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The JTrain Podcast
From Nightclub Vibes to Comedy Spotlights with Cipha Sounds - CHIT CHAT WEDNESDAY - The JTrain Podcast w Jared Freid
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- [00:00]
A
Chit Chat Wednesday for you to listen to. I have a guess who will be your new boo. You're gonna love them too. Chit Chat Wednesday. I hope you're having a good day today. I hope it's gonna be a perfect week too. I hope you have a nice poo. It's a chat Wednesday too. Hello and welcome to the J Train Podcast. This is J Train Jared Freed coming to you live from the West Village of Manhattan. It is a chit chat Wednesday and I am so excited. I, I, I try to book a guest that is a friend, comedian expert. Cipher Sounds is all three. He is a friend, he's a great comedian, and he's one of the greatest DJs of all time. And we talk about this on the episode and he never talks about it. He never brings it up. He doesn't bring up who he knows and who he worked with. And I wanted to ask him about changing careers, doing a pivot, because right now it's the time of year, it's getting dark earlier. You're sitting there in your thoughts. Maybe there's a thing in your head that you never tried or you wanted to do that you've been tossing around. And this is the time of year that that seems to happen. So I wanted to talk to someone who has made a pivot successfully about how hard it is, and we get into it about midway through the episode and talk about, you know, him going from DJing to comedy, and it's just a great episode. I think it's a great conversation to start the year with and I hope you guys enjoy and follow, follow, follow Cypher Sounds. He's amazing. Enjoy the episode. Boom. Welcome to the new J Train Pod. Hello and welcome to the J Train Podcast. This is J Train Jared Freed coming to you live from the West Village of Manhattan. That's right, every Wednesday is a chit chat Wednesday. I have on a friend, a comedian, an expert. I'm very excited to have all three of those on today. The hilarious Cypher Sounds. Thank you for coming on the show.
- [02:27]
B
Thanks for having me on Chichi Wednesdays.
- [02:29]
A
It'S chit chat one. Okay. Chit chat. Like we're having a chit chat.
- [02:33]
B
Oh, a chit chat.
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A
Okay.
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B
Is that racist?
- [02:37]
A
Someone might inform me that you've offended the chit chat community. I don't know. I like, I like the sound of chit chat. I like saying it. Say it.
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B
Yeah, this girl, this girl DM me and she goes, I got some gossip, but I can't say it. I go, don't say it right. This is what dms are for.
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A
Well, I got some gossip, but I can't say it. What? Do I have to beg you? Why. Why are you doing this to me?
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B
Gossip?
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A
You. Are you a gossiper cipher?
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B
Okay, this is what I said to her. I go, normally I refrain and actually advise against it, but every once in a while it just. You got to get in it.
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A
Well, it does scratch an itch. It does feel good. It's. It's the most schadenfreude thing. It feels good to watch others, like, when it's not you. When it's you. I like. I, that's like my worst nightmare. I, I like to be like, to be the, the fodder of like, especially TikTok. It has kind of. There's a version of TikTok that has devolved into salacious storytelling from people who seemingly, like, don't have anything to lose ever. Like, that's kind of the problem. They're not like journalists who have like, integrity. It's like someone in their PJs and their house looks like it smells like garlic. And they're like, here's the tea. And you're like, how did you get in this business? You know? Do you know what I mean?
- [04:06]
B
And they were hit on by an actor or a celebrity or even, even their personal drama. Just like, like my TikTok right now. And I don't know how this shifted, is a lot of bad first dates.
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A
I, that I see those too. And, and men don't have bad first date stories, really.
- [04:27]
B
Like, there's no bad. You, there's no men.
- [04:30]
A
Right? There's no men. And it is the ultimate punch down, punch up thing because the men. And listen, I'm saying this as midly as a man. I've never really had, like, I get, I get. I just did an interview with the New York Post about dating Sunday and they were asking and, and I get it. The interviewer, like, she's like, do you have any awful date stories from the year? I'm like, no. Like, I generally have a good time with who I'm with. I think what happens with a lot of. I think when a. A first date goes badly, it is a woman who's like, I don't know, we'll see what happens. He seemed okay. And then a man who's like, I'm on a date with a girl I really want to have sex with. Like, that is the. Because so many women were like, he checked some boxes and I'll see if I. If there's a good vibe.
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B
Yeah.
- [05:19]
A
No guy goes on a first date without the idea that he is not he. Every. A guy doesn't go on a first date unless he's sexually attracted. It's just plain and simple. Which is, like, kind of a good. You could look at it from a good angle where it's like, hey, to the ladies out there. Like, if the guy's out with you, he is attracted to you. So you. You know, one mystery is solved.
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B
Yeah. Big, big box checked.
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A
Right. And. And then the rest is like. But also, you're dealing with a fucking grizzly bear who's out of his mind and is like. You know, and that's how a bait. That's the start of a bad date is like a guy who's looking for something.
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B
Yeah.
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A
Different than just a date. And that's scary. I do get that. But. But I see it on TikTok, and sometimes you see those stories and you're like. And it's like, here's the other thing. If you get your story to a minute, you can make money from that TikTok. So it's like, if it worked once, and then you. All of a sudden, you get a little bit of a following. You're like, I gotta keep the. You know, the ship afloat. So I don't really trust a lot of the bad dates because they start with like, let me tell you. Huh? And you can see they're wasting time.
- [06:27]
B
Yeah. Yeah. And also, like, one. One thing. Rest in peace to this. This comedian, Patrice O'Neill. We're comics, so we know him, but some people don't know who Patrice O'Neill was. And he used to say, men start at a hundred. Like, if we go on a date, you're at 100. And then you knock yourself down. Throughout the course of me knowing you women with. When you go on a date with a man, a man starts so low, and then he got to build himself up.
