INTERVIEW: Ryan Davis Talks 'Underrated' Comedy Special, Netflix, Family, Eddie Murphy, Kevin Durant

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club – Ryan Davis on 'Underrated' Comedy Special, Netflix, Family, Eddie Murphy, Kevin Durant

Release Date: March 28, 2025

In this engaging episode of The Breakfast Club, hosted by DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God, comedian Ryan Davis joins as a special guest to discuss his latest comedy special "Underrated," his experiences with Netflix, family dynamics, and notable interactions with industry giants like Eddie Murphy and Kevin Durant. Additionally, Donnell Rawlings fills in for Charlamagne, adding his unique perspective to the conversation.

---

1. Introduction and Guest Background

The episode kicks off with Charlamagne Tha God introducing Ryan Davis, highlighting his new special "Underrated." Donnell Rawlings briefly mentions his role as a fill-in host, emphasizing that he won't engage in typical comedic antics but will contribute meaningfully to the discussion.

• Charlamagne Tha God [02:38]: "We have a special guest in the building. We have comedian Ryan Davis. Welcome, brother."

2. The 'Underrated' Comedy Special

Ryan Davis elaborates on the title of his special, explaining that it reflects his perception of his current standing in the stand-up comedy scene. He expresses that while his peers recognize his skills, the broader public may not fully appreciate his talent, often mistaking his work for mere social media content rather than his genuine comedic prowess.

• Ryan Davis [07:04]: "I think 'Underrated' describes kind of what my journey is right now in stand up. [...] I think I'm one of the best out here. And whenever I'm criticized, it's based off of social media content."

3. Challenges with Netflix and Self-Producing

The conversation delves into Ryan Davis' struggles with securing a deal with Netflix. He shares his experience of having his special held for months before Netflix ultimately passing on it. Frustrated by the lack of clear feedback, Ryan decided to take matters into his own hands by self-producing his special, investing approximately $150,000 out of pocket to ensure its completion.

• Ryan Davis [03:52]: "People go, you know, there's other places. [...] And by that time, some material has shelf life."

• Charlamagne Tha God [03:52]: "How much did you shoot? How much did it take you to shoot?"

• Ryan Davis [05:03]: "It cost me about 150. [...] I had to pay for everything out of pocket."

4. Family and Personal Life

Ryan opens up about his family life, revealing that he is one of eight siblings and discussing his fractured relationship with his mother. He touches upon the challenges of balancing family expectations with personal success, highlighting the importance of generational wealth and the often-overlooked aspects of nurturing familial relationships.

• Ryan Davis [17:53]: "I gave my dad the deed on Father's Day and just being able to do that stuff. But I think that stuff isn't necessarily cool."

• Charlamagne Tha God [18:12]: "I like stuff like that because it encourages more people to do more of that."

5. Support from Other Comedians

The episode underscores the significance of support within the comedy community. Ryan Davis acknowledges encouragement from prominent figures like Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart, who have offered him opportunities and endorsements. Despite the challenges, this support has been instrumental in Ryan's journey, inspiring him to continue producing his own content.

• Ryan Davis [26:54]: "Dave Chappelle ... told me, if you need anything, I can reach out."

• Donnell Rawlings [28:12]: "With that attitude, it's a slow grind, but it's still a grind."

6. The Role of Comedy in Black Communities

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around the role of comedy as a therapeutic outlet within Black communities. Ryan emphasizes that his stand-up material often delves into personal and sensitive topics, providing both him and his audience with a space to process trauma and societal issues through humor.

• Ryan Davis [41:07]: "There have been many black men who walk up to me and go, I have a kind of a fractured relationship with my mother [...] That's what I try to provide."

• Donnell Rawlings [41:27]: "We as comics [...] it's therapeutic for us."

7. Encounter with Kevin Durant

Ryan recounts a disagreement with Kevin Durant over a basketball-related statement, where Durant asserted, "offense wins championships." This led Durant to label Ryan as a "trash comedian," prompting Ryan to defend his craft and showcase his comedic abilities beyond Durant's limited understanding.

• Ryan Davis [36:35]: "He said, offense wins championships, which is not a saying. [...] He called me a trash comedian."

• Ryan Davis [37:04]: "I have never seen anybody more talented than Eddie Murphy in all facets."

8. Closing Remarks and Upcoming Projects

Towards the end of the episode, Ryan encourages fellow comedians to invest in their passions and collaborate to create meaningful content. He highlights the importance of not waiting for traditional gatekeepers like Netflix and instead empowering the audience to seek out and support talented performers independently.

• Ryan Davis [57:11]: "I hope that this inspires people to go look for it definitively will. Go look at the audience. [...] The people you deal to play."

• Charlamagne Tha God [59:24]: "If they want to see it, pay. Go to my Instagram. [...] performing at the gramercy theater on April 12th here in New York."

---

Notable Quotes with Attributions and Timestamps

• Ryan Davis [07:04]: "I think 'Underrated' describes kind of what my journey is right now in stand up."

• Charlamagne Tha God [18:12]: "I like stuff like that because it encourages more people to do more of that."

• Ryan Davis [26:54]: "Dave Chappelle ... told me, if you need anything, I can reach out."

• Ryan Davis [41:07]: "There have been many black men who walk up to me and go, I have a kind of a fractured relationship with my mother."

• Ryan Davis [36:35]: "He said, offense wins championships, which is not a saying."

• Ryan Davis [37:04]: "I have never seen anybody more talented than Eddie Murphy in all facets."

• Ryan Davis [57:11]: "I hope that this inspires people to go look for it definitely will. Go look at the audience."

• Charlamagne Tha God [59:24]: "If they want to see it, pay. Go to my Instagram."

---

Conclusion

This episode provides an insightful look into Ryan Davis' journey as a comedian striving to be recognized for his talent rather than his social media presence. Through candid discussions about industry challenges, personal struggles, and the importance of community support, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of the complexities faced by comedians today. Ryan's determination to self-produce his work and his emphasis on authentic storytelling underscore his commitment to advancing his craft and inspiring others within the Black comedy landscape.

For those interested in experiencing Ryan Davis' humor firsthand, he will be performing live at the Gramercy Theatre in New York on April 12th. Additionally, his comedy special "Underrated" is available through his Patreon and Instagram platforms.

Transcript

[Ryan Davis]

This is Ashley Akinetti from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. You could have lost 10 pounds already if you already started one month ago. So are you ready to start today?

[DJ Envy]

Find out if weight loss meds are.

[Ryan Davis]

Right for you in just 3 minutes.

[DJ Envy]

At try fh.com try fh.com try fH.com results vary based on start weight and adherence to diet, exercise and program goals.

[Ryan Davis]

Database on independent studies Sponsored by Future Health. Future Health is not a health care services provider.

[DJ Envy]

Meds are prescribed at providers discretionary.

[Just hilarious]

This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself? Talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace. Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences, and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You, you'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a $0 copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code space80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com save $80 with code space80 at talk.

[DJ Envy]

In Mississippi.

[Ryan Davis]

Yazoo Clay keeps secrets. 7,000 bodies out there or more.

[Just hilarious]

A forgotten asylum, cemetery.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It was my family's mystery.

[Ryan Davis]

Shame, guilt, propriety. Something keeps it all buried deep until it's not. I'm Larison Campbell and this is under Yazoo Clay.

[Just hilarious]

Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Ryan Davis]

Have you ever wondered if your pet is lying to you?

[Just hilarious]

Why is my cat not here and I go in and she's eating my lunch?

[Ryan Davis]

Or if hypnotism is real, you will use this suggestion in order to enhance your cognitive control. But what's inside a black hole? Black holes could be a consequence of.

