any advice. I might have said. I think I might have said, get on stage. I think I might have said, get on stage. Everything you're gonna learn is gonna be from what you do as a performer. And it's interesting. Cause I know people go at you or whatever, right? And the thing that fucks me up the most is like, if you don't respect anything about you respect your hustle. You know what I'm saying? Like, people think it's easy. I know you get it all the time. Oh. Cause she got these followers. But those followers just don't come out of nowhere. They come from putting the work in. I've seen you grow as a standup. When we just did that show, where were we?

[Jazmin]

We were in California. Sacramento.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. And I was like, why don't they talk about this? You know what I'm saying? I've seen you captivate an audience. The way you act as you was. You just had that orders in the palm of your hand. I'm like to. I know you get a lot of dumb, but I look at you like this is an example of somebody. When you work hard at something and you put the work in, you'll get the results, you know. So I always shout y' all even. Not even when is happening. You know, I'll just call you like what's up?

[DJ Envy]

And check.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah.

[Jazmin]

Yep.

[DJ Envy]

I don't have any more questions.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't think this went the way I wanted.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Can I.

[DJ Envy]

Why?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I was just. This brought to my attention a comment that somebody posted. You were on Kill Tony. I was yesterday with Rob Snyder.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, you went back.

[DJ Envy]

Okay, nice.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And somebody.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I went back.

[Jazmin]

See, I made up.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Everything was made up.

[Jazmin]

Kill Tony.

[Donnell Rawlings]

We know. I never had an issue with Kill Tony.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It was really bad for you on there at one point.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It wasn't bad. I.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It was. You got booed and.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Boo? What are you talking about? I didn't get booed on Kill Tony.

[Angela Yee]

That was another place.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I got booed on Rose battles.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You walked off and killed Tony.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I removed myself from a negative situation. I didn't say I had a God. Could y' all please stop?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You walked off because the guy was killing you so bad.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I did not boo him, though.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Javante, what happened that time?

[Donnell Rawlings]

What happened? I didn't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Come here. Javante, come to the mic.

[Angela Yee]

He crashed out.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What? What happened?

[Javanta Roberts]

Okay, so go ahead, tell the story.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Don't be scared.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why did you.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Did he hit you? Blink if you need help.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Blink if you need help.

[Javanta Roberts]

I just don't. I just don't want to come on here and act like I love you so much. You've helped me as well. But he's a great representation.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Link, if you need help, tell us what happened. Not last night, but the time before when he walked off.

[Javanta Roberts]

Well, he has a tendency to crash out and so that's true at that point.

[DJ Envy]

Don't look at him.

[Jazmin]

He was already gone.

[Javanta Roberts]

He was already gone.

[Jazmin]

Okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn.

[DJ Envy]

Look at me and Jess. Okay.

[Javanta Roberts]

He was already gone and he walked off.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So what do you think happened at the last one, the last taping? Because there's a really negative comments that.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm about to read out.

[Javanta Roberts]

Killed this last night.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, he killed it.

[Jazmin]

Killed it.

[Javanta Roberts]

There was nothing wrong with that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

There's a comment that says Donnell Rawlings brand of comedy is so bad to me, like watching a train wreck. Charlamagne is going to have a field day tomorrow.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Jesus.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wow.

[Jazmin]

Jesus.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But see, those are your type of people. No, they're negative. They're negative. You. They're negative. Those are your type of.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Nothing to do with me.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You went through everything. You went through everything.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yours showed me this.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And then first of all, all I.

[Angela Yee]

Did was type your name and it was top of the. I didn't even call you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She called you a top.

[Angela Yee]

I typed your name in on X. And then it just was like, probably like top three tweets.

[DJ Envy]

At least he didn't get booed. He didn't get booed again. That's the moment. Yes, he is.

[Angela Yee]

He's amazing on stage.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Okay.

[DJ Envy]

I don't like him booing him, though.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Okay. The thing is, I did kill Tony some years ago.

[DJ Envy]

Yes, five years ago, actually.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And I was on that stage for two and a half hours and I had something to do and I told Tony I'm not gonna be here forever.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Two and a half hours is a long time.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It's a very, very long time.

[DJ Envy]

You had a sushi date.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I just didn't have a sushi date. It was one of those sushi spots where it takes a year to get a reservation. They sit six or eight people. It's not like going to Sushi Sambo Sushi Stop. Like to go. It was one of. I don't even know the name of it. It's a speakeasy joint. I wish. I feel bad that I'm. It's one of the best places in Austin, Texas. I had to go. And what happened was they did a video where they showed me having. Going at. With this comic. If you look at the video, you'll see it's one shot, one community. It's another shot. So they edit.

