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Hold up.
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Every day I wake up.
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Wake your ass up.
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The Breakfast Club. Yes, it's the world's most dangerous morning show. The Breakfast Club DJ Envy, Jess.
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Hilarious.
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Charlemagne. Tha. God. Envy and Jess are not here today, but Lauren LaRosa is. And they're about to miss a good one, cuz the great Kevin Hart is here. Good morning, Kevin.
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The great Kevin Hart.
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You are the great Kevin Hart.
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I'm agreeing. Wasn't a. I wasn't like. I wasn't angry about that.
A
It was the before.
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Good.
C
Own it, man.
B
It's about time.
C
Own it?
B
Yeah.
C
Own it.
B
I'm here for it. What's going on, guys?
C
How are you? First of all, sir?
B
How am I? I'm. I'm great. Life is good, work is good, family's good. I have no complaints, man. I think you get busier, oddly, which is crazy. So after the last, like, venture, just things are, like, shaping up in a manner that I thought it would.
C
But what venture are you talking about? The rules.
B
No, that's a. That's not a venture. That's a project. Yeah, the abg. My. My deal with Authentic Brand Group.
C
Absolutely.
B
So the brand and the building of more brands, et cetera. So I can't complain at all, man.
C
Hey, where do we start? Do we start with the roast or
B
do we start with. Yeah, start whatever you want. Long as we get. Long as we get to the book at the end.
C
The book? I thought you had for a TV.
B
A movie. That too. I got to do 72 hours. And also. I know that's right. I'm just saying, as long as we. You can start what you want. But I'm saying, like, we.
A
Listen, that was like a casual flex. Like. I mean that too.
B
But as long as we get to the. Yeah, you start what you want, though.
C
I like how you are not doing the dye today.
B
The dye?
C
Yeah. You know, everybody be doing the dye. The black in the head, the bead.
B
You got to give it a break every once in a while. You got to let your hair also breathe.
C
See, that's why I wish Envy was here. So you could tell him that you can't go. Him and Fat Joe refused to give it a break, so that's.
B
Well, what is. Fat Joe's only doing the goatee. Right.
C
The beer.
B
Yeah.
C
The whole thing.
B
Yeah.
C
Nothing on the face.
B
You gotta be careful with that.
C
Yeah.
B
Like, you can't go full throttle all the time. Like, you gotta. You gotta let your. Your real side show so then your hair isn't damaged. Crazy. You just die and die and dying. No.
A
Envy came back from his vacation with a whole hairline and then. But now he don't even have it no more.
C
It wasn't there the day before, and it came back next. What are you drawing on?
A
Like, you know, like, you used to be in a barbershop, you know, like,
B
he had somebody like.
A
Like, right now, his corners do like a. Like a U. But in the top of the week, it was like a sharp a hell, like, it was different.
B
Like, are you saying. Are you telling me that he's. Is he doing the unit?
C
Yes. Very, very low. And he puts a little paint on it, like a little. Just a little coat.
B
Here's my problem. Okay? I don't like. I don't like that people do that, because it's not a secret. Like, hey, man, we see you. Like, that's not your hair. It's like, it's. So when you're doing it, the look that you're going for is not a. Not a natural look.
C
Yes.
B
Yeah. So I. I don't know. Don't go aggressive with the diet all the time. Every once in a while, you got to show the grace.
C
I completely agree.
B
That's why you see the salt and pepper right now.
C
Now, let's. Let's start with the roast. I think that's a good place to start.
B
Whatever you want to start.
C
What? Let's. I want to. I want to ask you all the questions that people were asking about the roast.
B
Okay?
C
We start with simple things. Why didn't anybody roast Regina Hall? Nobody gave Regina no smoke.
B
Regina was a late ad to the roast, so nobody had time to prepare jokes for Regina.
A
But a lot of people were going off the prompter and like this at a fly. And people were notably saying, I ain't going. I ain't coming for Regina.
B
Well, Regina. Regina, as a late ad, a friend, sister. Like, she's not. Regina's not in war territory. So Regina came because she's like, oh, no, I want to go. I want to show up for Kev. There's something cool that I can do. They had a creative bit, material, et cetera. But Regina wasn't somebody that the comics had a chance to prepare for. So, like, with the roast, comics have an opportunity to prepare. The comics are the only ones that can go out. You can figure out whatever the material is that you want to do. You're doing it on your own. You show up the day of the roast as a comic, you're prepared. You're what you want, what you want to do. You have free will to do it. Nobody is guarding you or acting as a guardian. That's not the dynamic of a rose. So nobody had anything For Regina. That's why.
C
Why didn't Tiffany Haddas participate?
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Tiffany Haddish was there like a support. So if you notice the backdrop was like Kevin's close friends, Dwayne Martin, Philadelphia, like D D was there like as a real husbands of Hollywood, like shout out or homage. Philadelphia, the Plastic Cup Boys, the Roots. It was very Philly. It was very, oh, man, this is Kevin Space, Kevin's world. And now we're going to roast within it. That was the setup. That's why.
C
Okay. Michael Shea, okay. Said he pulled out as a writer and then he said the writers, the writers room was exclusively white. Posted a picture of like six, six writers. They were all white.
B
I mean, you do have white writers, but you, you also have black writers. So if you highlight the white ones, then of course you're gonna see the white ones. I mean, I think I had seven writers working with me. Ian Edwards, Chris Spencer, Joey Wells, Harry Rancher, Spank Horton. I'm missing two.
A
Did Naim write as well?
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Naim didn't write for me. Nae worked on his own stuff.
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Got you. Okay.
B
But I mean, you, you have a. If you, if you feed into the, the rage bait of what is, then that's what it appears to be like. None of it's true. This is. You have a very balanced portfolio of personnel that's participating in the roast. You also have to understand, I think what the reason why I don't, I don't feed in it or why I haven't fed into it. Like either you understand the roast or you don't. Right? Roasting just become hard hitting racial slurs or attacks on like, this is the foundation of a rose. It's brutal comedy. You are going for dark humor. That's. That's it. If you go and you look back at Prior, when Prior and Robin Williams were doing a roast, and I think Robin Williams had a joke about Prior where he was like, the way that we greet Prior in small towns is with a rope hanging from a tree. That's how we say hi to Richard. And then he went on, on Robin Williams. Robert Williams sucked. Everybody dicking like, that's what a roast is. It's brutal. If it's not going to be that, then you're not doing a roast. So this particular platform is meant to be that and nothing else. Like, this is why you don't have a lot of comics that can do roast. This is why you see the same faces that are apart. I mean, I personally, I can jump in, jump out. So whether it's My material, whether it's an hour, whether it's hosting, whether it's hard, dark, I can float within all. So I think my first roast is probably with Justin Bieber, when I hosted Bieber's roast. Then you go look at, like, flavor, flavors. Rose, you go like, dude, they've been bad. Like, they. It's. The jokes are up. They're supposed to be up. So in this particular case, me sitting in a chair, I'm. I'm sitting in the chair. If you sign up to be roasted, that means you're saying that you can say whatever the fuck you want. I'm cool. I'm confident, I'm secure. I'm not going to buckle. I'm not going to give the face of I'm not having a good time or that these jokes hurt differently. Like, it's not what roast is.
C
But what about the people who didn't sign up for the roast? Meaning, like, the George Floyd, the Charlie Kirk?
B
So you're. You're dealing with talent that's looking for shock factor. Okay, so if I'm. If I'm looking for shock factor, and I'm looking for a moment to get people to go ooh or ah, or I'm looking for something to get people talking. Well, how do people. How do people get popular in today's time where you're in show business? So if you're. If you're looking for that and that's what you want, have at it, but deal with the consequences and the repercussions if it goes the other way. That's. That's the nature of a comedian. Like, everything you want to do and everything you want to say isn't going to be perceived as funny all the time. That's the risk that you take in this case. Yeah. The George Floyd joke, it wasn't a tasteful joke to our culture, to our audience, but our audience that's watching the roast. If you're watching the roast, you get why they're doing it. You get why the racial humor is on the table. Like, it's not. I wasn't shocked. That's what they do. Go look at the Tom Brady one. Like, that's what they do. It's. It happens every year when they do a rose. It's not new. This isn't a new. It's not a new agenda. It's not a new approach to comedy.
C
Do you feel like Tony Hinchcliffe went too far when he made that joke about George Floyd?
B
It's Tony Hinchcliffe, yeah. Like, I don't like, I don't expect less, I don't expect more.
C
I feel like you're saying going too far is the point. I don't know for words.
B
Yes. I mean, you're. That's why you're there. And I hate to say this, but I'm going to, because we're being honest. People are talking about that joke. Talk about his set. Tony Hinchcliffe arguably had the best set or one of the best sets between Tony and Cheryl. And I would say Naim had a really strong set.
C
You had a very strong set. I laughed. I was laughing out loud at Tony until that.
B
Until the joke.
C
But that, but that. But not even just that. That joke. I don't like when people joke about violent, tragic death. I. I like Pete said. And then I was like, oh, why you. Why? You understand?
B
Pete had a great set too. Pete had a Charlie Kirk joking. Like, would I tell those jokes? No. But do I get why they're being told? Yes. Like, I'm not looking at Pete crazy. I'm not looking at Tony. Like, that's what. I know what you're going to do. I know your style of comedy.
A
Did you see the interview that I did with Terence Floyd, George Floyd's brother?
B
No.
A
So he said no shot to you. No, no, that's.
B
I'm never watching it.
A
That's fine.
B
I just wanna be clear. I'm never watching that. Like, even now that you told me, I'm not gonna go back and go look at that interview.
A
No. Cause he's a. He's a fan.
B
But I just wanna make it clear so you understand what I do with my time. Like, I'm never doing that. Okay, go ahead.
A
I just asked because he's. So. He's a fan of you. He saw the joke and it picked up pretty big. So I didn't know if you saw it, but he basically said, like, as a fan of you and knowing that you came to the funeral to support his family, even though it's a roast, and Tony, that's what he does. They expected you to kind of be the person that would like, stop it right in the moment or just not allow for certain things to happen.
C
And he also said he wanted you to come harder. He said, if they gonna joke, why you ain't come harder with your own jokes? Racist jokes.