[Just hilarious]

The way that we understand the universe.

[Ryan Davis]

Well, we have answers for you in the new I Heart original podcast Science Stuff. Join me Jorgem as we answer questions about animals, space, space, our brains and our bodies. So give yourself permission to be a science geek and listen to science stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Wake that ass up early in the morning.

[Donnell Rawlings]

The Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlamagne, the guy. We are the breakfast club. Laura LaRosa's here as well. We got a special guest in the building. We have comedian Ryan Davis. Welcome, brother.

[Ryan Davis]

Welcome. What's up, man?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now, Donnell Rawlins is filling in, too here. You know, Charlamagne's out. Jess is out. So Donnell is one of our family members, extended family members.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But don't expect me to do no booty drops or none of that type of stuff.

[Ryan Davis]

There'll be no booty jokes, but he's here.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But how are you feeling?

[Ryan Davis]

First and foremost? I'm feeling good, man. Feeling good.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Your new special, underrated is out right now.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And it's a story. You put it together for people that don't know. Explain how you started to do this on your own. You shopped it around and you couldn't get a deal.

[Ryan Davis]

Nah, I shopped it around. It's funny, too, whenever you. Cause I mentioned Netflix immediately when I said, oh, Netflix didn't take it. People go, you know, there's other places. I don't think they understand how shopping around goes. You shop it everywhere. You know, I just mentioned Netflix, but it was held for like, five months or it was in their hands for, like, five months. And then eventually they said, you know, no, they passed on it. And by that time, you know. Yeah. Donnell will tell you, man, some material has, like, shelf life. Yeah, yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But what I want to say, this is what people understand. Like Robbie Pryor. Robbie Pryor is the big exec over Netflix. And even for years, I've been in his presence. I don't want to make this interview by myself, but we share the same career paths. And I asked him one time, I said, what do I have to do to give myself a better position for, you know what? I know people ask him all the time, what about a Netflix special? And he said, donnell, you one of the funniest comics that I know. I respect you, but you have to understand. Know all day. And that's what people understand. You see people that on Netflix, but it's a lot of deserving people. But for some reason, it might not have been the time. It might not have been a thing. They might have needed something from the Alphabet community, somebody from the Alphabet community that year, whatever. But one what I could say. And I. I had a proud moment. I slipped on your page when you took matters into your own hand. And one of the things I did, and I appreciate about you, a lot of people in this business, they talk shit. They won't put their money where their mouth is, and they won't bet on themselves. So when I saw you, that testimony and you broke it down, this went analytical. Yeah, he had pie charts and everything.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, how much did you shoot? How much did it take you to shoot?

[Ryan Davis]

It cost me about 150. Because, you know, when you choose certain venues and then you have to address the venue. I had to paint the stage. It was several cameras. You know, you gotta get the jib. You gotta get the everything. Like, I had to pay for everything out of pocket.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So when you go to these places like Netflix and all these other places that said no, which made you decide to do it on your own, do they tell you why? No. Or did it just like, damn, so.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You have no clue why?

[DJ Envy]

But they didn't spin the block. Once you did that breakdown online where.

[Ryan Davis]

You showed those numbers, oh, there were so many. And that was the thing. It went so crazy because it was shared hundreds of thousands of times. So, like, my DMs were crazy. And there was a lot of people reaching out who have platforms and things of that nature, but I couldn't see it all, or even entertainment Plus. I've already told millions of people where I'm gonna put it and what I'm gonna do with it, you know, and to the people who are reaching out, you know, with these platforms, you know, I appreciate it. But also, at this time, this is a great time to reach out to other comedians, because there's a lot of comedians that have my story. You know, at this point, you should. You should put out that you're willing to bring comedians to your platform and give them a space to share their art. You know what I mean? That's what I wanted. I wanted, whenever I put it out, to inspire other people to put their money where their mouth is, but they're.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Not gonna do it. A lot of people talk a lot of shit, and at the end of the day, we are in a better position. When I first started, it was only like, abc, cbs, NBC. And the ultimate platform for specials was the hbo. It wasn't a million things, so there are avenues, but if, you know, in this. In this business, Netflix probably is the most prestigious, the one that people gravitate to the most. Like, this is the platform to say, this is one of the greats. And even if. Even if you do find Another home for it. I know it's something to be said about a Netflix special. I think you deserve it. Interesting to me is Underrated. Why did you choose to name your special Underrated?

[Ryan Davis]

I think that is.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And if you're just joining us, Ryan Davis is here. Donnell is filling in for Charlamagne. And Donnell is on his journalist tip, period.

[DJ Envy]

Cause he just brought that in real easy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Real easy.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. I think Underrated describes kind of what my journey is right now in stand up. You know what I mean? I think amongst my peers, they know how I get down on stage. But I think the general public, we have gotten to a point where the skill of standup isn't really celebrated as much as the popularity of an individual. And I wanted to highlight that when it comes to the standup space, you know, I think I'm one of the best out here. Like one of the top ones. And I don't want. And whenever I think I'm critic, anytime I'm criticized, it's based off of social media content. Oh, I don't think, you know, he may be this because of the. I've seen clips of something instead of the actual thing that I do. So that's why I went with Underrated.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Let me ask you, is Netflix the goal? And what I mean by that, it's like when you. When you play basketball, the goal is NBA. When you play football, the goal is NFL. You know, when you do something, the goal might be, you know, to own a Ferrari is. As a comedian, is the goal Netflix?

[Ryan Davis]

I don't think so. I think. I think Netflix put themselves in position with the deals that they did, you know, with Dave and Chris and Kevin. When they started handing out 20 million, you know, they had surpassed HBO at that point.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Got you.

[Ryan Davis]

And then it had been a while since you saw HBO Special, and then that person went on to, like, incredible success. And that's been the story for a lot of people that, you know, have been on Netflix. So I think Netflix had surpassed, you know, HBO as far as being a launching pad. So that, you know, I think any creative keeps their, you know, ear to the street and eyes on what's going on. So you have somebody like Sebastian Maniscalco, who he wasn't relatively known like that, and he did his Netflix special. Now he does Madison Square Garden. So, you know, you see stuff like that and you don't see it on other platforms, it makes you go, okay, now I see the influence that Netflix has, and I kind of want that launching pad. That's how you think of it. I think that's what made Netflix appear to be the top one.

[Donnell Rawlings]

When you say underrated, is that your observation, or is that the observation from your fans and people that have been following your journey? Who's saying you're underrated? You, or is the people that you want to reach out to?

[Ryan Davis]

Nah, I think that's what I've viewed over the years. I don't even think. I think over the years, I've seen that people don't even think I'm as successful as I am. I think it's. I think the narrative on me is that I'm still, like, trying to figure it out. That I'm still trying to figure it out, or I'm up and coming and I've been like, how successful?

[Donnell Rawlings]

I will say, the first time I ever saw you, I think it was at. I think it was at maybe chocolate sunnies or lagers.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. Chocolate sundaes together.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. And I was like. Cause this is the thing, you know, my skill set. I come and eat shit up. Right?

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Did you come behind me?

[Ryan Davis]

I closed. You hosted.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah. And I was. When I left them, I was like, oh, all right. Do what you gotta do, what it was. And I don't have a problem with that. And, like, the thing that I. You didn't get rattled? You know what I mean? You getting rattled. And when I say, even when I watch the clips, your composure, you know what I'm saying? Your timing, you know? And then when I saw you, when I. First time I saw you, it's so hard to say somebody's original. I was like, this motherfucker's original. His point of view. He's not talking about everything these motherfuckers talking about. And then when I watch you, I say, guess what? This motherfucker can entertain. Black, white, Asian, or how do you. Do you feel sometimes, because you have the crossover ability, that people don't connect with your blackness, man.