[DJ Envy]

I know you explained the last time.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know, if you're explaining, you're losing. I just want you to know that.

[Jazmin]

No, no, that is not what that means.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, it does. This comment right here says.

[DJ Envy]

What do you say?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It says somebody named allegedly Drew. I don't know who that is. He has a check mark says, you were hilarious. But Donnell Rawlings is the worst guest I've ever seen. Stereotypes are so real. That's what he said to Rob Schneider.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But that. But the thing is that base. And I will say Tony has created a platform for people to get on. That's one of the biggest YouTube shows, whatever. But the people that watch that, they just like. They just. They are. A lot of them. I say 75% of people, they are trolls. They live for moments like that. They live to try to get on your skin. And they do every time.

[Angela Yee]

Does the troll never get on your nerves? So it does.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You say they do sometimes, but I'm. I'm getting better.

[DJ Envy]

Do you want to hug?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Ignoring it. No, I don't want to hug.

[Jazmin]

Well, I love you.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't know what I want.

[Jazmin]

You have shows at the stress Factory? Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yes. Are they sold out yet?

[Jazmin]

Is it six shows or five?

[Donnell Rawlings]

It's two shows Friday, two shows Saturday and one show on Sunday.

[Jazmin]

Okay, so five.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I do well in that club. I'm pretty sure it will sell out.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, I always said he sells out before he became a base. They don't even have to start about this.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Okay, well, that's Gary Owens is y'.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't give a.

[Angela Yee]

Rapper dynamic came out other.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So what?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't give a. So what Them all. You sell your tickets the way you sell your tickets. And I will sell my tickets the way I sell my tickets. Next question.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I like the new fashion forward.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I mean, my fashion never been backwards. Nigga, you the one that need a stylist, nigga. Do you ever look at the pictures of you? Do you ever look at.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I like the fashion forward. Donnell.

[DJ Envy]

We appreciate you.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Donnell. Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Fucking. They talk about you dress like August Alsina boyfriend at the bottom. Exactly like a school teacher.

[Donnell Rawlings]

At the top. The fact that you have all these gay references just ready anything gay. You got a whole speech about that shit. Top, bottom. You don't even say pause in pause situations, sir. That's how free you are with yourself. You would just let it go and you would only think I know will unpause or pause.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you think comedians are afraid to joke about sexuality because scared of how people will label them?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm pretty. Yeah, 1000% they are scared to talk about. That's why you in touch with yourself. That's why when people call you and it's me as Fruity Tootie or booty Bandits, which I'll do, it don't affect you because you're in touch with your sexuality. Booty Tootie, Hooty Rudy or whatever it is.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you think black men in comedy get boxed into certain stereotypes about masculinity and sexuality more than others?

[Donnell Rawlings]

100, I believe 100%. 100%. But I also believe that, you know, that people's way of thinking have evolved. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, black men, period are just for the most part naturally homophobic. But now we live.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Not true. Don't generalize. All black Men like that. You just gave me props for being in touch with my sexuality. So don't label all black men as being homophobic.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You're not a regular nigga though, son.

[DJ Envy]

What kind of nigga is he?

[Donnell Rawlings]

He does his eyebrows.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, I don't.

[Angela Yee]

Yes, you do.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yes, you do.

[Jazmin]

Definitely do.

[Angela Yee]

You know what? Like, I don't believe that you just naturally wake up with your eyebrows.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Don't get mad at me because you got to feel yours in every morning.

[DJ Envy]

Wow.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, but I just think. I just think the way people think is totally different now. At some point, you gotta be like, who gives a. And you just keep it moving.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's the wildest assumption people have ever made about you and your sexuality and how did you handle it?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I've never had no wild situations by my sexuality.

[DJ Envy]

That's a lie.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I.

[DJ Envy]

Somebody thought. You.

[Angela Yee]

See, that's some old car.

[DJ Envy]

Somebody thought you were gay before.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I don't know who that could be.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Where'd you find Javante?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I've been knowing what I keep saying.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm sorry.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I've been knowing her for how long we been knowing? 20 something.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Javanta Roberts]

15.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah, she was. She was working for this Internet. What's poppin? What was the name of that show? Yeah, she was a host of it. She was very young. And how did we reconnect after that?

[Javanta Roberts]

I was on a date. And then you tackled my date. And then I got up on stage and I started doing stand up.