B
I guess this is actually a good thing to give a rebuttal to.
A
So he didn't do the same thing.
B
They talked about my dead mom and my dead dad, said that they were running a train on my Mom. And that was hilarious, right?
C
It was.
A
Regina killed. That's right.
B
The. The. The jokes about Kevin was on a slave ship in a. In a bottle with, like, the. The. The ship in the bottle. Like, I'm going to appreciate humor. I don't get affected by the attempt of humor. I get it right. In this case, like, do more. It's my production. We're live. The more is what? Like what. What is it that you expect me. You want me to. To take a live production and stand up and. And fight Tony or have a reaction? Like, Tony told a joke. It wasn't a tasteful joke to us. We didn't like it. Okay? Hey, man, fuck that joke. We move on. I don't understand why we stand on a hill and it becomes like this. This big thing of like, oh, man, the motherfuckers, they do this and they're attacking the culture. It doesn't have to be that. It literally is. Either you're a fan of this level of content or you're not. And if you're not a fan, then you don't watch it. It's that simple for me. Like, it's black and white. I think country music is a big genre. Right? I don't really. I don't really listen to country music, so I'm not going to a country music festival to go, hey, man, this shit is ass. Why am I there? I shouldn't have bought a fucking ticket. I didn't have to fucking go. You don't have to watch it.
C
I do. I understand what you're saying, but I do think that's a false equivalency. And the reason I say that is because.
B
Don't start with your words. I know, but don't start with your false equivalency regulars.
C
You may be triggering to others. And with you. You've made jokes about your father, and like you said, you signed up for the role. Cheryl Underwood signed up for the Rose. Pete Davidson signed up for the George Floyd family. Wasn't a part of the rules.
B
You can't. You can't do that, right? You can't. I get the point that you're trying to make, but I can't speak for the narrative of another talent partaking in this particular event and what they're going to do. I want to make this very clear. I didn't say the joker looking at me like, I said the joke. I didn't say the joke.
A
There's your name on the Netflix.
B
Okay. Yes. And in that being the case, I'm going to make people understand. It's not a Netflix special. It's a roast. Tom Brady did a roast, man. He just went through his with his wife. We hit Tom hard, hard. Tom afterwards dealt with all the shit that he had to deal with, but that's the nature of the rose. We didn't apologize to Tom Thomas, my fucking friend. I love him to death. I hit Tom hard. I didn't go, hey, man, are you cool with that, Tom? You know what it is? It has to be this or we can't do it. I get it, Kev. All right. I'm not going to speak for him. Y' all gotta talk to Tony. Talk to him, right? Like, his. His approach to getting a laugh. That's what Tony does. By the way, the narrative attached to Tony now and the racial. And he's racist and this and that. Hey, man, I don't know that. The guy that I know is a fucking comic. He's a funny comic. I don't know that world. I don't know. I haven't known. So that particular narrative that is now being placed on him and Shane. What? They're fucking comics. They're funny comics, man.
C
But like you said earlier, they got to deal with the consequences of whatever comes out their mouth, so.
B
So that conversation is one that should be presented to them. Like in this particular case. It's a bad joke. I want to say. It's a bad joke.
A
Yeah.
B
I told a joke about aids, but
C
I think it was a violent, tragic death that we all watched. I, him and Charlie.
B
Kirk. I understand your point, which is why I would never make a joke as such.
C
Got you.
B
I didn't say the joke, but in his writing and in his world of going and getting the laugh, he felt that there was a clever play on words from tragedy to this and that, and that's what his attempt was. Speaking as a comedian. Is it going to work? Probably not, but that's your business.
C
I think you. I think you also pissed people off when you woke up the next day and you was laying in the bed with no shirt on and you was just talking about when I was acting, everybody's criticism.
B
Well, actually, I didn't see criticism.
C
Oh, so you didn't even see what they were saying?
B
No, I'm never. I'm never looking at that. I'm never on my shit for that. I'm actually giving a shout out to the fucking. Oh, man, it was dope.
A
It was in the video.
C
You said they thought you dismissed what people were saying.
B
That's the problem with people But I. I mean, the assumptions, assumptions that most make are never correct. Never correct. Me waking up after going out, being at the after party, coming in at 4am, it's the afternoon. Hey, man, I want to thank everybody for protecting or participating in the roads, man. Shout out to. Said everybody's name. Shout out to Netflix, the production, whatever. Giving a overall thank you to everybody that helped make the production what it was. It was a great show. Granted, the. The show had distasteful moments. I'm not disregarding that. I'm not unaware of that. I got it. Those moments, okay? You can remove them and you can say that you didn't like that, but you can't fucking go and not say that the production in the show wasn't funny and wasn't good. Like, you can't do that.
A
Then you were saying the video though, that, like, if roast is not for everybody, like saying the same thing now. But I'm saying, like, people thought that that was in response to the backlash.
B
Did I say that to people? Did I say, hey, guys, I'm responding to backlash? No, guys, I got to take a second to fudgeing acknowledge everybody that participated in the rose. That's called a genuine thank you from the guy at the top. Whether we realize it or not or whether we want to be aware of it, respectfully, I'm. I'm in charge. So after being in charge, the work environment that I create, by the way, which gives jobs to so many, this production probably probably fed over 150 people from. From your. Your workers that are building the set to the people that are participating in craft services, transportation, wardrobe, etc. Not just talent to make something like this happen. You are feeding 150 to 200 fucking people.
A
Is Cheryl getting a special afterwards?
B
Why do you think she's getting a special after?
A
She said it's because of the roast.
B
It's because of. Not just a roast. A fucking. Kevin, you fucking genius. Like, what do you mean? This is why. This is why I get upset. And by the way, this is why. This is why I don't go. As soon as the rose was over and before the rose, I said, cheryl, I want you to do the rose. Cheryl said, well, Kevin, I don't know. They're saying that I can't say this. I said, who's saying. I'm talking to people and they saying I should really think about the jokes. I said, who? Sure, you didn't talk to me, Cheryl, you're going to do whatever the fuck you want. That's why you're here.
C
So you didn't. They also said that you saw the jokes beforehand, so you green.
B
Why am I. Why am I reading jokes beforehand? So I cannot laugh so I can be in the chair.
C
Because you're in charge.
A
Yeah, you in charge. So people think that everything falls never.
B
You're never fucking guarding. Like you're not acting as a. As a.
C
As a.
B
As a no wall and do all at the top comedians. I need to see everything you're doing before y'. All. That's not what comics do.
C
No.
B
Comics operate like that. So from Pete to fucking Naim to Big J to Cheryl to Chelsea, Jeff Ross, Tony, Shane. No, those, I'm saying are comics. These are comics. During the week of in L. A. You just saw people in the past. We were all at comedy clubs working on our shit.
C
Got you.
B
We were all. Everybody was going up testing a shit. But, hey, man, I want to see your shit. What time you going up? All right, I'm. I'm going to come back. I'll be back in like 20. Let you go. I don't want to see your shit. We don't want to fucking cheat. We don't want to go and. And have an advantage or be at a disadvantage. Like, you're taking away the fun of the fudgeing.
C
Rose.
B
So to my point that I'm making to you. No, I didn't see nobody's jokes.
A
That was sad.
B
Well, no, I don't see nobody's jokes beforehand.
C
Let's. I want to keep talking about the real.
B
We'll keep talking about.
C
It's a lot. We got to get to.
B
We'll get to it.
C
But Chelsea Handler said. You saw what Chelsea handle said?
B
No. Okay.
A
You be. I love how you.
C
What did Chelsea say?
A
Hold on, let me.
C
She basically said what you said earlier about Shane is racist and Tony Hinchcliffe is racist. And I was just gonna ask. Do you. Do you believe it's possible that certain comedians jokes are genuinely racist or is anything just permissible in a comedy roast?
B
I. I personally don't have the time or energy to feed into that level of thought.
C
Gotcha.
B
Like what. What is that doing for me?
C
If.
B
Let's. Let's say they are right. Let's say you say, oh, my God, they're racist. Okay, well, now what?
C
Don't have me to Rose.
B
Okay, well, if they are, what does it do for me? My engine, my world, my business, my. My level of thinking, my mental. What does that do for me? What does that level of anger do for me? Do I Strongly believe that Shane is a racist. No, no. I know fucking Shane. Shane's about to do a fucking stadium in Philadelphia. I'm like, shane, I'm gonna come pop up on you. Shane's fucking funny. Like, I know Shane. Does Shane have the ability to go dark? Yes. Tony. Do I believe that Tony's a racist? No. Do I think Tony goes hard with his racial humor? Yes. Does everybody get it from Tony? Yes. And if you go look at Tony and you go familiarize yourself with Tony's material, everybody gets it. He goes hard on all fucking races. That's his style of comedy. Also, the shock factor of doing such a thing sometimes gets the reaction that it's getting. I'm gonna tell you the thing that makes me laugh. Like, Respectfully, Rodney King. When the. The thing happened for Rodney King. Right?
C
Can't we all just get along all right?
B
Crazy.
C
Yeah.
B
Our culture. Well, we. We were the ones joking about it.
C
He didn't die, though.
B
Listen to me, though. It was a brutal fucking thing, though. A crazy beating that we witnessed live. If you go Google Rodney King and you go Google comics, I promise you, you're gonna see a plethora of comics that have Rodney King bits. Right? Is it insensitive? Do we wanna say it's insensitive? Do we wanna say that the family may not have liked it? Do we wanna say that the family may have felt a certain way we could. Did it matter? Did the joke still happen? The people still go and approach it? Right? I'm not saying that either is right or wrong.
C
Got you.
B
I'm saying it happened. Yes. And I'm saying we can't have a light switch of convenient. Right. Like you can't do that either. Either we are understanding the basis of comedy or not. I remove emotion when you're talking about the laugh. Comedy took a major back step over the last how many years? Because we're compromising what we can laugh at versus what we can't. So all the controversy around comedy is based off of emotions or feelings from others, right or wrong. I don't disagree. But if you start this engine, if we. If we start it, it doesn't stop you. You can't start peeling it. It's either we are understanding that people are trying to be funny and you either say, not funny funny, or there's no conversation at all.
C
Well, I think you're right. But then I think there's a range of emotions. I think everybody's feelings here are valid.