[Ryan Davis]

You know that you. You deal with that.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm asking you the question so these.

[Ryan Davis]

People know it's true.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But to add on what he said, he's right.

[Ryan Davis]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And the reason I say that is I know you as a comedian, but to me, it doesn't stand out as it should. Yeah, he's a little different because he's been coming on the Breakfast Club for years. So we poke at that and we make fun of him, but for you, I didn't see it the same. Almost like Hannibal Burress, right, where he's huge, but not in our community, per se, you know? What I mean, so how do you deal with that and how come that is.

[Ryan Davis]

But that's where I lead the underrated. And I'm gonna tell you, I'm not gonna act like that's not bothersome to be underrated amongst the people you feel like you relate to the most.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Black people.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, because I was gonna ask you, like, because you said underrated, people look at you like yourself and come like, you're not successful. Like, when I said I was going to ask you how successful you are, but I don't mean for you to like, name every accolade. I mean, where do you think your level of success ranks? And like, what is success to you? Because if you can put out 150k real easy for a special, right. A lot of people don't got 150k in cash to just be like, yo, I need to shoot this.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

So you're doing something somewhere.

[Ryan Davis]

I'm doing all right. So I'm doing all right. But that's also because of my fans. I went straight to my fans. This Patreon that I'm doing is not new. And, you know, I don't do the whole flashy thing I'm all about, you know, if my fans believe in me enough to give me money, then I'm gonna in return give them a product. So the special came from that. Me and my. My partner, Austin hall, my business partner, Austin hall, we did a movie.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You know, you succeeded, you're successful. When you say my business partner, say my nigga, my business partner.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, like we. We doing a movie. Even the. The money that's made from this special is go, Imma shoot my second one this year. You know, it's all about giving the people. If they're willing to invest in me, then I'm willing to give them the product that they paid for.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why do you. Why don't you think you connect to the black community as you should?

[Ryan Davis]

Like, I think that the black audience has been trained to gravitate towards certain type of stuff. Like what you know, and we call.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Dick and pussy jokes. Continue.

[Ryan Davis]

Alrighty.

[DJ Envy]

Wait, for real?

[Ryan Davis]

Nah. Cause I think what happens is we have been trained over the years to do. What's the move? Like, what's the popular thing to do? Like, everybody's gonna be there. So I'm a go. You know what I mean? Instead of, I don't think a lot of people are willing to stand on. I like this person, so I'll go. Even if the building is empty, you know, they rather be a part of something bigger. People love to be a part of something. And I think if I don't create that fear of missing out like a lot of people do, you know, I'll sell out a show and I won't show anybody. So there's. So the narrative is the thought that I don't sell out shows. And I always thought that was weird. And then some. Like, I remember seeing comments when I would promote shows. They were like, I don't know, if the shows sell out, then I might have to pull up. And I'm like, why would that be the reason?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The reason you pull up? Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Davis]

To a show. Stuff like that always, you know, I think we're always. Because we're the coolest, you know, kids, that we're always looking for the coolest people to follow. And comedy ain't about cool. It's about funny, you know, And I think once we get back to that, you know, celebrating the skill and the, you know, the actual talent, then, you know, comedy will be back in a good place. But I don't.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I really believe this. It's people like yourself, right? I've been doing it longer than you, but it's people like yourself that I really appreciate and I really believe that. Sometimes I think, will the art of stand up fade away? You know what I mean? Because it's so easy to get caught up in, you know, the crowd work, comics. It works to them and everything. And you're like, this. Is this going to oversaturate the market? And this is what's going to be the norm then it's kind of refreshing. When I see people like yourself, I'm like, you know what? There will be people that save this art form. And it's interesting because I've heard underrated come to me. I just really, really believe Ryan. It's just a timing thing.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You know what I'm saying? I think for you, I think all the things you expect you're going to get, okay, maybe not happen this year, but the trajectory on, the discipline you have, the work as have. It's inevitable that everything you think you should get out of it. I think definitely. And I think the people that follow, you know that.

[Ryan Davis]

I'm going to be honest with you, man. I really didn't have expectations when I went online to just share my story or whatever. I was like, oh, my fans will see this. But then it ended up getting like 8 million views across platforms. That wasn't what I expected. I expected. I was like, yeah, I'm just. I hope to get my money back.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's all you want?

[Ryan Davis]

I want people to see it. I hope to get my money back, but I worked really hard on this project, man. Like, whenever I went to shoot it, my father had been diagnosed with cancer. Sorry to hear that. Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Okay, wait a minute. I have to stop this right now.

[Ryan Davis]

Wait a second, wait a second. I know they. Because they laugh. I knew he was gonna say that.

[DJ Envy]

We don't take you serious, and you know that. Anyway, I remember.

[Ryan Davis]

See, I just tried to.

[Donnell Rawlings]

My dad passed away about a year ago, and I had a box of. What, nigga, you laughing? Hold the fuck up, nigga. What's going on, son?

[DJ Envy]

Isn't that one of the most memorable clips for him? I told you.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, but I'm just saying, you didn't laugh.

[Ryan Davis]

You.

[Donnell Rawlings]

This is a different story.

[DJ Envy]

Your father was diagnosed with cancer, too.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I mean, not that, but it was just an emotional part.

[DJ Envy]

Okay, go ahead. So you're probably sorry to hear that. Yes, I'm sorry to hear that.

[Ryan Davis]

All right. But I appreciate your empathy, brother. Thank you. So he. It was. And my mom. Him and my mom, they had never even been on a plane before, and they got on the plane to go to Chicago for my special. Wow. Yeah. That was a huge deal. A lot of, like, I've, like, my entire siblings. Like, all of my siblings. I'm one of eight. Like, everybody got out to support it, you know, to see that type of, you know, belief from my family, man, really meant a lot to me. And, you know, like I said, the success that I don't talk about, like, I bought the house that I was raised in from my parents and then. And then, you know, gave my dad the deed on, like, Father's Day and just being able to do that stuff. But I think that stuff isn't necessarily cool.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It is cool.

[Ryan Davis]

No, no, no, it is cool.

[DJ Envy]

It's sly as hell.

[Ryan Davis]

It is. But it's not what we celebrate as much. It seems like, who following it?

[DJ Envy]

Who following you?

[Ryan Davis]

No, no, no, no. I'm not saying it's not celebrated.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's what we call generational wealth.

[DJ Envy]

And the fact that you're able to.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do that for your parents. See, see, I like stuff like that because it encourages more people to do more of that.

[Ryan Davis]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And, you know, the reason I talk about a lot of this stuff, especially when it comes to generational wealth, is a lot of times we like to show success from the car we drive and the jewelry we have and the watches. And I'm guilty of it as well. Sometimes, too but also, I like to make sure that my kids. Colleges are paid for that my kids start off with, you know, my daughter graduated from college and I was able to buy her a home, her first home. So she starts at zero. You know, the fact that paid for my parents crib, those are the fly things. To me, those are fly.

[Donnell Rawlings]

The fly.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The Louis Vuitton shirt that you got on is cool, but those are the fly things. That's what makes me be like, yo.

[DJ Envy]

That brother's a good one. Like, how emotional. I can only imagine. My mom is stage four cancer survivor, so I can only imagine how emotional it was for you having your dad be there and. Cause it's such a. People don't understand unless you've been through a cancer battle of, like, how it weighs on you and how strenuous it is. But to be able to bring laughter during that time, I know they had to be emotional for you.

[Ryan Davis]

Nah, it was huge. It was huge. And my father, man, he's super proud. Like, I'll never. I'll never forget that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How's he doing now?