[Donnell Rawlings]

She did stuff.

[Jazmin]

You defended your date at a comedy show. And Donnell Rollins heckled your date.

[Javanta Roberts]

Date. Yeah, because he couldn't figure out how I was. He got me like, how am I doing?

[Jazmin]

Oh, so you was on a date.

[Donnell Rawlings]

With an ugly dude.

[DJ Envy]

You were trying to holler.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Somebody did that to Stephanie.

[Jazmin]

And then Javan try to talk to her.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I hope so.

[Javanta Roberts]

I had a stand up career.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, no, let me explain something.

[Jazmin]

She was a stripper at first.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yo, wait a minute. Why y' all got all this excitement for her? Why y' all perky now? Can you sit on the couch?

[Jazmin]

Can you sit on the couch for a second?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you remember. You got. You remember some of your moves?

[DJ Envy]

Hold on, hold on, hold on.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Let's.

[DJ Envy]

Let's give her own mic.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Show me one move, Donnell.

[Angela Yee]

Move over.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

A Missy move. A Shakira move. No, you got to sit over there.

[Jazmin]

Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

J. J Roberts. Right. Okay.

[Javanta Roberts]

Okay, so, yeah, back.

[DJ Envy]

Thanks D. For joining us.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Okay, this. This is what I'm saying.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Shut the up and let J. I.

[Javanta Roberts]

Met Patrick too, back then.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I've known Patrick this can. I just want to be clear. This is part of the collective giving people opportunities. I know you called. He was heckling you at the.

[Javanta Roberts]

He was heckling me at the. At the.

[Donnell Rawlings]

All right, first of all, wait, no, no, no.

[Javanta Roberts]

Let me. No, no, no.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Let me say this.

[Javanta Roberts]

A lot of people don't argue about you. A lot of people don't know.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I wanted to say something.

[Javanta Roberts]

Go ahead. Yes.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm saying part of the collective, like you said. Of course. You invited her to the mic. I invited her to the show. That's how the collective.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You didn't even introduce her when she walked.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Because the reason why I didn't. All right, go ahead, ahead, go.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Jama.

[Angela Yee]

Jim White.

[Javanta Roberts]

No, What a part of a. Part of what people don't see about Donnell. Like, he's so altruistic. He's so giving.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Autistic.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, he's giving.

[Javanta Roberts]

He's done so much behind the scenes and we don't really get to see that part of him. So I appreciate so much over the last 15 years or so, I've learned so much about work ethic. He's like one of the hardest, hardest working comedians I know and.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Shut up and let her talk.

[DJ Envy]

Al.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He said you, you said he was what?

[Javanta Roberts]

Altruistic?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That means showing a disinterest and selfless concern for the well being of others.

[Jazmin]

No, no, no, no, no, no.

[Javanta Roberts]

He's unselfish.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Javanta Roberts]

He's. He's giving. Like, he'll get. He's selfless. He'll give the last, like the last thread of, of the last thing he owns.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So what happened?

[DJ Envy]

You with your boy?

[Javanta Roberts]

Okay, so I was. Yeah, I was on a date and the date got nervous because after he was heckling the date, I had mentioned that I wanted to do stand up.

[DJ Envy]

So what do you say to the date?

[Javanta Roberts]

He was like, you know, how did you, how did you get her? Like, how'd you end up with her? And he asked. He was like, oh, she wants to do stand up. So then Donna brought me on the stage, but he didn't remember that I'd already interviewed him. So cut to. I got on a stage. I killed it. Remember, I killed it.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, no, I'm too. So.

[Javanta Roberts]

And then, and then I would go. I was about 18 and I would go to Donnell's house and I take notes and I was just like legitimately trying to be a stand up, but I was also dancing with Missy Elliott and Shakira and that was very demanding. So I couldn't balance the standup life. And my. My career as. As a choreographer. Choreographer.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, here's the thing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You dance in Missy videos or on stage with her?

[Javanta Roberts]

On stage.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I did the hip.

[Javanta Roberts]

I did. Yeah. And he was actually there. I was dancing with the dream, too. And he was the warmup.

[Donnell Rawlings]

She ended up doing stand up. She did. This is that. She says, this is. This is the story. She did stand up, right? And I told her, I said, whatever you do, don't go up there, talk about being pretty or beautiful or any of that. I said, the reason why. I said, you. You look better than most of people that come to the show. And women are so up, they will hate you for that. Cut to. She did exactly what I told her not to do. Oh, God.