B
I don't disagree.
C
People have the right to be offended. People have the right to be upset. They have the right to think it's funny. If they think it's funny. I think all feelings about whatever jokes were made are valid.
B
I do not disagree. But then it should be left there, like the ongoing conversation attached to it. If it's making you angry or if it's. If you. Right now, all. All that's happening to what you're telling me and all the things and people talking about this, all you're doing, that's what Tony wanted. You did the thing that he wanted. He's looking for shock factor. He's looking for a response. He's looking for the fucking reaction. He's looking for more popularity. Respectfully, it worked.
C
This.
B
This is proof that it worked. Whether you like it or not. That's why he did it. So all of the conversation attached to it. Well, what's in every piece? His name, his picture. Once again, respectfully, if that's what you want, then okay, have at it.
C
Got you.
B
That. That's. That's the point that I'm making is, like, be aware, man. Like, be smarter. It's easy to be angry. It's hard to think things through.
C
And you're saying you didn't commit the crime or even an accessory, but you're actually pointing them out. He's doing.
B
There you go.
C
Yeah.
B
Hey, officer. He right there. He got the white jacket with the blue shirt. I didn't say it, sir. What the are y' all talking to me for, man? Kevin. Kevin was there. What? Yeah, I'm there. I'm sitting in the chair.
C
Yes.
B
What am I supposed to do? I signed up to sit in his seat and. And let people say whatever the fuck they want.
C
But you can understand how the Floyd family feels.
B
I can. I. Once again, how many times have I
C
said went to the funeral.
B
I do not disagree.
C
Got you. Got you.
B
My response is I didn't say it is that simple for me. That's it. Like, that's. That's all I have. I didn't say the joke. Are you mad that I'm laughing? Are you mad that I am sitting in a chair and I'm on stage and cameras are on and I'm giving the fucking look of comfort? Once again, respectfully, that's my job.
C
Do you think that's one of the times your performative laugh came back to bite you? Because sometimes you.
B
No, because he was killing.
C
But you do have a nice performative laugh sometimes.
B
If you don't have one, you ain't.
C
If you don't have One comedian, Ski was up here the other day. He was like, kevin Hart got a nice performative laugh.
B
If you don't listen, if you don't have a laugh that you can just pull out the goddamn back pocket. You're.
C
He said you hit him with that same laugh one time.
B
I hit everybody with that laugh. You know how many people say dumb to me all day? You know how many niggas come up to me every day with a stupid ass comment?
A
You can't.
B
You. Hey, hey, boy, you small. Get the fuck out of my face, man. Yes, I'm giving a comfortable laugh. Yeah, I do it every fucking day. You know how many people don't know what to say when they see me? So they say dumb shit. You like apples? I haven't eaten an apple in fucking 15 years, man. Get the fuck out my face.
C
Like, really?
B
Yes. I don't eat fucking apples and I don't want to talk about apples. I'm using it as an example, man. I'm using it as a fucking example. It's like, yeah, I got a fake laugh. Yes, there's a performative laugh. Once again, what was the job of Kevin Hart? I have to sit in this seat and I have to let everybody fucking say something about me. And I got to show a face of a good time. Because the first time that you show discomfort, the first time that you look bothered, well, how weird does that look? When they go, he. Hey, that uncomfortable. He getting up. Look at him, and he about to cry. If they say something about my mom, my lips start shaking.
C
Yeah.
B
Kev, you good? I'm fine.
C
I feel like you was trying to stop Regina, though. No, the heaven joke was a bit. The heaven joke was hilarious, but it was a. It was a lot.
B
It's a bit. Bit. Me and Regina are doing a bit. That's why I said, you guys are stupid idiots. We're doing a bit, Regina. Don't you say it, Kevin. I'm not. I'm not. That's my sister. There's nobody that I can act off of better and faster than Regina Hall.
C
Yeah.
B
She is the best at improving. She is the best at reactions. Me and Regina were doing a bit. Me and the Rock, we're doing a bit. Cat came out. Cat had a strong ass set. I sat there and laughed at everything. Me and Cat talked beforehand. I said, cat, go hard, Kev. We just got back in a good place. Go hard. Do what you want, Cat. Have a good set. Rock out, man.
C
Let's talk about that.
B
Right?
C
And I want you people to know it was nuanced in that you weren't saying the people that had criticism about George Floyd was stupid. You said the people who had criticism about you getting other jokes.
B
The fact that we have to explain it.
C
I just need to let them know.
B
I know, but that's.
C
I know, but I need people to
A
know that besides me and him.
B
I was gonna say I'm talking two of them right now. I got two. I got an idiot.
C
The right.
B
It ain't to the left right now.
C
I'm just trying to.
B
You woke up in the morning and you gave a rebuttal. No, I didn't. I didn't even know people said anything.
C
I just don't want the headline to be, Kevin Hart says people who are mad at him about George Floyd are stupid.
B
Okay, let me. Here's my point, right? What if that was the headline?
C
No, no, stop.
B
No, no. I know it's not, but I'm saying, what if it was? I can't do nothing about that headline.
C
That's true.
B
It's not true. So why am I letting that affect me? That's the point that I think you guys have to, like, really grab onto. I'm at a different place in my life, man. I'm 46 years old. I can't control the narratives of so many. We're in a time today where everybody, every. Everybody says this. This is the time that we're living in now. People grab their phone and they go, all right, y'. All. I know y' all waiting to see what I think, so let me have it.
C
Ain't nobody waiting to hear.
B
Nobody's waiting to hear what you got to say. There's 30 people in there, man. I'm gonna tell y' all my opinion. Everybody has a platform. Everybody has a microphone. Everybody has a false green screen behind them. You're in a time of creative entrepreneurs. I get it. Have at it. But, like, at a point, it is just that. It's just that. It's feelings, it's opinion. Once again, I'm going to say this on record, and you can ask your next question. I didn't say the joke. I don't think the joke was a tasteful joke. I think that the feelings and emotion attached to the joke being said are more than valid. And I think that that's it. There's nothing that you can do about it. It's over. The joke was told. There's going to be more Roast comedians are going to tell more racial fucking based jokes and have a more clever approach to racial humor. It's going to happen. It will happen on Roast. A roast is war. Say what you want. I'm gonna say what I want. I said crackers.
C
As you should.
B
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B
But do I say crackers in my fucking everyday life? Yes, you say.
C
I've heard you say these products be wild.
B
No, no. That's what, that's what we're talking. Probably. I'm saying, do I say it in my everyday work or business? No, that's what we're talking about. On the roast, I chose to go a little edgier. Hence the age joke. Hence the fucking the Comments about fucking diabetes and cancer. And you're going harder. Do I say that in my everyday? No, but on this particular platform, under this brand, it's war.
C
Yeah.
B
So I can move on from war. And I suggest that other people move on from the war as well. If you don't, you're highlighting your branding. You're amplifying the person that you are so angry at. And I'm. I'm just making you guys aware that's the intent behind the shock fucking value. I'm going to do this. So I get this. You're doing it. This is a fact.
C
Okay, so, Katt Williams, did you feel pressure to publicly reconcile because the culture wanted closure or was that personal for you?
B
No, me and Kat have been. We've reconciled.
C
How long ago?
B
Prior? I'll say probably like maybe eight months ago.
C
What about that? Maybe. How did that happen? Because we. Everybody knows the infamous Club Shay Shay interview. Plus, he just been. He's been taking shots at you for years, right? What happened?
B
Cat and I had a conversation. Conversation. A private conversation between me and Katie. But the baseline was like, we're older. This is years and years and years of. There's no reason why we shouldn't, like, figure out a world of compromise where we can get along and we can give the fan base something different with us, something that's unexpected and figure out a way to work together. Right? Figure out a way to fucking bring the comedy minds that we both have and put them at the table and do shit. Cat thought it was a fucking time to do it. As did I. Shook hands. Great conversation, great dialogue. The first thing that came up, of course, was the roast. When the opportunity for the roast came up, reached out to Kat. It'd be dope as fuck if you did it. Cat said, we just got in a good space, Kev. If I do it, I'm gonna do it. I said, have at it, Cat. Head at it. And our conversations are private. Like, that's another thing too, man. I'm not. I'm not big on running to the microphone and telling personal business, like, be a fucking adult. Be an adult. Go call the person, Go call whatever, whomever. Have a conversation after that conversation is had. That's your business. Me and Kat's business is ours. We are in a good spot, thankfully, finally. And it's a good feeling when you can say, like, you've put the. The problems of old behind you, like, once again, 46. I'll be 50 soon. That's half your life, man. That's half of A life coming up, Granted, I get there, then you got another half. How are you trying to live your life? Like, what. What are you looking for in life? Anger. Negativity is just that the. Gets tiring after a while. I'm. I'm in a place of calm, peace, and if it's not that, it just doesn't deserve my attention. And I. And I say that humbly, respectfully, like, I don't see that, because I don't go looking for it.
C
I see. I hear you saying all that positive now, but you couldn't wait to get that microphone, to get the last word at that roast. And you had some bosses.
B
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
C
By the way, you couldn't wait to tell everybody. He. He'd be lying.
B
Yeah, yeah. Guess what? That's my truth.
C
Yeah.
B
All right.
A
That's my truth.
B
It's. I' ma say what the. I want to say where I sat and let everybody else say, okay, have at it. And then I'm still a comic, and I'm good at what I do. So, hey, man, I'm gonna put material together in the set. I'm gonna take shots at everybody. But it's also fun.
C
I did find it interesting that y' all did it there because Cat spent so much time criticizing Hollywood, criticizing the Hollywood system, criticizing you as a plant. But then he decided to show up to the Netflix. Netflix rose. Because to me, I'm like, well, damn, did you believe any of the stuff that you told everybody?