[Ryan Davis]

He's see, proud black man. He won't tell you. He won't tell you. We never know how this nigga's doing. You know, we're like, hey, can you give us an update? Oh, no, everything's cool. So we never know. We just have to gauge how it looks.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Where were you? You said you're one of eight kids.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, middle.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Where were you? You're the middle?

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, middle child. I was the middle of seven.

[Donnell Rawlings]

So half of them support you. Don't fuck with you.

[Ryan Davis]

Nah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

So I could have did that.

[Ryan Davis]

My family actually didn't know how successful I was.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Really?

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When did they find out?

[Ryan Davis]

They went like one. When they went to the special and saw, like, I sold out the House of Blues multiple shows. And they were like, what? And then.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you really don't f With your siblings then?

[Ryan Davis]

No, no, no. We get in a group chat every day. We just don't talk about money. We don't talk about. None of that matters.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, that changed.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. Nah, it doesn't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, they changed Christmas time.

[Ryan Davis]

No, we've done Secret Santa every year. And they know who.

[DJ Envy]

Your spending limit's still the same.

[Ryan Davis]

Nah, they know whoever get Ryan is gonna. Yeah, they know what time it is, so. But they didn't. Like, I did a show in Virginia Beach. I did a weekend. I sold out the whole weekend. And my older brother was there and he was like, man, all these people here, they probably gonna become fans of Yours after this. I was like, they all paid to see me. They already fans.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn.

[Ryan Davis]

He was like, people come to see you like that. And I was like, bro. And I'm talking about. This is. I've been touring like yearly since like 2016. This is like 2023.

[Donnell Rawlings]

He like, going to Envy's point. A lot of times people don't acknowledge nothing but the flash.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. It's not that people don't appreciate substance. They do. But the audience that appreciates substance, I think is a much smaller group than. And I think it's by design, you know what I mean? I'm not saying that, you know, something is wrong with our people is just people love. Like, when I grew up, MTV Cribs was a thing for a reason. Life before that, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous was a thing for a reason. People want to attach themselves to maybe a life they can't see. And if you look regular to people, they don't gravitate to it as much. I think that's probably the better way to put it.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Well, I think that's relevant in our community. You know what I'm saying? There's a difference, man. But like I say, to be able to be able to pull an audience, the black side and the white side, and don't lose anything. Like some people when they do this shit. Like, you like, oh, when he front of a white audience, he's this way. When he's front of a black audience, he's that way. But Ryan has ability. Like, it doesn't matter. You don't see. I know it sounds crazy. I'm saying the same thing. You don't see color. You just see a person. There's a storyteller that's got the wit, hitting you with some stuff. It's just a total different vibe.

[Ryan Davis]

And it's. It's intentional. I'm going be honest with you, man. I didn't even know before I. I went to Canada to do a run of shows. I didn't know my perspective was so big. Black, like African American, black. Until I went to Canada, and ain't no niggas there. There's black people there, but we ain't there. And my perspective was so black American, I was losing the audience. I was like. I didn't realize that my perspective was so limited. So I started to work on broadening my perspective. Cause I don't wanna leave anybody. Like, if you can't follow the joke, I want it to be because you stupid not because I left you out.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Culturally, all that comes with experiences like me coming from D.C. i had a very, very, very strong Southern accent, and I had to work on. D.C. ain't in the South. We call that country from D.C. to New York. I sound the countryism.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Now you do. Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And I had to work on my diction because I got tired of motherfuckers saying, what did you just say? So I had to work on that, you know. So how important you think that is for you to be able to connect all across the board?

[Ryan Davis]

Nah, it's really important. I think I have, like, control issues. I want to be understood. If you don't laugh at something I say because you think it's not funny, I can deal with that. But if there's. If I feel like I didn't communicate it correctly, then, you know, that's going to bother me. And then I want to fix that. Like, I don't know. That's just always. That's a thing in my personal life, too.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you remember your worst show? You ever got booed? Like you remember your worst show?

[Ryan Davis]

Nah, I've never been booed. I always. I always remember my worst show, though. I invited a crush of mine to the show. She sat front row and I bombed right in front of her and damn. Yeah. I don't think I've seen her since.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You haven't seen it since. How long ago was this?

[Ryan Davis]

It wasn't that long ago. Like 10 years. Damn.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Who was it? Who was it? Like sometimes the girl. No, no, no, no. My brain is somewhere else. I always ask this question, when someone thinks about doing comedy, who was it? Was it somebody in your family or life that said you have to do it? Stop making me laugh. You gotta do it.

[Ryan Davis]

No, because my humor is a little different. And I love the art of comedy. You know, being funny in a space versus being funny on stage is two different skill sets. There's so much thoughtfulness to being funny on stage.

[DJ Envy]

He don't understand that because.

[Ryan Davis]

He'S trying.

[Donnell Rawlings]

To interrupt, but go ahead.

[DJ Envy]

He don't get it. He be trying to throw anything.

[Ryan Davis]

Anybody else's, I think, you know, whenever you're. Whenever you're in a space with many people, a conversation is usually already happening. So the connection is already there. So you all. Whatever you're going to say in that moment is relevant to the conversation. When you're on stage creating the conversation and the relevancy, and it's your job to communicate it in a way that makes them laugh. Right? So the idea of just being funny in your day to day, and that's going to carry over, you know, everybody. That's a, that's a gift very few have. Donnell is funny like that. Carlos Miller is funny like that. But there's not, there's not a lot of people who are so funny that it can translate like that. I've seen Donnell walk into the audience.

[Donnell Rawlings]

They need that connection.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, he forced the connection upon you, right? Yo, you don't, you don't understand what I'm saying, right? And then he'll put, he'll like, it's insane.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But let me ask you, with so many comedians supporting you, right? If you listen like, you know, I heard Kevin Hart and Charlamagne do the interview and I've heard Kevin support you, you know, support you, I guess, verbally. Do you feel like there should be more support with comedians where they actually help because they have other opportunities? Because, you know, we all see what's going on with Netflix and some of those other things what you.

[Ryan Davis]

But they do, they do. I think the conversations aren't had a lot, but Dave Chappelle, whenever I put it out or whatever, he texts me. He's told me before, you know, if I need anything, I can reach out. When we did, when 50 was opening, he did the big show down in Louisiana in Shreveport. I was like literally in Dave's green room. And he told 50, if you working on something, comedy or whatever, this is one of the better comedy writers of today. You need to book him to do something. Those things do happen, you know. I like.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Have you written on shows?

[Ryan Davis]

No. So whenever a time came for me to write on a show, Aaron McGruder actually had reached out. Cause they were working on something and I was like, man, the opportunity to work with the creator of Boondocks would have been crazy. But it got shelved. So I didn't get the opportunity. But yeah, nah, man, are reaching out. Yeah. Like, so with my special, I got it as a one time buy because Patreon is subscription based and I don't want nobody to feel obligated to stay. But the people who get the subscription, you also get, my talk show podcast is coming. Kevin Hart's gonna be on that, Charlamagne's gonna be on that. Jill Scott Method, man, A lot of, there's a lot of support from entertainers and they agreed to this before that video even came out. You know what I mean? And within the industry, there's always a lot of support and people. But a lot of us artists aren't decision makers. So they're like, what can I do to. You know what I mean? They can use their popularity and their platform to draw more attention to you, but at the end of the day, it's still on the decision makers to make that decision. And I'm like, well, the decision makers didn't pick me, but the people did. So let me do. I'll put my own money up to give the people what they've been asking for.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And you know what? With that attitude, it's a slow grind, but it's still a grind.

[Ryan Davis]

You know what I'm saying?