[Jazmin]

How did it go?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Now, let me tell you. She said something. I was like this. And then she came up to me at the end of the show. She was like this. She said. She said, this was only the second time. I said. She said, what do you do when they're not laughing? I said, if you are going to cry about this situation, I advise you to quit. Stand up right now. And that was the last show she ever did. That was the last show I had.

[Jazmin]

Okay, but that was great advice, though.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It really was. But I mean, I like the. The fact that she was curious about it and she did it and she tried. She had a little notepad and she was doing a thing. But, you know, it's a certain, like to. For. To have, if you want to say, some success. And then all of a sudden it's different. Some people can't handle it. And that's when you get stronger, when you go back and you challenge yourself.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Will she be on stage with you at the last Scratch Factory this weekend?

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, she'll probably be hanging out. Yeah, but she loves you.

[Javanta Roberts]

I'm acting now. I'm on Beauty and Black on Netflix. And then I just.

[Jazmin]

Hey, that's my show.

[Javanta Roberts]

I just booked the series regular, so that'll be coming out.

[Jazmin]

Nice. Congratulations.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But I'm gonna tell you, like, I've been knowing her for the longest time. One of my closest friends, I consider to be my daughter.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Never seen her, never seen her around.

[DJ Envy]

Yep.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Anything.

[Angela Yee]

When did this happen until you needed a look at.

[Donnell Rawlings]

If you look back at the history of my podcast, whatever. She was one of my first co hosts. We've had relationship. But the thing that I really appreciate about her, and everybody has ups and downs in their career, right? She's been through it. She has some highs and some lows. But the thing I Respect the most. She never stops. You know what I'm saying? Even when life is fucked up and life can be fucked up, she never stops. That's why I said, I told her, I said, I'm gonna be as supportive as possible. You know, we went to the Caribbean. Caribbean Music Awards the other day and it was something she really wanted to go.

[Javanta Roberts]

We went, she turned that in.

[Donnell Rawlings]

We went. We had a good time. But. But that is like my whole idea of what the collective is. Just if you're in a position where you could look out for somebody or throw somebody a bone or give them a platform to shine, I think you're supposed to do it.

[Jazmin]

And I think that's dope. And you have a life outside of here. So although you never said anything, we didn't know about her. We know about her now because she's with him.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Known Darnell a long time. Never seen her with him.

[Angela Yee]

He do be traveling.

[Donnell Rawlings]

How do you pronounce your name again?

[Javanta Roberts]

Javanta Robbins.

[DJ Envy]

We appreciate you for joining us.

[Javanta Roberts]

Thank you so much.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Thank you so much for why you had to emphasize. We appreciate you for joining us.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She was great. She was phenomenal.

[Donnell Rawlings]

She has a lot of energy.

[Javanta Roberts]

Thank you.

[Jazmin]

Because Beauty in the Black is. Is the show right now.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I do have one more question for Mr. Wrong. At this stage in your career, do you feel like you've gotten everything you deserve or are you still fighting for your flowers?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm not fighting for my flowers because whatever flowers is going to happen, it's already. It's already laid. It's already laid out. I'm not fighting for anything. I'm not. I don't. I'm not fighting for any more fame or any of that. I just like the path that I'm on. I like the fact that I've been doing it over 30 some years. I still can pull an audience. I'm still funny. You got some people that come and they go, I'm still, still standing. I'm still one of the, you know, dopest comics out there. Right.

[Jazmin]

That you are.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah. Nobody really gave a somebody.

[DJ Envy]

Well, we appreciate you too, Donnell. Thank you for joining us this morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Your man said he'd give you his flowers.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That's my guy.

[DJ Envy]

And don't even mention him one time because we didn't.

[Donnell Rawlings]

We.

[DJ Envy]

Said we know what we do.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Well done, Roll.

[DJ Envy]

Thank you for these beautiful sneakers that you gave us.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Do a close up on them.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We're gonna put them up there.

[DJ Envy]

We put them up there.

[Jazmin]

This is crazy.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Look, that's.

[Jazmin]

That's behind shoulder made like this.

[DJ Envy]

Look at this one. Look at this one.

[Javanta Roberts]

Crazy.

[Angela Yee]

Oh, my God, your daughter's on there. That's cute.

[DJ Envy]

That's not my daughters. That's me and Charlamagne.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, it's the Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's down now.

[DJ Envy]

Rollins. Ladies and gentlemen.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Thank you. Every day I wake up.

[Angela Yee]

This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.