B
I think that. And I'm not. I'm not even going to say, because it's me speaking for cats. I'm not going to speak for Cat. During the time of Cat's interview when all things were said. Okay, that's. That's Cat in his bag of conversation, right? People aren't dumb. Like, what is a plant? What the fuck is a plan and a conversation attached to a plant? It only comes up when people are, like, winning, right? So if a plant's a winner, then I'm. I'm a big plant. I'm a winner. I win. I don't lose. I win. I know how to do it. I've done it very well, and I've done it through a crazy duration of time. Be a fan or not. It's not going to stop me from doing what I know how to do. Whether it's in business, whether it's in entertainment, whether it's in the ecosystem of Kevin and Venture, I'm going to figure out how to fucking win. That's it. So the narrative attached to during that or from that. What did it do? What did it affect? Cat is a crazy fan base. That fan base isn't going nowhere. Cat's a talented ass comic. He's a funny guy. I want nothing but the best for Cat. And that's why our conversation was so dope. It was like, nigga, I don't. I don't want to fucking argue with you. What is it doing? Like, it's not doing anything. We can do shit together. We can make money together. We can do shit together. Like, this is a waste of. It's a waste of your time. Because it's not affecting me. So why can't we figure out a way to put it the rest? That's me being a grown ass man and an adult. Like, we're better together.
C
Did the plant thing bother you? A little bit. I'm gonna say why. I'm gonna say why. Because you're such a hard worker, Kev. Because we. Because we've seen. I've seen you or even come from the bottom.
A
Netflix. Netflix. Having her hand up your whole behind, like, stuff like that. I mean, that was. That was what he said in the joke.
B
It's a good joke. It's a good joke. When I said Kevin was a puppet, what I meant was Netflix has their hands so far up Kevin's ass, he actually said, touch the random Ted Sarandos head of Netflix. That's a funny joke. I laughed.
C
But when somebody discredits your hard work.
B
Yeah.
C
Because I know how much you work, how hard you work. You know, the sacrifice you got to make. Not being around your, not being with your family, probably as much as you want to. Stuff like that. When somebody says you a plant and you just, you know, popped up, Suck the dick that got on. Get on.
B
Say, have at it. Nah, listen, have at it, man. Like you. Okay. I make sure I keep saying this so that in y' all clips, it
A
comes out, we know we idiots.
B
No, no, no. Yeah. That's. Yes, again, respectfully, my circle and those that are supposed to know what I do and the level I do it at, they know. People that have no idea, that don't understand that, don't get it, they might not never get it, have had it. Like, what are we doing at this point? It's very hard to see the POV from the moon down. Unless you're one of the few people that have been to space. Not a lot of people can say they've been there. Right. When you're talking about, quote unquote, the top. Well, how many people can say they've been there? There's a lot of people in the business of radio. There's a lot of people that have been doing this for a long time. Are they having your same success and having the conversations that you guys are having? Are they a part of the. The. The new opportunities or the new levels of what can be done in radio? No. Will they? They might not. So do they understand what is happening up here for you guys to do it? No. Is it your job to make them understand that? They don't want to understand if they go, ah, they got that because they fucking fuck the. The lady that was in charge of the motherfucking Charlamagne, man.
C
No. They say I suck dick.
B
Well, they do, though. Do you suck dick?
C
No.
B
Okay, so does it affect you?
C
No.
B
All right, so you kind of. That got soft. That got a little soft. No, I don't believe you. Oh, he broke. Now you notice my. Has been real confident the whole way through. I got real confident the whole way through. I said, dude, this is an infection. He said, no, it started to get through. It's starting to get through armor.
C
If I did that at the rose, you'd be like, all right, we got him.
B
Yes.
C
Keep going. Yes, I see what you say.
A
I got a question for both of y', all, right? Just in listening to y' all talk, a lot of this is, like, people putting responsibility on y', all, because y' all are black men doing very really well in a space. How much of that responsibility do. I mean, Kevin or Char.
C
How much or.
A
Kevin, how much of the responsibility do you feel like you actually have to lean into? Because people are like, you're the gatekeeper because you're so big at what you're doing. And you're also black for us.
B
So I'm not going to say all that I do because I don't have to. Right. There is not a person in my position during more than me for their culture. I want to say that's a fact. In the space of comedy, there is not a person that has done more for comedians than Kevin Hart, more for black comedians than Kevin Hart. I'm an example of fucking camaraderie, loyalty. If you look at my team, you see the same fucking guys that you've seen with me from the beginning. All of them are doing very well in life. All of them have now put other people in positions around them to do better. I've created a fucking ecosystem of baton passing. I don't have to fucking brag about it. I Don't have to say it. I don't have to say the comics lives that I've changed or the people that are now getting X, Y and Z. I do it because I want to do it. I do it because I find joy in doing it. I do it because that is now my new responsibility. I got here, so it's my job to get other people here. And if you really go down that fucking tree of people that Kevin has reached out to, helped, been there for, created platforms, you go, look, just go do your research. We're very lazy, man. When I say we, I'm not just talking about our culture. I'm saying people in general are very lazy. We are in a time of headline only. We're in a time of the seven second clip that justifies the reaction of the masses. Do your fucking research.
C
But that's why stuff like this is important, these conversations, because, you know, and I say it all the time when I know people, when I actually know what they do. And then you see certain headlines. He's like, come on now, that's some bullshit.
B
But like.
C
And you want the right narrative to be out there. You want not even the narrative, you want the record to be out there, the truth to be out there. Kevin Hart is not a coon.
B
You. If you're not talking about me and I'm doing something wrong, right? If the narrative attached to me in the new is cone or sellout or whatever the fuck it is, like I said, I don't. Doesn't reach me. So whatever it is, I'm unaware. Because when I go out to do whatever it is I'm doing, love. It's love. So. So if you go and you want to search well, you're gonna find everything you're searching for. You want to know who you are? Well, go look at your phone and go look at whatever is on your Explorer page, your search engine. Because algorithms now are based off of you and your voice. So you see a bunch of toxic shit on your phone. If you see a bunch of fights, you see a bunch of racial shit, you see a bunch of weird fucking shit. That's what you talk about on the regular. That's what your phone is picking up. And that's now how they're feeding information to the Bassets. It's called technology. It's the new age of technology. So if you want a real reaction as to what you are and how you operate, that's your, that's your proof of concept right there. I don't look for dumb shit. I Don't have the time. So in this case. All right, great. We're having a conversation. I don't need to have this conversation because I know the factual side to myself and my responsibility and what the ins and outs are and were. So when you go on and everybody has an opinion and the culture and this. And this motherfucker, he should have did this. Everybody got all the answers when they. When they don't have the opportunity. I'll say it again. Everybody has all the answers with no opportunity. Of course you're a genius because you're not doing shit.
C
Dang.
B
Of course. Of course you know what you would do? Cause you're never gonna do it.
C
Damn.
B
Oh, I would've. You got a. Oh. Well, when will you get a chance to do it? I challenge you. When will you get a chance to do it? The seat I sit in is a different fucking seat. And I don't say it cocky. I say it humbly. You will never sit in this fucking seat. So stop talking to me like you understand what this seat possesses. You don't.
C
Well, you just piss people off. The end. It's common.
A
Great.
C
I don't wanna be in no fucking business.
A
Great.
B
It happens.
A
It happens crazy.
B
In the nature of business and the nature of entertainment and the nature of help, support, et etc. I know what this seat is, man. I know what I have to do and how much I do. I'm never compromising that. I'm never compromising my side of knowledge, my side of understanding. To argue with whom? Kevin Hart's a cool, okay. Had the roots and Meek Mill and all this. It was. It couldn't be blacker on. On a live thing on Netflix. What the Are we talking about?
C
What you want to say, Cat?
B
I mean, Jesus Christ.
C
All these around these white people.
B
I mean, like, you, I just don't understand what we're talk. Like, what's happening?
A
What about.
B
I got the plastic cupboards on stage, not saying a word. These niggas just in the back. What is Kevin doing? Oh, Kevin's putting his guys on more. Kevin's putting the city on more. Kevin's putting his brother on more. Naim. Yeah, like, what do you mean?
C
Cheryl got a special.
B
What are you talking about? Like, it's dumb.
C
Now, listen, let's shift gears, because the day of the roast, a story came out. I would even go so far as
B
to say a hit piece, okay?
C
And the headline said, inside a Year of Chaos and Conflict at Kevin Hart's Media Company. Okay, so there's a report about layoffs and executive shakeups and internal chaos. When you see an article like that, knowing the media empire you're building, what do you think?
B
It's dumb. It's dumb. I wouldn't.
C
On the day of your roast, it's.
B
Well, yeah, because people are looking for fucking clickbait. They're looking for clicks, man. So, okay, how can we take advantage of a narrative facts in Kevin Hart's business? Kevin Hart just did a big deal with Authentic Brands Group. And doing a big deal with Authentic Brands Group, Kevin downsized Heartbeat like the rest of the fucking entertainment business. Reducing OPEX overhead expenses means you cut back. Why? Because you want to keep your margins of plus. Well, you want to keep them conservative. EBITDA is important. Making money in the business is important. A failing business is not. Well, making sure that my business operates efficiently is what I did. Also, in the world of fucking content, it's forever changing. So do I want to own all content now? No. Are we producing and developing as we were? Yes. You just saw Funny as Fuck on Netflix. Hit a great thing. The Roost was produced by Heartbeat. The Rose, Kevin Hart's next movie, 72 Hours, produced by Heartbeat. The movie after that, produced by Heartbeat. Kimora Lee Simmons unscripted reality show produced by Heartbeat. Barbershop, the TV show which is coming soon, Produced by Heartbeat. Like, I don't have to. Like, it's dumb. So. So a conversation attached to the business that's forever growing, that just, like, joined a machine to make the business even better. Authentic, like, authentic is a $32 billion a year company. Like, respectfully, Shaq, David Beckham, Kevin Hart act as the icons underneath the umbrella of Authentic Brands Group. Our businesses grow within brand concepts. Those brand concepts become evergreen. So David Beckham's business as an owner, as a face, as an ambassador, as a fucking, I want to say, developer. Okay? Beckham has businesses in his portfolio that now reach a global audience. Shaq, the same. An ambassador, an owner. Like, we just bought. We just bought Lee's Lee jeans. We just bought Neiman Marcus. Like, we. We are now a part of an ecosystem that will compete with the likes of Bernard Arnott, who is luxury, et cetera. Authentic Brands Group is doing the same thing. Or. No, the. The business of Authentic Brands groups is not different. Guess Jeans, like, we champion Reebok. Like, there's shit that we fucking have underneath this capsule that's growing. And you're going to look up in five years and you're going to see Shaq, Kevin and Beckham. You're like, damn, man. These have been moving like this for quite some time. They're moving and operating at a scale. Everybody can't understand that. You can't see that. You don't understand that. So what my goals are at this point, what I'm trying to do at this point is some shit that is ridiculously crazy to achieve. And if my focus is on dumb, well, how am I working hard at this?