[Donnell Rawlings]

It's like, you can. It's easy for you be like this, oh, I'm gonna do this is gonna blow up. But I think the path that you're doing, how you're doing, building relationships with some of the top people, being respected and being funny. Like I say, the success, whatever success, you. It's already. My opinion, it's already mapped out. It's gonna happen. You just gotta stay the course and it's gonna. Everything is gonna fall into place.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, I think you know what story.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Cause I don't laugh at. No, I'm telling you, son, it's so hard for me to laugh at a motherfucker. And I didn't wanna laugh, right? I'm like this. But it was just like, man, it was just seeing you perform, it was a breath of fresh air, man. Especially from seeing so much garbage. And like, right now, the biggest thing now, and I'm not knocking anybody doing the crowd work, but I remember when I first started, that wasn't respected, that side of comedy. It was like, I did 45 minutes. Yeah, but you did 30 minutes worth of crowd work. But now it's a different thing. And it's hard. It's so refreshing to see somebody like yourself because it's easy. You can't tell these younger guys that have the following, you can't tell them to work on their craft. Because it used to be if you wanted pussy, if you wanted money off of this, guess what you had to do. You had to be good.

[Ryan Davis]

You had to be good.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Now you don't got to be good.

[Ryan Davis]

They gotta be popular.

[Donnell Rawlings]

They getting the accolades, they're getting the money before they good. And it's hard to tell them, you should work on this. We was like, you know, I just made 300,000 on Instagram. Yeah, they don't have that. They don't have the thing to make them want to be better.

[Ryan Davis]

And that was. I didn't want to fall into that. I didn't want to fall into that. Like I even monetized my social media late. I remember a lot of people like, you're not monetizing, you're just missing out on money. I was like, I don't want that to be my motivation until you get that first check.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You'd be like, is this easy?

[Ryan Davis]

No. Yeah. When you get. When the money that come from social media is dumb, it's really dumb. But I didn't want that to be. I want it to be one of the best and I didn't want. I'm going to tell you the story that bothers me so much is the Bernie Mac story. Why he like he doesn't have that hour special because he was at a time where you had to be picked.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yeah.

[Ryan Davis]

And they wouldn't pick him. Even though he was so popular amongst us that he would sell out theaters and that other comedians like you can look at Def Comedy Jam comic view bad boys of comedy. Comedians are doing impressions of Denzel Washington and Bernie Mac. Denzel Washington was our biggest star and the other recognizable voice within our community that people wanted to do the most was Bernie Mac. And he still wasn't picked. It took him dominating on Kings of Comedy, which he wasn't considered the guy, you know, industry wise before he really got. And I just like, I wish that he had the opportunity to self produce because that one standup is really all most people have.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But it was path. I'm not exactly the same but it's some similarities. Like even with the testimony you did was like this. Okay, how come what he did was eventually he showed him the numbers.

[Just hilarious]

This is Jenny Garth from I do part two. You could have lost 10 pounds already if you started one month ago. So are you ready to start today? Find out if weight loss meds are right for you in just three minutes at try fh.com try fh.com results vary based on start weight and adherence to diet, exercise and program goals. Data based on independent studies sponsored by Future Health. Future Health is not a health care services provider. Meds are prescribed at providers discretion. This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself, talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace. Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll Meet your therapist online. You don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus, Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a zero dollar copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code space80 when you go to talkspace.com, match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com $80 with code [e-mail] there's a type of soil in Mississippi called Yazoo clay.

[Ryan Davis]

It's thick, burnt orange, and it's got a reputation. It's terrible, terrible dirt.

[Just hilarious]

Yazoo clay eats everything.

[Ryan Davis]

So things that get buried there tend to stay buried until they're not.

[Just hilarious]

In 2012, construction crews at Mississippi's biggest.

[Ryan Davis]

Hospital made a shocking discovery. 7,000 bodies out there or more, all.

[Just hilarious]

Former patients of the old state asylum.

[DJ Envy]

And nobody knew they were there. It was my family's mystery.

[Ryan Davis]

But in this corner of the south, it's not just the soil that keeps secrets. Nobody talks about it. Nobody has any information. When you peel back the layers of Mississippi's Yazoo Clay, nothing's ever as simple as you think.

[Just hilarious]

The story is much more complicated and nuanced than that.

[Ryan Davis]

I'm Larison Campbell. Listen to Under Yazu Clay on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, you're listening to On Purpose with Jay Shetty. And today my guests are none other than Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco. I can't wait for you to hear this episode about their love story, about.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Their relationship like you've never, never heard it before.

[Ryan Davis]

I want to go back to the first time you ever met. Well, Selena, thank you so much for this.

[Donnell Rawlings]

One of the great.

[Ryan Davis]

Thank you. I'm Selena. We're watching Desi and Kids. When you're a pop star like she is and you're a huge entity and.

[Donnell Rawlings]

People set up all these walls before and then the first second, you, like, disarmed everybody.

[Ryan Davis]

By the way, congratulations on your engagement.

[Just hilarious]

What I, I felt for Benny, it was. Everything about him was honest. He'll tell me anything that he's feeling, and it made me feel like I.

[Ryan Davis]

Could do the same. If we would have met each other.

[DJ Envy]

When we were younger, it would have never worked.

[Ryan Davis]

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty.

[Donnell Rawlings]

On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or.

[Ryan Davis]

Wherever you get your podcasts. Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

He showed her the numbers. This is this. This is this. How does that translate? And somebody finally. They got. I think I forgot who. The showrunner. He finally connected with the right crew, and then they saw it, and he basically was like, this. This what I've been trying to tell you motherfuckers.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

But I think he feels like. Like, correct me if I'm wrong, all of that fight shouldn't have happened because from the minute that he hit the mic, we knew he was the guy. And you actually had a quote. I wanted to ask you if you still felt this way. You said, fame hasn't cared about talent for a while now.

[Ryan Davis]

For a while now. And I don't. But this is the funny part. They moved the goalposts. What you mean they moved a goalpost? Fame hasn't cared about talent for a while, so. But now they don't even give opportunities to the famous. So it's like. Like, what do you do? Like, you can be really. Like, what are they looking for? Are they searching for anything? Because you can go, I'm really, like, I'm really skilled. I'm really talented. Are you getting. Nah, we're not giving it to that right now. It was like, this person has a bigger following than you will give it to you. Well, this person has a bigger follower than them. Yeah, we're not doing followings right now. It's like, what is the criteria? I would look, I'll do the work necessary. Let me know where the. I think that's one of the most difficult things just for us within this space, is if you set a criteria, we'll hit it. But when there's no criteria, now you have us, like, waiting on you to make a decision on us. And once I realized that, I was like, I'm not waiting on nobody no more.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And what happened with you and Kevin Durant? Why Kevin Durant got upset with you?

[Ryan Davis]

Oh, Kevin Durant. So Kevin Durant loves to go back and forth with people on social media. And we had a difference of opinion. And I'm cool with difference of opinion.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What was the difference of opinion on?

[Ryan Davis]

He said, offense wins championships, which is not a saying. Has never been a saying in any sport.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It was usually, defense wins championships.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. And that's what we disagreed. And then he called me a trash comedian. And that's when I knew he wasn't familiar with my work.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Now, this is what I'm talking about. It's Certain words. That's the N word in comedy. Yeah, it's like. It's hard to go back. Trash.

[Ryan Davis]

Anything. Corny, whack.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Those are fighting words in the world of comedy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You roasted them, man.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Trash is horrible.