C
So there is still a Heartbeat, because people are saying it's no longer a company. It's all authentic.
B
Like, Kevin Hart will never do a movie or project and allow someone else to produce. For me, it has to come from the concepts of the minds that I believe are great. Underneath the Heartbeat umbrella. My executive team is still there. My team of creatives are still there. Did I reduce. Yes. My company was too fucking big. I don't need. I don't need 80 people to operate how we're operating now. Downsize. Save the money. Save the fucking money. I got offices in New York, Atlanta. Why do I need all that? Why am I watching other businesses get smarter? Why is Netflix laying off people, but Heartbeats fucking maintaining the masses? Like, it's called operation. Operation. Cause so when you're thinking about a business, make the best decisions on behalf of the business.
A
I know you don't like to, like, talk and clear up this stuff because we get it, you don't have the time. But, like, I think a lot of it is education. Because LA Times did this article, and in the article, they have former and current employees of Heartbeat that they say that they talk to. No one's on record, though, right? And they say Hart's employees say that they worried that this deal marks the beginning of the end of Heartbeat. They talk about, you know, staff meetings that have been canceled, the development of new film and TV projects that have slowed down, new podcasts that were pitched but never produced, that went. They didn't even mention you going months or weeks without coming to the office. Right. But when you talk about building a business, there's an edge.
B
Should I be in the office while I'm filming Jumanji? I don't understand what. What is. What is the. What does the CEO do? The CEO is also talent. Like, it's not. It's not hard to look at false narratives. Who works for Heartbeat that doesn't understand Kevin's schedule? Touring, acting? Or who. Who would not understand that?
C
And family time.
B
Like, who. Who would not understand that you're putting people in position in the office to run a business so that you can have the business and still go do your job. Like, who wouldn't understand that when you go, oh, this is said, but it's nobody. Yeah, we don't. A name was not meant. Like, what? It's not hard to look at smoke and mirrors and realize it's smoke and mirrors, man. I, I will say factually, there is not an employee that has ever worked for Heartbeat that would not say that. Kevin is not only the hardest working guy, he is a man of his word. And when it comes to anybody under the Heartbeat umbrella, I've never done wrong by anybody. I've done right by all employees. When we were going through, I think it was when, when the COVID happened and everything changed, like, my team didn't feel it, my staff didn't feel it. Like when we were having our woes, ups and downs, my staff never felt it. People's salaries never felt it. So with every piece of negative, if you went to go look, you'll find 30 pieces of positive. Like, I'm a good fucking CEO, man. I'm a good dude.
C
You said something earlier. That's true though. Everybody's downsizing.
B
Yes.
C
Do you think Hollywood, when it comes, has lied to creators about what's sustainable?
B
Listen, you now, you're, now the business is forever changing, which is why, like when you hear micro mini dramas and you hear content changing in the world of AI and what AI is doing, okay, well, in a dog eat dog world of creatives, well, people are competing not just for security within job, but for reason to, like withstand the test of time. You need me as an exec. We can't get rid of me because if we do, we won't be able to create such and such. People are fighting to show value. People are fighting to truly show, like, not just their importance, but their reason. So internally with these big corporations, man, these people are expensive. And now the corporation is going, look, we create and we spend all this money filming, shooting, developing. Do we have to spend all the money within staff? Can we start to like compile this so people have more responsibilities from within? Can we save another 20 million? Can we cut off 10 million? Like that's called operations, overhead costs. Even if you go down to mom and pop shots, you cannot have a sustainable business if you do not manage your finances, if you do not manage your staff, your employees, your salaries. Like, everybody wants more, everybody feels they deserve more. You guys probably argue about a raise every year because you feel like you deserve it. When it's time, when it's time to go and Renegotiate. What's the first thing you ask for? More money. All right, so in the offices of probably he just got 200 million. Whatever. Listen. Whatever. Whatever it is that he's got. I'm saying. I'm saying there is a conversation attached to his value, and that means that the people that are operating this engine have to hear it from you. And he thinks in that moment, yeah, man, it's me. They're hearing it from everybody across the board. Everybody, every day wants more. So when you're at the top, how much of a drain is it to have this dialogue every fucking day? I gotta. I gotta fucking sit and listen to somebody tell me. I feel like because of what I do, I should get X, Y and Z. And I think my value. And they gotta feel like they're the only one to say it. So you have to listen. You have to understand. And then you gotta figure out a best way to service those that should be. And then you gotta do it over and over again. It's business. Stop reading the dumb shit, man.
C
What's interesting, though, it is business. And I think sometimes these articles go out and people don't even know what the fuck they're reading. So, like, they, like, social media will confuse downsizing with dying. And I only feel like they do that when it's a black person, especially a black person from the culture.
A
I got another one after that. I was going to say, because there was a headline about the current legal situation with the two employees that were let go from Heartbeat because they created the company while working for your company and then went out and tried to pitch, like, podcasts, like, relationships that you had, right? When you. When you read that on his face and some of the conversation about it, it's like, oh, my God, Kevin Hart fired these two black employees. But the business of it is they. You're alleging that they violated contracts and certain rules by, like, going out and creating a competing business.
B
Well, respectfully, that's. That's way below my. My radar. Like, I have people that are managing and operating on behalf of teams. It's your responsibility. I pay you for you to operate and control this. This engine has to be serviced because of you. That's justification of your salary. So those problems, they go to you. However you choose to deal with those problems is how you choose to deal with those problems. When things come to my desk, it means that it was so big that you couldn't handle it, that I had to be bought into the landscape. And, Kevin, you got to figure this out. Because I don't know what to do other than that. That's not my fucking job. I'm not fucking talking on behalf of our podcast or podcast. I'm not having those conversations.
C
You act like that with movies, too. I just want you to know that
B
I'm not doing that.
C
We sold a movie. And I was like, kev, you know, we sold this movie. And he was like, really?
B
Yeah. I'm not. I'm not. That's not my fucking. You're talking to my studio head. You're talking to the development people there. Kev, you know, we doing something with you. What you doing? Oh, man, that's dope. When I. When I'm bought into the loop, I'm getting updates. I'm getting an overview. Okay, this is cool. Once again, the business is changing. So what I can tell you, podcast business is not a fucking great business to be in. You have to get to a point where you have Speak. I'm saying for in bulk. Yes. You have to get to a point to where you have an audience, to where that audience shows up every day. So now you can add. Add revenue. If you're not there in the beginning stages of it, what are you doing? You're just doing every day? And then I'm spending money, waiting for money to come in. No, cut that. We don't need that. That's not. That's. That's actually. It's actually like a blur on the radar from what we should be doing. Focus here. Yes, Kevin is cutting. Yes, Kevin is offloading. Yes. What's working versus what's not working? I'm with Authentic Brands Group now. Okay. Why do I need a brand side to Heartbeat? Why do I need brand activation within the entity of Heartbeat when I got it over here at Authentic? Cut that. Save that money. Call it making smart decisions. It's not dumb. So granted, headlines are headlines. Articles will be articles. Ones that have truth in them. Good for them. Ones that don't. Good for them. Like, the narrative attached to a lot of this stuff is it's comedy to me. It's like comedy. And people don't get to hear me talk like this because I don't talk like this often. But if you actually hear me speak and hear me talk about these things, you'll go, oh, no. Seem to have a pretty good head on the shoulders. Kind of seems like, know what he's doing. I don't have to prove it. Right. Like, the operations are operations for a reason.
C
What do you think this season of your life is teaching UK
B
I think now, dude, I'm so focused on. I'm so focused on like the bridge for others and having something that's concrete for this generation of next that's stable enough for them to like walk through, run through, drive through. So all things that I'm trying to create to be a part of, they are attached to the ecosystem of normal, right? Meaning how we operate on the daily things that we need. What can I build? What can I put inside this space of commerce, entertainment, etc. What can I have that's evergreen enough so that it's on a visible for years and years and years on it? So the idea of family, wealth, the idea of longevity and the idea of the name heart being attached to it. I want that. Why wouldn't I? Why shouldn't I? I want that. I want Hart to be associated with what Kevin Hart built, did, and what others are able to go and do and go above and beyond example with funny af, right? You just saw comics like come on perform in this competition. Shouts out to Ron Taylor, who won. But now if you go look at those comics, sold out shows.
A
I went to the premiere and met Tata. That's my. I love her. Like, like discovered her from the show.
B
Literally, like sold out comedy club, sold out. This. Every comic that participated in that show has seen a spike in audience attendance and now revenue. Ron Taylor is going to do an hour special. When an hour special drops, Ron Taylor's life will change. Ron Taylor was living in a van. Ron Taylor was homeless. Homeless. Ron Taylor's life is now flipped upside down and Ryan's like, what the fuck? Good for you, Ron. Now let me go figure out how to create the next run. Let me figure out how to fucking make the bridge for the next guy to walk through. What I think people should notice and should respect, man. I, I'm not selfish with the fucking luxury. I want other people to. I like have at it, man. I want to see so many people win. So this season of my life is about creating new ground for this next generation to walk on, run through, bridge ground, whatever you want to call it. I love talent. I love to see talent be talented. So what can I have that services the need of a pedestal to allow this talent to stay.
C
I'm glad to hear you say that because you know another thing this article talked about was burnout. At what point did you realize I might be stretching myself too thin? I can't be doing everything. I can't be in everything every day, okay?
B
Every fucking day. I do way too much. Which to my point earlier, like, yeah, I'm not having those conversations. Mm. Like, I'm offloading responsibility to those around me. That's why I did the deal with Authentic Brands Group. I have reached my ceiling. I've done it. This is the highest that I can go on my own. I'm now gonna cross the street and go to the bigger fucking, like, the bigger opportunities to get help. To go and get bigger. Like, you can't spread yourself thin forever. You need help. You need more minds, more ideas, more opportunity, more possibility. I went and got it. And doing it. All right. I can take some steps back now. Okay. And taking some steps back, I can breathe a little bit. It's not as much stress, not as much pressure. So spreading myself thin is what I've done for fucking 45 years. At age 46, it's now reduced. Hence, why when you're like, did you see the thing? No.