[Ryan Davis]

Trash is trash. Trash. That's how my whole day went. Like, if you, like, you know people now, they set up their tripod and you see, they show with how they do their day. If that. If that had done that, all you would have saw is me, like, sitting at a table. Trash. This nigga called me trash. But not only everywhere I'm going in.

[DJ Envy]

The car, but, you know. But that's where I said, but if you know you funny, though, it's like.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, but that's why I think. I think he didn't know.

[DJ Envy]

You felt like he. And you said you had to.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, I had to show him. Oh, he don't know. Let me show you something.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm just figuring out my trey, but I like to.

[DJ Envy]

Let me show you something tight. I like that.

[Donnell Rawlings]

But the thing is, like, y'all ask me about that. Why do you take it so personal? It is the trigger. Trash. Corny and whack. When Kramer went off at the Laugh Factory that year and he just was flowing that N word, you know what triggered him? Somebody yelled up, you ain't funny. That's like, what the fuck you talking about? And especially when you know, you know, you're not trash.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why are comedians so sensitive?

[Ryan Davis]

It's not comedians. Let me tell you something y'all ignore when everybody else is. You gotta remember, Erykah Badu said it best. Keep in mind, I'm an artist and I'm sensitive about my shit.

[DJ Envy]

But y'all throw out so many shots, though. So I feel like y'all are removed from sensitivities at a certain point.

[Ryan Davis]

I don't feel like I was sensitive in that moment. I kept it basketball. I talked about basketball, and then he said I was a trash comedian. He said that he made it personal. I kept it basketball. But I was like, since we wanna get personal.

[DJ Envy]

You wanna be funny?

[Ryan Davis]

You wanna be.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Ryan Davis]

You wanna step into my arena? Let's see how you fare. I can't beat you in basketball, but I promise you, I'm way better at this than you are.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Envy, like you said. Well, you putting it in one. Certain comics aren't like, you like, y'all fuck with everybody. Like, your style. It's not a style of comic that's gonna be, like, trying to roast.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, I don't roast like that.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Certain People, you got Michael Blackson. Perfect example. Michael Blackson. And I love him. He's a provocateur. He's gonna push the button. He's gonna cross that line. But it's like a person like Ryan, person like myself, that don't cross the line when people come at him like that. It is. I know it's easy for y'all to say, why y'all take personal. Cause this is our shit, man.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. And this is the crazy part when they say people take shots. Michael Blackson is a good example. Michael Blackson is roasting you with love. I can run into him in the airport. He's like, what you doing in here, you ugly nigga? And then be like, yo, we about to go to Ghana in a couple months. You know what I mean? Let me know if you're available. I'm going to fly you out. I'm going to show you some stuff where I come from, like in Africa. You know what I mean? That ain't somebody who hates you. He just. He just loves Shout out to Mike Blackson. Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I had him on my podcast, and it's so funny. A lot of people don't know, like, what he did in regard to his. His village during that school. And I was like, wow, I know. You look at him. You and he talk trash. I'm like, why isn't this being celebrated? And a lot of people. When I post a lot of people.

[Ryan Davis]

That'S what I'm saying.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Didn't even know about it.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, maybe. I don't know. I think people just look at. Because I know what you're talking about. But, like, when you got. Y'all are like, we look to you guys for relief a little bit. And I know you talked. There was a sit down that you did where you talked about how comedy, especially black comedy, is kind of like the relief for a lot of, like, traumas and different things. And when I watched that, I was like, okay, I kind of get what he's saying. And maybe that's why I don't see. Like, for me, I look at you as like, okay, you're the funny guy. So when you're being upset about something, it's like, why you upset? You the funny guy? Or when you're responding, it's like, no, you the funny guy. Just be funny. But it's like, you're our relief. So it's like, it's hard for us to see y'all as anything, but that's.

[Ryan Davis]

And that's messed up that y'all don't see us as people.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Smokey Robinson. People say I'm the life of the party. Cause I tell a joke or two. But take a good look at my face and you see I'm frowning. We as comics, as much as someone going to the show is therapeutic for them, it's therapeutic for us. And the best comics are the ones that, whatever they dealing with in life, they know how to go on stage and talk about things that are troubling them.

[Ryan Davis]

Right. On my special, I talk about. I talk about my relationship. I have a fractured relationship with my mother. I talk about that. I talk about that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Must have been difficult to do that in front of her.

[Ryan Davis]

Oh, what? She had something to say, but she was there, she supported, so I always love her for that.

[Donnell Rawlings]

What does fractured relationship mean?

[Ryan Davis]

Whenever, especially in our community, the woman, the matriarch of the family, she can do no wrong at times. And if she does do wrong, you gotta have that grace. You don't ever disconnect from your mother. And I made the decision not to really speak to my mother for several years.

[DJ Envy]

Wow.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, that's tough.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. And I talk about that in the set. You know what I mean? The mother of my children almost died, you know, carrying our children. I talk about that. I talk about. That's what I'm saying. I turn those things into levity. I talk about race. I talk about political correctness. I talk about relationships. I talk about everything. Because there aren't spaces for that. I talk about suicide. I talk about. And I think people don't realize because if you don't go to my shows, you don't know. There have been many black men who walk up to me and go, I have a kind of a fractured relationship with my mother, and there's no space for us. Nobody's talking about what it is to be a black man in that space. To look at the woman who created you and not feel the connection. That's the person we want to love us the most. You know, the people who don't feel that love, where do they go for levity? And that's what I try to provide.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But do you give her grace, Right?

[Ryan Davis]

Oh, I give her grace.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The reason I say that is, you know, we came up in an era where, you know, especially black families, it was, mind your business. A kid stay in a kid's place.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And they didn't show emotion. They didn't talk about their bills. They didn't talk about none of that. You had to figure it out when you figured it out.

[Ryan Davis]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you have to give her that. Like, my kids are differently. They know everything that's going on. They know when daddy got a bad day, Daddy having a good day. They know when daddy get a big check, when daddy ain't got no check. They know everything. Because we're more. I would think we're younger parents and we're more relatable. So as long as you're giving your mom.

[Ryan Davis]

No, I had to give her grace. Cause my mom's super young. My mom had me as a teenager, and I wasn't even her first child. So, you know, understanding. I had my first child at 26, and I wasn't ready. So having my third one at like 17, you know, I couldn't even imagine what, you know. She never had a chance to become an adult before she started raising children of her own.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Was your mother trafficked?

[Ryan Davis]

No, she was married.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Okay. No, I'm the real only reason I said that. I was on stage the other day, and I. Through a stage, I realized that my father trafficked my mother.

[Ryan Davis]

What.

[DJ Envy]

What is happening?

[Donnell Rawlings]

That's another story. I'm so sorry.

[Ryan Davis]

What did you want to talk about? Yes. Put your business up. Like, Nah. Whenever.

[DJ Envy]

Not. Your mom got trafficked. Punini. Tell us about it.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No, this is your show.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But your mother had three children by the age of 17.

[Ryan Davis]

Four by 19.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Four by 19.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. So.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And was your father a lot older? Was it? What?

[Ryan Davis]

He's older. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's older. I talk about that in the special.

[DJ Envy]

What was that dynamic like for you, though? Just because, I mean, the relationship ended up fractured, but like, coming up and your mom is growing up with you with three other kids. Four other kids.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It almost like that was your sister, wasn't it?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Ryan Davis]

Like, you see her as mom. That's mom. Cause she. We weren't raised like, she's. We weren't raised by grandma. Like, my parents were married. They raised us together. It wasn't until you get to, like, you get to become an adult. Like, I'm 38. My mom was 38 when I was 21.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's crazy.

[Ryan Davis]

And I had older siblings.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's crazy.

[Ryan Davis]

That's crazy. That's when I started to see how young she was. Before, it was always, that's my mom.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you can walk in the club and actually see your mom in the club.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, man.