A
But even when you walked in, I was like, the long night. And he was like, long life.
B
Yeah, long life.
A
Yeah.
C
You talking to him?
A
Because he was saying he was tired.
C
Yeah.
A
He said he sat down and. Yeah. I'm like, you had a long night.
C
Why he started shooting at you? I wonder why he started saying, you look like a magician.
A
Crazy.
B
No.
A
First of all, he did not say
B
I look like a magician, just look like a magician.
C
Oh, okay.
A
Stupid.
C
You got. You said you got a book coming up.
B
Yes, it's actually a dope book. A new audio. I did it with audible, and it's coming out Father's Day. And this is one of Amazon Health AI presents. Painful Thoughts. I. I can't stop scratching my downtown. Mm. Yeah. But I'm not itching to go downtown and tell a receptionist I'm here to talk about my downtown. Some things you'd rather type than say out loud. There's no question too embarrassing for Amazon Health AI. Chat your symptoms and get virtual care 24. 7 Healthcare just got less painful.
D
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C
Professional wrestling fans. The Action continues every week.
B
You got it coming. This is total non stop action.
C
TNA Thursday night impact every week on AMC. For show times and more information, visit
E
TNA wrestling.com this is Bethany Frankel from Just Be with Bethany Frankel. Most dog food is marketing, not nutrition. That is why Biggie and Smalls eat just food for dogs. Real 100% human grade food with ingredients I actually recognize. And yes, I do see the difference. Better digestion, healthier skin, more energy, dogs that feel better. My babies, if you've been on the fence about switching, stop overthinking it. What's more important than your furry babies and their health? Go to justfood for dogs.com right now and get 50% off your first box. No code needed. Just try it.
B
I actually want people to like respond to. So it's like it's on parenting, right? And the narrative attached to black fathers and that has been attached to black fathers for so long is more negative than positive. So showcasing fatherhood from the point of view of a black man that's like really embracing it. Has embraced it. But also talking about the ups and downs and the craziness of it, right? The relationship with kids, the world of friendship versus the world of discipline and just how you operate and, and having four kids, what I've learned from my kids, what did my kids learn from me? And it's so dope to hear people speak from a place with love, but also a place of transparency. It's me basically narrating several chapters of a book that I work really hard on through the steps of kid one through four.
C
It's called Kids make me Angry.
B
Kids Make Me Angry. It's a very dope title because kids do make you angry, but without that anger, you don't have the level of love that you should have. So my relationship with my sons, daughters, having two kids going to college, you know, having two younger ones and what, what the younger ones now benefit from because of what I know that I didn't know when my two oldest were young. Like, it's so dope to just be transparent. So if anything, man, I think as black men just start to be better examples for ourselves so that those that aren't doing the job are more motivated to do the job.
A
You posted a video in the car with Heaven and she was driving and I was like, man, it feels like we literally watched them grow through social media. And I'm like, if I feel like that, I can imagine how you feel because she's just like her own self now and like beautiful and just.
B
It's scary. I. I mean, she's in college.
A
Yeah.
B
Like, she's a full fledged independent adult, driven, motivated to do so much in life. There's nothing that makes me happier than looking at my daughter shine. My son is D1 track star now. I got. I got division one dick. I got sperm that's sending them to school. Like, this is crazy.
C
They gonna chop that up.
B
Crazy. Call what you want.
C
I got division one dick.
B
Well, I mean, my son is going D1. I did that.
C
That's crazy.
B
Chop it up however you want.
A
Oh, my God.
B
Have at it. What's my fucking rule? Have at it. Yeah, I'm hype as fuck. My son's a track star.
C
That's dope.
B
Dope as fuck. Stepping up every day, doing his job, like, on his own. I didn't make him a track star. I didn't say you got to do this. He discovered it. He works hard as fuck at it and is, like, benefiting from the rewards of his labor. Go, man, go. Crushing in school, graduating. Like, my daughter's a 3.8 GPA. Like, yeah, I'm gonna talk about my kids.
C
Did your daughter ask you about Regina's joke?
B
No, my daughter didn't come to the
C
roast, but did she hear it? But she had to see it somewhere.
B
No, no. After this, she probably gonna go look at him, hear about it. But my daughter, like, she. She didn't want to come. She said, I'm not coming. And listen to people talk about my dad. Wow. Yeah. Having. Don't play that. Heaven's very sensitive when it comes to me.
C
This is my last question, because we've seen you grow. We've seen you fail. We've seen you bounce back, grow, and become larger than life. Do you feel you have to be transparent and show people the growing pains of being the superstar that you are and building the business? Building a business of the magnitude that you are, that you're building.
B
I think information is important. Right. I don't. I don't think you should be selfish with information. We have an opportunity to give it. If you're informing, yes. Extremely important. Transparency is key. How you built what's working, what's not, why something failed, the lessons learned, all of that. Yes. Explaining is different. I don't. I'm not explaining myself. Not at this stage. Like, I'm not looking to prove or show proof or like you. You learn as you get older and as you start to stack up the wins, more like the things that you thought you should care about are actually like, it's. It's white noise. Some people can tune out white noise, some people can't. Some people, like, fuck it, cut it off. I tune it out very well. And when you have that talent, you'll find that, like, your mind is just much more clear, right? Like, you like, being bothered about what you can't control is the worst thing in the world. Like, But I get why some people are like, the mind is a. Is a fucking amazing thing if you study it. Mental health, mental awareness, all of the stuff that we're, like, seeing more and more today, like, from people that have stepped forward and saying what their struggles are. When you get in your head and you allow things to get in your head, it can consume you in a manner like you've never seen. All you think about, all you people said people are saying, people like, you can drive yourself fucking crazy if you learn how to shut that shit off and how to move accordingly and not allow that shit to, like, enter your ecosystem of thought. Oh, my God, life just gets better, man. It gets better. My. Nico showed me something. Nico showed me this thing. It was like, they said, Kevin's getting divorced because he. His kids asked. Need certain amount of money, like it was something stupid. Like, it was. He's getting divorced because my kids were asking for a certain amount of money a month. And Nico was like, I'm not giving it. Just. People can just say, shit. We're laughing at home. It's white noise. It's not. I got. We gotta fix this. We gotta do something right now. We can't let them say this. It's white fucking noise. Go in the refrigerator, get a popsicle. Popsicle, yeah. Come on, kids, let's go for a walk. Like, where are you at in your life, in your frame of thought? If you want peace, find peace. And peace doesn't necessarily mean money. Everybody goes money first. Peace means mind. A peace of mind. Do you have it, do you understand it, and do you want it? If so, work on that. Everything else comes, man. Give yourself some peace of fucking mind. I'm a fan of these devices. I think they've done an amazing job. I think technology is growing, but I also think that there's a fucking massive. Like, a massive L attached to where we are. Everybody wants approval from the masses that you will never meet. Not gonna see these people. Do you know the difference from a bot and comments? Do you know the difference from, like, fake and real? Like, you don't know these people, but people are so consumed with the. They say, how many likes to get people like this shit. Yeah, they loving this. Fuck, they not fucking with this. You're so consumed with it. If you don't learn how to fucking put it down while at the same time utilizing it to be, like, the thing to your advantage, you get lost, man. You know, I think the streamers are doing such an amazing job. I think this new form of entertainment is so dope when you see people just documenting their everyday life. Right. But I also think it's feeding off of, like, real time, like, reaction.
C
Yeah.
B
But you don't see these people fucking reacting in real time. What they saying? You get outside, man. Balance it, get around some people. There was a time where the trapped in the basement talking to themselves were weird. You can get weird fast. Put yourself around some fucking people, man. Balance your shit out. Have a seesaw. Some understanding. That's my one piece of advice to the new wave. Y' all are fucking crushing, crushing. Finding more ways to make money in this business than we ever thought would fucking present itself. Balance it out. Be people, too. Motherfuckers staring at a screen all day. And the basement was weird. It was weird, man. Don't. Don't talk to Charlie, man. You're right. Charlie was weird, man. What do you. What you think he doing in there? You were so concerned about the. In the basement. The creepy man looking at the screen on the. Hey, man, is he all right?
C
I see what happened. That's why you went and got Kai and Drew Ski out the basement.
B
Told listen on purpose.
C
I. I saw the talent in them.
B
He's like, I. I wanted to go embrace them, but at the same time, like, yeah, man, I could come with y', all, but like this over here, you got to do this, too. Like, do this, do this too. I like that Kai took a break.
C
Me too.
B
I like that he took a break, man. You just can't. You cannot do this every day.
A
That's how he be looking, too.
B
You can't do that, man. Like, I remember I told Kyle one time, I love him. I genuinely love Kai. I told Kyle one time, I said, hey, man, you gotta get outside, bro. Like, you. You look dead. Like, this nigga's face. He was staring at his screen for 54 days or some.
C
Yeah.
B
Was in a trance. I said, hey, man, when's the last time you been outside? Been in his fucking room for. For three months.
C
You know what's so funny about that? Since Kai got a taste outside, he ain't been back in that room. Like, outside is great.
B
He's been living his Life. And by the way, he's gonna come back to it. But he took a second, like, take a breather. Go do your shit. Like, it's the same thing. I. I'm in the same shit. I gotta work, show up every day. Okay. But then I'm. Let me step outside. Let me go be around some fucking people, shake some hands, say hello so you don't get consumed in this capsule of whatever the this is. Let me make sure I still know what this is, too.
C
No, Drewski just beat your record.
B
And what was it?
A
He's the youngest now. He's the youngest person to host the bet, Whereas you were the youngest at good.
B
As he should.
C
He said at what? Like,
B
He just stadium. No, Kevin, we saying he just hosted. Oh, yeah. Oh, right, right, right, right, right. No, but. And he should, like, that's my guy with another example. Embracing them. Just to show you, like, how. I think how strategic I am embracing them was to further them. And I don't give a. I'm not doing it for me. I don't need to go and be on the stream. I want to see these young guys advance. Let me come put my arm around him, fuck with them. Give him this energy, and let me hope that energy follows. Drew Ski is a star. I will say it. He's a fucking star.