[DJ Envy]

Listen, did that happen?

[Ryan Davis]

No. She wasn't much of a clubber.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, okay.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. But she. My mom is. And I deal with. It's so funny. Cause now, because I didn't deal with the stuff that she dealt with, it's like I'm more mature than her now because she never got a chance to mature. She had to be that 14 year old girl and then turn mom and then never really got the chance to grow herself because she had to focus on everybody else. And at times now I feel like I'm older than her.

[DJ Envy]

When she came and saw you, was that her first time hearing the jokes about your relationship?

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, yeah. But I've talked about our relationship on podcasts and I never said what exactly it was or whatever she did because it was, you know, that's between us. But the thing is she won't admit to it. And there'll be people who watch this who know what I'm talking about. When you confront your parents about what it is or what trauma they brought to you or what they did, and it's not that you're saying you're a bad parent, this is my experience of you. And then the first thing they'll say is, oh, so I was the worst parent ever? No, I wouldn't be here if you were a bad parent. I wouldn't purchase the home and give you that. You know, if I thought you were a bad parent, I wouldn't praise you the way I do if you were a bad parent. This is where I feel like something went wrong in my development. And I just want you to see what's happening to me. I'm coming to you because I'm trusting you. This is still me being vulnerable with you. They can't register it like that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They think you're taking a shot.

[Ryan Davis]

They think I'm taking a shot. I have a daughter.

[Donnell Rawlings]

How does that affect the relationship that you had? Did you have with your mother? How's that affect the relationship and you raising your daughter?

[Ryan Davis]

So I have a 10 year old daughter, 7 year old son. So what I realized is because my parents wasn't affectionate and I felt like I turned out okay, that there was no need to give my children that kind of affection. You know, I didn't deem affection necessary.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Well, you know what? In the Korean culture, because I was stationed, that's Korean fathers, they have no emotional connection with their kid. Their only responsibility is to provide and protect all that I love you and everything. They are Korean fathers are the toughest fathers to have, period.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. And I was really like that. My son, you know, he's very affectionate, it, he's very sensitive and things like that. And I would just be like, toughen up, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But I'm like, he's going to the person he believes will protect him. And he trusting with these emotions. And I'm sitting here going, get over it. I ain't even realizing what I'm doing to him. I'm drawing a line of disconnecting with him. He doesn't feel safe around me.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Now, is that because of the relationship you have with your father? Is that passed on the generations now?

[Ryan Davis]

Man, my father was my dad. Oh, my God. If you have older parents. Parents. Your parents still here. You might have seen this from your father.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You have a father's dead envy.

[Ryan Davis]

Oh, man, I'm sorry to hear that. Yeah. Yeah, Dad, I love you. See you when I get back to Charlotte. So my dad.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, y'all flexing Got your fathers all in your life?

[Ryan Davis]

Nah, it's not a flex, man.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It is.

[Ryan Davis]

It is.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It's a good flex.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, it's not a flex. So I happy for you a hear.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

This one say it either. You ain't hear this one say.

[DJ Envy]

I mean, my dad halfway in, halfway out. It depends on the day.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, he alive. Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

See, stop rubbing it in.

[Ryan Davis]

So my dad, he wasn't very affectionate, and I. And you get older and you realize, you know, I remember how my grandmother was. And I was like, oh, he probably didn't get a whole lot of affection either. But my dad is super affectionate now. He says I love you all the time. He calls to see how you doing. He cares and all that stuff. He a completely different nigga than the nigga I grew up with. And that took a while for me to get used to. Like, he would go, you know, he would say I love you over the phone. I'd be like, everything okay? We good.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I never heard my father say that.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. Ah, man. Yeah, my father.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I used to be like, I love you. He'd be like, gone.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, my dad was. He didn't do. He didn't do it like that. But now I'm so, like, I kiss my son and my daughter every time I say them, hug them every time. We can't get off. You gotta. We gotta exchange our love use or it's not. So it's up to you to change it. It's up to you to recognize these things because your. Your parents did the best they could. Right? Whether you believe it or not, even if you like, well, they could have done better. Well, they couldn't see how many of us actually see the things that we do that we're messing up. Somebody from. Somebody has to tell you usually Somebody has to tell you how they're experiencing you. You don't get to tell. They should experience you. Absolutely.

[Donnell Rawlings]

How do you want your kids to see you?

[Ryan Davis]

Oh, I want my kids. I want my kids to respect me, and I want my kids to be proud. And they're not. They're not proud of me.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You gotta do an animation.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I'm telling you, I don't know. Once you voice something.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Not yet.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Anytime.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But you know when I say they'll be proud, they'll be proud in the next couple of years.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And I'm gonna tell you why. Similar to you, my kids, they know. They hear me on the radio, but they don't know what it is.

[Ryan Davis]

They don't know what it is.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When people take pictures, they like, that's just dad still not popping to them. But when they see me on TikTok, I'm the man. You dad, I seen you on TikTok.

[DJ Envy]

Especially if you hit the for you page.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes. But it be with other people, though.

[Donnell Rawlings]

I seen you with Drew Ski.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I be like, you ain't see me, though. But, like, when they see me on TikTok, I'm the man.

[Ryan Davis]

Yo, when Kevin Hart was on here and he said my name, I showed my son and he said, why does he know you? Oh, I was like. He was like. But he said, casa Nat. Casa Nat is cool. And like, when I had done. I had done TV movies and stuff like that. I'll put it on the TV screen. It didn't mean nothing to them. They saw I had a large following on YouTube. They were like, oh, my dad is really somebody. He on YouTube with a lot of followers.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It was Soul for me. When I did this character on Soul, my son was like. Because the characters made it to. And that's how he got to get McDonald's Happy Meals every week. Because that was the toy thing. He was like, my dad was in Seoul, and I remember when. When Happy Meal discontinued, he said, dad, I got a Happy Meal today, and I wasn't really happy. You're not there no more. And then that's when he went back to not fucking with me.

[DJ Envy]

Before y'all get out of here, this is. I'm changing gears real quick because I really want to hear your opinion on this. So I was just. This is breaking right now. Not breaking, but a lot of outlets are picking this up right now. Eddie Murphy, he's a part of the no Call Sheet Document or Number One on the Call Sheet Documentary, and he talks about Sidney Poitier telling him to not do dramatic roles in movies. And to lead that up to, like, the Denzels and things of that nature. I want. I just want to hear how y'all feel about that. Just hearing it, I can give y'all more content.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Well, my personal opinion on it, if someone tells me what I can't do or shouldn't do, that's going to put the pack on me to want to do it, and especially you can't. I understand Sidney Poitier's thing on that, but you never know, like, how Eddie wanted to start. You know, I mean, comedy might have been a thing that he connected with, but at the same time, he might have been wanting to be considered a more dramatic actor opposed to, like, a comedic actor.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What'd you think, Ryan?

[Ryan Davis]

I think if he takes that advice, we don't get Jimmy early from Dreamgirls, and what a shame that would have been. You see what I'm saying? Like, you can. You can respect the greatest who ever do it, but just because they're one of the greatest to ever do it doesn't mean that they won't set limitations on you. And it's on you to not listen to those limitations. Thank God Eddie Murphy didn't listen to that. You know what I mean? That's my first thought is, you know, and Eddie Murphy, to me, is the greatest talent to ever live. I've never seen anybody more talented than that in all facets. That's what I'm saying. I've never seen.

[DJ Envy]

He said he turned down. They were putting together a Malcolm X movie, and he turned it down because he had basically been in conversation for it, and he was talking to Sunny and was like, hey, what do you think about this? And after that advice, he was like, probably won't do it.

[Ryan Davis]

Yep. And. And that was. And that's sad, but I think when people try to set limitations on you, they're thinking about their own. As great as Sidney Poitier is, he probably was thinking about. He probably thought that there were. You can't imagine. I don't think people can imagine a person like Eddie Murphy. Eddie Murphy is unimaginably talented. He's literally a parrot. He can mimic anybody's voice. He can mimic people's singing voice. But then he's talented within his own right. Like, his standup is magnificent. His movies are blockbusters. Saturday Night Live, he showed you. I can dominate sketch comedy and do that animation. He's Mushu and Mulan. He's Donkey and Shrek. There's no avenue that he has not Dominated. He has hit records, right? Like, yeah, I understand. Telling somebody to be, you know, realistic. I guess that's what, you know, maybe Sidney Poitier was thinking, but Eddie Murphy doesn't fall into that. Neither does Jamie Foxx. I don't think a guy like D.C. young, fly. Falls into that category. It's some people in this world who are just so multifaceted and multitalented that you actually limit the gift they could have given to the world when you tell them to stay in their lane.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Gotcha.

[DJ Envy]

He said that. Sidney said to him, you're a breath of fresh air. And don't f. With that.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah.

[Donnell Rawlings]

And then also, that's a matter of opinion, too. I don't think you have to subscribe to that. It's a matter of opinion.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, No, I think. I think it was done and I think he was looking out for him. I don't think people realize how close you are from a bad movie from being forgotten or a bad performance from being forgotten. It happens. You know, I think also you gotta think about, in Sydney's time, he couldn't take a risk on a role. Cause if it didn't happen, it wasn't a space for him to come back from that city.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Did an open mic and bombed. Right. He got booed. Damn.

[Ryan Davis]

So you gotta. But I don't think, like, even Kevin Hart came up here and said the exact opposite. You know, when he was talking to my generation of comics, he was like, don't make your main thing your only thing. You know? So that's. I just think that's the evolution that.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Resonated with that part, resonated with me. That was, like, loud and clear.

[Ryan Davis]

That was clear. I was like, thank you for that. That was.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That was something that so many people. And there's so many different lanes. There's so many other avenues.

[Ryan Davis]

Right.

[Donnell Rawlings]

That you can do. I remember once. Remember they used to do the mixtape Mixtape awards. Yep, I remember. And you know, those crowds used to be Rowdy as Hell and Run Run dmc. He went on. I mean, those mixtape awards, they'd be like, yo, you get out of here. I never seen nobody. When he went on stage, he commanded that audience. They got completely quiet. Then he was talking about hip hop, and he was like, hip hop is not just about being an mc. Hip hop is creating fashion. You have hip hop. Lawyers don't just limit it to just music to mc. It's behind the scenes. I remember one time, it was a quote from Method Man. Method man said, I'm tired of being A chump in the front. I want to be the Mac in the back. And when Kevin said that, it kind of all of those things resonated on what you can do in this business.

[Ryan Davis]

And I hope whenever you know me putting my money behind my own projects, and I will do that for the rest of my career, whether anybody chooses me or not. I'm always work toward my passion. And I'm not going to let anybody slam the door on my. On my dreams. But I want to inspire my peers to do the same. Not just do the same in their own career, but come do it with me. Let's go make some stuff together. You got something you passionate about? Let's put our money together. Let's get it done. Let's just get it done.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Easier in our community. Easier said than done.

[Ryan Davis]

I'm gonna tell you why it's easier said than done in our community. Black people love credit. They love credit. Like you said, Method man said he wanted to be the Mac in the back. Not a lot of us want to be the Mac in the back. Like me. If I did a movie about my life story, people would expect me to play myself. What if there's a better actor than me for this role? I'll move out the way. A lot of us won't move out of the way because we want credit. We rather our face be on the front of it than giving people the best product possible. And that comes from, I believe, just we go through life in our community without getting the credit we deserve. So whenever we get the opportunity to get it, we want all of it. And we can't move like that whenever we're wanting to be creative. So I just hope that this inspires people to go look for it definitely will. Yeah. Go look at the audience. Go look for people. You. Because you. When you think about it, some of the most popular people don't even do stand up. The people you deal to play. If you really want to enjoy standup comedy, there are people. Ali Sidiq is killing it. You know what I mean? You know, you got people like Naeem Lynn. You got me. You know, even all those people been.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Up here, by the way.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. And you just got to. You got to go search it. Because they're not like in music. They used to have artist development. We just don't have that no more. So it's up to the audience to go find us.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But where can they find you? Where can they find your comedy? Special. Underrated. If they want to see it, pay.

[Ryan Davis]

For it, Go to. You can Go to my Instagram. Right. But you go to Patreon, type in Ryan Davis. It'll come up. Just go to Patreon, type in Ryan Davis. It'll come up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And if you want to see him live, he's performing at the gramercy theater.

[Ryan Davis]

On April 12th here in New York.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's right. And we appreciate you for joining us. And thank you, Donnell, for sitting. Dude, Donnell's actually gonna be at the City Winery this weekend, so I appreciate both of you. Brothers, man. Thank you. And thank you for Donnell for staying. Cause Charlamagne and Jess were out today providing substance.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. But can I add one thing? Cause I don't even think Donnell even remembers. But when we did, we did the Laugh Factory he was hosting. I wanted to close Shout out to Lonnie. Lonnie is a tough judge of comedy.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Oh, my God, we had so many beefs back in the day, but we good now.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah. She loves you. And that was the thing. She was like, I need somebody to close. I was like, I can close. She was like, I don't know about that. And then I was like, nah, let me. Let me do it. And then I got there, and Donnell was hosting. I was like, oh, that's probably why she didn't. So. But the show, it was like, me, Donnell, Ms. Pat, J.J. williamson, Sean Jones. It was like they were bringing it. And then I did the first show and the second show, when Donnell brought me up, he said, there's some people in this game that people don't know. They're like, you don't know who they are one day, and then the next day, they're one of the biggest comedians. I think this guy might be one of them. Wow. You probably don't even remember, but that's how he brought me up. I was like, all right. I proved to Donnell that I'm supposed to be telling you.

[Donnell Rawlings]

It was like, for me, because it's. Again.

[DJ Envy]

What year was that?

[Donnell Rawlings]

Maybe two, three years ago. Not too.

[Ryan Davis]

Yeah, that's.

[Donnell Rawlings]

You know, because I'd like. It's whatever people want to say. I know talent when. When I see it. Right. And that room. I mean, the thing that impressed me the most, people could go up there and they could have a good set. But it's the way he did it, the subject matter, and you could tell it was somebody that didn't do the easy route. It's like, this is who I am. And the level of confidence. I was like, that's a bad. And I've seen people, they go into these spots and they feel like they got to perform a certain way. They've seen this guy do that, that works for him. But the shit was so original. That's why when you say underrated, I'm like, well, who's rating you?

[Ryan Davis]

Well, they don't know that's what I'm saying. Me being underrated speaks to if I was rated properly, they would talk like you talk.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, well, definitely go check it out for yourself so you can see the brother, Ryan Davis. And again, thank you for joining us this morning.

[Ryan Davis]

Thank you for having me, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

DONNELL thank you, brother.

[Donnell Rawlings]

Yes, sir.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And you see down there, we ain't making no booty jokes today. Nothing.

[DJ Envy]

We left the hole alone.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

See the NFL, I missed the boo.

[Donnell Rawlings]

No.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Ryan Davis, it's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Ryan Davis]

Thank you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Donnell, wake that ass up early in the morning.

[Donnell Rawlings]

The Breakfast.