C
Absolutely.
B
Drew Ski is one project away from getting to the next stage, and that next stage is just more opportunities. And the project. It doesn't mean, like, it's the biggest movie, but it's the right movie. It's the right thing where he can be the number three on the fucking call sheet or in the cast, and that character pops. And it's funny. He is one thing away. I have. I have been progressively trying to create the thing.
C
Yeah, you was. You had a show at FX at one point.
B
We still. Still are, like, developing. I have not cracked the thing yet. Am I trying? Yeah. Will I get it? Yeah, I'll get it. It takes time to get it. It takes time to find. I can't just put him in the movie because it might not be the right movie or there was other people that were better for the movie. Like, 72 hours we had. I had him come in and audition, and he gave a great audition, but we had to go with the. The better actor for the part. And I'm like, man, like, I want to get my guy, but I still got to also make the projects accordingly. Mm. Drew Ski is a fucking star. Kai. Kai will be a star. Kai is a entrepreneur. Kai is a creative. Kai There's a lot of genius in my guy's mind. And once he just like gets it to where he's like, okay, it's going to be this now because Kai scattered. He want to do. He wanted, like, I got. I want to. Okay, now he's scattered. Once he just locks in and says, okay, this is the thing and I'm here for a while, he'll see the benefits from it. And I think that's what the whole clearing his head and taking a step back, that's why I said I'm. I love that he did it. But all of those guys in those, in those streaming things, they're just finding ways to showcase what makes them special. And when you see it, you can clearly go, oh, no, this motherfucker's got something different. Always got something different. Some of them have it and it's a matter of time before that thing goes. I just hope that they don't fall in love with the money too much, that it prevents them from getting to the next thing. Because the next thing doesn't pay. When it's like the beginning, you got to work your way to get to the pay.
A
But that's what they got you for. Remind them not to.
B
Well, I mean, I give the information. That's what I said. If you know me, then I'm. I'm never not telling. I'm never not giving gems. I'm never not like putting it on the table so they can really understand.
C
Don't you have a movie?
B
Yeah.
C
Okay.
B
It's funny.
C
Is it coming out?
B
It's coming out.
C
Okay.
B
It's funny though, just like figuring out where we're putting it is the conversation we're in now. But it's funny. It's like, it's, it's embracing the, the world of streaming. So it's like live stream from hell and it's. We did like a, A silly ass horror live stream. Live stream goes down and then a bunch of like happens during the live stream. But it was simple. I said, like, let's just do it and have fun. Drew Ski's funny, man. He's funny. I don't want him to lose too much weight, though. You know what I mean?
C
Yeah, he's, he's got this.
B
He's right.
C
Joyful.
B
No, he's right there. If you go down a little bit more.
C
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
B
It's gonna get weird.
C
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
B
I told him on the phone, I said, you got to gain some back.
C
Damn, you wanted to gain something.
B
I told him a little bit he's got to put it.
A
You think it'll mess with his funny or. Like, why.
B
No, his head's just getting a little weird.
C
I think he had to lose some for the sketches because when he flying in on stuff like when he.
B
That's a tough pull. That's what I'm saying. Tough pool.
C
That's what I'm saying.
B
I don't know. Pulling that, pulling.
C
Somebody else told me you and Cat Williams got a movie together. Is that true?
B
No. Me and Cat Williams don't have a movie together. We will. We will, but we do not. Okay. I wanna. I wanna work with Cat. Like, I think we owe it to our audiences to do something. Like I told you. I'll say it again. Cat, Mike, you know, the differences that we had in the past, like, they resolved. But I want to work. I want to work with them. Mike is in 72 hours.
A
I was about to say. I saw the people didn't catch his. Like, it was real quick. He was in the trailer.
B
Yeah, Mike is funny. He's in 72 hours. But we, like, we just want. Before it's said and done, we all have to do something together. I don't give a fuck what it is, but we all have to have a piece of content that is justification of comedy for the culture. With the culture's like, conglomerates. Like, we have to.
C
Why they might do the roast.
B
The roast is different, man. Like, everybody's not. Everybody's not doing that. Like, that's a different style of comedy.
C
You know?
B
I mean, like, it's not. Everybody doesn't have. Like. Like, that engine is not snapping. Right? Like, it's. It's different. So I think that there's a certain. There's a certain side of comics that want to do that, and there's companies like, no, I don't really do that. I really. With that. And you can't have many. Like, you can only have, like, six of them. Like, Pete. I can't say Pete Davidson is a fucking great role. Like, he's a great comic in general. Absolutely. But when it comes to roasting, like, Pete. Pete can go. Like, there's certain niggas that can go and put that pin to the pad. Like, I think they did a good job of putting. Putting, like, a variety of those that can do it. And also, like, some people just don't want to do it.
A
It was people you asked that said no.
B
Yes. Several. I ain't with that kid. Hell, no. Absolutely not. But you would be great. No, no, no. I don't Want to do that? Because they're gonna be talking about me.
A
Because, like, I saw some more there, and I was like, I wonder if she would have been good on the stage.
B
I wanted some more to do it.
C
So all the people. People wanted, like, the Chris Rock, the Dave Chappelle's. They probably was like, nah, they're not
B
doing, Like, I'm not doing that.
C
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
B
They're like, I don't want people talking about me for what. Why am I signing up for that? That's a different. Like, that in itself is a different thing. You got to be okay with that. Like, a lot of people aren't. For whatever weird reason I am. I don't give a. Have at it.
C
All right, let's get Kev out of here, man. I do feel, Kev, like, you know, this could be a rough patch.
B
What is that?
C
A little rough patch. A little rough patch. But I do. I actually think this could be the best thing the.
B
Is this.
C
This will be the best thing that happens to you and the company long term. I really believe that.
B
I. I think I've seen.
C
I've seen this happen to you a couple times.
B
Okay, so this is. This is where. This is weird, right? To show, like, how I removed. I am. He's like, this could be a rough patch. I'm like, what. Where. What rough patch?
C
It happens. It happens to all of us. When you've been around long enough, and every now and then you have a little turmoil and amongst these people, the media, whoever.
B
Yeah, but it's not. But it's not bigger than ever. Like, it's. It's not. So if you. If you can identify, like, dude, being angry is. It's. Now. It's a popular contest. Right? It's cool. Let's jump on the fucking train of conversation. It's the new in. Is there real substance behind it? In this case, I will agree the George Floyd joke was bad. Okay, now what? Like, are you gonna march on Tony? You gonna. You marching on Netflix? Like, what's the plan here? What's the. What are we. What are we doing and what do we want? This has to stop. What has to stop? It's over the rose happen. So now the next roast. Are you guys, like, gonna go there and make sure that the white guys don't say this? And if they do, like, what's the plan here?
A
Would you next roast, make sure that things like that don't happen or you don't care?
B
I'm not ever stepping in the way of a creative as a Comic, you have an opportunity to do whatever the fuck you want to do. If I'm in control of said thing, when you touch that stave, you're on your own. I'm not in charge of your destiny. I'm not in charge of, like, your dialogue, your verbiage. No. Why? Why would I take that responsibility? Because that means that I got to take all the good and I got to take the bad. Because I'm saying that I'm in charge. Absolutely not. Have at it. At the end of the day, what is everybody trying to do? Make it. Everybody's trying to be a. I want to be a star. However the fuck you feel like you should approach it, have at it. That ain't on me. So when you say, like, rough patch, it's not. Life couldn't be better right now. Work couldn't be better. Business is booming, work booming, opportunities booming, Creative booming. Like dialogue attached to a roast. Guys, numbers don't lie.
C
No, but see, that's what you messing up at, and I'm tell you why I kept. Because a lot of people's lives aren't booming right now, and they don't want to hear that from white people at a time like this.
B
Once again, Charlamagne, you just flipped your question. You said, kev, this could be a rough patch.
C
Yes. Yes.
B
So you were pertaining to me. We're not talking about people's lives or whatever. I'm never comparing or generalizing.
C
But after rough patch, I mean, the culture that you come from, the culture that feels like they helped with your success tremendously, they feel like they were hurt by something that happened at your.
B
I did not say it, so stop.
A
But their pushback would be. You allowed it.
B
Stop. You can't say that. It didn't come from my fucking mouth. I didn't say it. And after said joke was said, it was the end of his set. Nobody else went up and nobody else went on the train of. Nobody else was offended. Nobody else was affected. The night went on. Your rage can't be greater then those that actually were on the stage that dealt with it and then fired back. Cheryl is an example of what the fuck you're supposed to do.
C
And Chelsea to us.
B
Chelsea, yes. Chelsea said, oh, you fucking Nazis. You this, you that.
A
Like, she.
B
Okay. Like, that's what you're supposed to do. So my. My last. My last note for all attached to this is very simple, okay? Whatever the headlines or whatever the dialogue is, my rebuttal of simplicity. Remove me from it. I didn't say it. If you are upset that the night went on. That's a different conversation. There's nothing I can do. It's a production. It's a live production. I'm not compromising the live production for a reaction of what? What do you want me to do? I'm gonna drag him off? Want me to fight afterwards? You want me to turn it into, like, what? That's not what I agreed to do. That's not the job at hand. The job at hand was to produce a successful roast, which I did. I also got the rebuttal. I also got to say shit at the end. What are we dealing with here? I'll say it again. Stop talking as if I said it. So when you say the family and the family's affected, I didn't disrespect the family. Showed up for the family when it happened, made sure that the family felt supported, made sure that all things there were actually cool behind the scenes. Just as an example, know the one person that I talked to and I'm not even gonna tell you the conversation. Stephen Jackson.
C
Oh, I know. I know. He caught.
B
That's because that's my nigga.
C
Yeah.
B
Hey, Stack, let me just call you, man, so I can explain to you, like, the world of the roast. X, Y and Z, we talk. I get it, Kev. We had a great conversation. But that's what I mean when I say, hey, man, let me call the one person after. And that's before whatever you're talking about, that's immediate. Stack. Hey, Tony. Tony threw one out. There is this and this. But you do know that that's what this is, is a roast. I just want you to know from my side, that man is on his own.
C
You ain't lead with that, Kev.
B
You should lead with that the whole time because I don't need to.
C
People just want to know.
B
You can't. I don't need to prove. Prove the people that I give a fuck. Yes, you do. No, I don't.
C
Just this time. This one.
B
No. Yes.
C
This one.
B
No. If you open that door, then that's the door that people expect all the time. Why the fuck do I need to do that?
A
I think it's because of how much the George Floyd situation affected so many people. This is. I think I get what you saying and how you stand on your business and I respect you.
B
I'm gonna stand on my business or whatever it is.
A
I think with certain things did not say it, but their pushback is. It happened at Kevin Hart's roast. Kevin Hart, who is like, he's like. So many of us support you say.
C
I just want to hear you say what you said today is tasteless. You actually reached out to somebody who's considered their family to say, I don't let them know.
B
That's all I have. I have the best example. If I go to a. If I go to a nightclub and like, we're celebrating, right? And two people get killed that night at the nightclub. What's the headline?
C
Kevin Hart's party.
B
Two people died at Kevin Hart's party. Right. People may say, I'm never going to Kevin Hart's party again. Man, you can't go to Kevin Hart. Shit. Kevin Hart shit ain't safe. I ain't fucking with Kev. You heard what happened. I go, but I didn't. I didn't fucking do it. I didn't even know the people that fucking was shooting. I didn't even know the two people that got killed. That's the nature of being the name. Your name is attached to things to make things bigger. What is my fucking response? I didn't shoot the gun. Why am I arguing? Why am I doing interviews after?
C
Why were they in your party with guns?
B
Who knows? I didn't. I don't work the metal detectors. I'm not the security guys. The club does all that. I don't have those answers. Do you understand what I'm saying? The responsibility just. It starts to compile as if I'm the one in charge. We are not in charge of the dialogue from anybody on that stage.
C
The only difference is if it was a party, you wouldn't have invited them in. If you invited them to the party and you knew they was coming and you knew they was going to be there and you know, they potentially might be okay. Like, you know, you. You know how Tony get down.
B
Okay, so the time Brady roast was a big hit. Y right. Was the talent attached to Tom Brady's roast, that was a huge hit.
C
Yep.
B
I also asked Nikki Glaser to do it. Tony and Nikki were the two stands outs from that roast. They were the. They were the big fucking winners of that roast. I'm gonna get the winners of that roast to come back. And with me on my. It's that simple. There was no other thought. I don't know the track record of and what I'm going from. Hey, man, bring the hitters back. Let's see if we can get Nikki and Tony because they crushed on the last one. Jeff, you gotta do this one too. Okay. What is Kevin pulling the talent from I'm pulling it from what? Success.
C
Success.
B
That's it. Is that simple. So, so all of this like idea of Kevin Vitte, them, he knows they. How the. Do you think, you think I'm hanging out with these people? You think I'm. You think I'm on a day to day with these people?
C
Well, if they said you was hanging out with them, they would say it's by a noose.
B
It's. I mean, if, if the attempt behind humor is that if you get your laugh, have at it. If you don't deal with it. All I'm saying is take this world of responsibility off my plate. When it's not. When it's not valid.
C
If Tony calls you right now and says, man, Kevin, I was out of the comedy club, man, and man, this dude, man, said he was George Floyd brother, smack the out me.
B
Yeah, I'll deal with that. Yeah, what do you want me to do? You want me to do. That's the consequences of the shit.
C
There you go.
B
Yeah, you got to deal with the consequences. Once again, if I deserve the consequences, guess what I'll do? I'll sit in the seat and I'll take it all. Why am I getting like what I'm not. I'm not the fucking. The corporate. I'm not the guy. So have at it with the emotions or the anger. I get it. I'm saying you have to get it. You can be upset about the joke, but then you have to move on. Like it's, it's. You can't like what we're doing now and what we're living in now. It's too much. And what you're doing is the complete opposite of what you think you're doing. If you don't like the product, ignore it. And you keep talking about the product, you're going to make the product bigger. So what are you doing at this point other than feeding in to the idea of the gimmick? It's that simple. That's a fact. So whatever conversation you choose to just keep going and continue, that's your choice. Once again, I can't control that. I can't control what you choose to talk about or what you choose to fucking like be upset about. That's not my responsibility. It's no different over here. Kevin Hart would never make a joke as such. Kevin Hart did not make a joke as such. Kevin Hart, even in his jokes of all, did not have any slurs attached to anyone because that's not my style of comedy. You're looking at a Style. You're looking at a choice. This isn't new. Go look up Don Rickles. Go look up Sam Kenneth Kennedy. Go look up Archie Bunker. It's a choice. It's a style. You don't have to like the style. Go look up Andrew Dice Clay in his prime. What the fuck are we talking about, man? This is not new. It's comedy. It's a choice. It's a gimmick. That's it. Stop being fucking ignorant. Ignorant in thought. Ignorant and understanding. It's very easy to look at something and react. It's hard to process and break down and understand bad joke, tasteless joke. I don't like that joke.
C
And people have the right to be offended.
B
Yes, that's it. So be offended and then, like, go to work. Go have your day. It shouldn't be this. It's too much. It's too much. Especially when you're a student of comedy. And, you know, like, if this was new and this is the first time we heard something like this, oh, my God. Well, then this deserves the uproar. But it's not new. Tom Brady rose, you heard racist jokes. The roast before that, you heard racist jokes. Go watch flavor flavors Roast. You want to. You want to see some? Go watch flavor. Flavor. I mean, you want to see some. Now, the flavor flavors is the only one where I was like, whoa. I mean, that one, I was a little uncomfortable. I was like, ah, Flav. I kept looking at Flavor Flav at one point. Didn't know what's going on. I don't think nobody explained the flame. Like, what. Like, what the. What the is this?
A
He'd be so happy and jolly.
B
I mean, they Flav up.
C
Cause y' all tell them it's a celebration, and then you gunning them off.
B
Well, first of all, I wasn't. Once again, I wasn't there. I didn't do. I'm saying the roast of Flavor Flav. Kevin Hart wasn't there, but I'm saying that roast. Go look at it. Go look at. Go look at the comics, black and white and how they attack that dead damn. Yeah. Go educate yourself on it. But this is a good conversation.
C
Always a great conversation, man. Kevin Hart. Thank you.
B
And I didn't mean it. You guys aren't idiots.
C
Shut the up, man.
A
First of all, when you first said that you single me, I'm glad you just included him, because he's the dumbest.
C
He calls everybody dumb.
B
Yeah.
C
Don't take the fish.
B
Yeah, it's not. But I'm not. But I don't mean it.
C
Yes, he does.
B
I'm just saying you gotta.
A
No, I know. I'm not Lady.
B
Huh? No, you're very smart.
A
Ouch.
C
Okay. It's Kevin Hart. It's the Breakfast Club.
B
Kids make me angry. Father's Day 72 hours dropping in July 24, July 20. Big movie, big comedy, hard R. Great young cast. I can't wait for you guys to see it. And funny AF streaming on Netflix. Make sure you guys go see it. Shout out to Ron Taylor. Our winner. But you guys should just see the world of this fucking comedy competition. Show was great. And the roast to Kevin Hart still streaming on Netflix. Go check it out. So you can understand with all of the uproar is about that. You guys made me aware. Okay.
C
It's Kevin Harvest. The Breakfast Club.
B
Hold up.
C
Every day I wake up.
B
Wake your ass up.
C
The Breakfast Club.
E
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It is like electricity blowing through your veins.
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Don't miss the adrenaline, the drama and the total non stop action.
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E
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C
Hey everyone, it's Kel Penn.
B
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D
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B
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Date: May 26, 2026 | Host: Lauren LaRosa (with Charlamagne Tha God) | Guest: Kevin Hart
This episode features a candid, high-energy interview with comedian Kevin Hart, focusing heavily on the fallout from his Netflix roast, boundary-pushing comedy, the responsibilities of having influence as a Black entertainer, and Hart's approach to running his burgeoning media empire. There are intense and thoughtful exchanges on controversial jokes, Hart's leadership, his reconciliation with Katt Williams, and his continued drive to build opportunities for others. True to Breakfast Club form, the banter remains sharp and irreverent throughout.
"Remove me from it. I didn't say it. If you are upset that the night went on. That's a different conversation. There's nothing I can do. It's a production. It's a live production. I'm not compromising the live production for a reaction of what? What do you want me to do?" (91:00)
"If a plant's a winner, then I'm… a big plant. I'm a winner. I win. I don't lose. I win. I know how to do it… Be a fan or not. It's not going to stop me from doing what I know how to do." (39:16)
"Kevin downsized Heartbeat like the rest of the fucking entertainment business...Making money in the business is important. A failing business is not." (49:56)
"That's way below my… radar. Like, I have people that are managing and operating on behalf of teams. It's your responsibility. I pay you for you to operate and control this." (59:32)
"You can't spread yourself thin forever. You need help. You need more minds, more ideas, more opportunity, more possibility. I went and got it." (65:40)
"Ron Taylor was living in a van. Ron Taylor was homeless. Homeless. Ron Taylor's life is now flipped upside down and Ryan's like, what the fuck? Good for you, Ron." (64:08)
"I told Kyle one time, I said, hey, man, you gotta get outside, bro. Like, you. You look dead." (78:38)
"My son's a track star...crushing in school, graduating. Like, my daughter's a 3.8 GPA. Like, yeah, I'm gonna talk about my kids." (71:40)
"Transparency is key...I'm not explaining myself. Not at this stage. Like, I'm not looking to prove or show proof." (72:45)
"Being bothered about what you can't control is the worst thing in the world… If you want peace, find peace."
"Stop talking as if I said it. So when you say the family and the family's affected, I didn't disrespect the family. Showed up for the family when it happened, made sure that the family felt supported..." (91:00)
"It's comedy. It's a choice. It's a gimmick. That's it. Stop being fucking ignorant. Ignorant in thought. Ignorant and understanding." (98:46)
The interview is a robust, unfiltered exploration of today's comedy, celebrity responsibility, and business acumen—all filtered through Kevin Hart’s trademark candor and comedic perspective. He emerges as both a lightning rod and a visionary, fiercely defending artist freedom, his right to build, and his commitment to opening doors for others.
Upcoming projects:
Summary by The Breakfast Club Podcast Summarizer