- [06:54]
A
Okay. Right. So the women started 100. Like, I. I'm here. Like, that's a. So that was a piece of Patrice O'Neill joke.
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B
Yeah. Not really a joke, like a philosophy.
- [07:06]
A
Right, Right. He had a lot of philosophies. So he's saying that you. The woman walks in, and then she. Like. You're like, I just want to. I want to fuck her.
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B
Yeah. She's at 100.
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A
Right.
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B
This could every. As long as you don't mess up, you're good. We're. I'm here with you. You are good.
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A
Right, right, Right.
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B
You Know, she starts knocking herself down, right?
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A
She'll say, you, you go, oh, no, I'm not into that. Well, it's funny, like I do the thing about the ick. And like there's like always, you know, someone, I said that there's no, I have no relation to the ick. And there was a commenter who was like, look at this guy. Would any woman ever. And I'm like, no, I'd. Any woman that I've been on a date with.
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B
Yeah.
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A
You know, like I, I, that's what I'm saying. Like I wouldn't leave the house. Like I, to me, I'm being more honest, I think, you know, but, but.
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B
Somebody'S some of these guys though, Jared, I mean, if these stories are true, right? Hoodies guys do wild stuff.
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A
No, no, no, I, I listen, I have no doubt the stories are true. That's the thing. That's what, that's the thing where I, I never want to make myself the hero because I can understand, someone goes on a date with me, they're like, this guy Jared, he was a dick. I don't know, I don't think I was. But like the idea that like I don't like when I hear these stories, I go, I've never done that. But wow, I'm sorry that happened. Like, I'm not like shocked that it went the wrong way.
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B
Yeah.
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A
You know, I don't know. I the, and especially we're that time of year right now where people are like, okay, like they're forcing themselves out of the house. They don't want to go on the first date. They want to just.
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B
Why? Cuz it's cold.
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A
It's cold. You don't feel good about your body. Like I, I right, like I'm like, like the idea of going on a date tonight right now, when I'm sitting here in stretch pants and like a sweatshirt that I put on over a T shirt. Cuz like I ain't wearing T shirts right now. Like that is like hell on earth. Like, why can't we need to like, I think that'd be great. Every January date, if you do it, it should, should be sweatsuits only. And then we like move our way towards better clothing.
- [09:13]
B
I would love that anytime.
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A
I know, but I'm saying for January it should just be like a national law.
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B
Yeah.
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A
Like, yeah. Come on now. I wanted to you bring up the new year. I have a couple questions written down for you. I thought of you for a new year, like our new year, first week, real week. The week hit me hard today.
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B
Yeah.
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A
What did you do for New Year's Eve? What did you do? Anything. Shows.
- [09:38]
B
I did a show. I was in Chicago with the comedian D. Ray Davis.
- [09:42]
A
I know D. Ray, he's very funny.
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B
He had a big show with a bunch of comics. He's, like, hosting. He does a show in LA called Mo Better Mondays.
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A
Okay.
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B
Hosts and brings up a bunch of comics. So he basically had that. But in Chicago, his hometown.
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A
That's great. Who was. So you were on the show?
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B
Well, Jess, hilarious. Donnell Rawlings, D.C. young, fly, jazzy Faye performed at the end. It wasn't. It was an urban show.
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A
I was about to say. I was like, wait, I'm looking for the Jewish names. Where's the. You know. No, we. Okay. No, this. I mean, this. These are called urban shows. Like, they. That is like, what they're called, you know, Like, I Mo Better Mondays.
- [10:25]
B
Sam J. Was there too. Yeah. As an urban.
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A
But that's a really great show, you know, no matter what the show is. But this is like. It is funny. Like comedy. We are front row seats for, like, these different scenes. And I don't think other. And it's outward and it's. It's good. And then, you know, I don't think other people in other industries, like, understand that, like, you know, when people get, like I always say, when people get offended at jokes by, like, comedians who are, like, very good. I'm like, that comedian works in the most diverse workplace.
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B
Yeah.
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A
In the world. Like, the idea that they. They've said that in front of everyone. They've said that. And, you know, they're maybe talking about, like, they've tested this in front of friends and you go like, that are, like, from whatever you're offended for, you know, like. And so.
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B
Exactly.
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A
It's always crazy. So the show was good?
- [11:18]
B
Show was good. Yeah, it was really good. It was fun.
- [11:20]
A
Well, also, urban shows, they say the. The overlying thing from comedians is you will kill. You will either crush.
- [11:32]
B
Yeah.
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A
Or you will bomb harder.
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B
The kill is harder.
- [11:37]
A
Yes.
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B
And the inverse. The bomb is harder.
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A
The bomb is harder.
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B
I thought I was gonna bomb.
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A
Okay.
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B
Because I haven't done a show like that in a while. And also was first New Year's Eve.
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A
Oh, God.
- [11:53]
B
You know, it was hard for people to get in parking, all that stuff. You know, I'm not trying to say black people are always late, but it was a slow trickle in. When I got on, it was still only half full, and I did much better than I thought I would do. Which was, I was super happy about.
- [12:09]
A
The New Year's Eve show. You're just trying to get through, like, you just want to like, have a good enough set that you can like clink the glass at midnight and feel good about your night. It's not, you know, I'm, I, I understand that, but I, I love an urban room for that reason. Like when you murder, you just crush. They're like screaming.
- [12:27]
B
This guy Damon Williams is from Chicago. He's like an old school guy. He's actually the one that put, I guess put D Ray on to comedy years and years ago.
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A
Okay.
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B
He crushed.
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A
I love watching it too.
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B
I love, I love comedy so much. I watch it. You know, we do comedy. What was at the comedy seller A lot. I stay and watch all the time. I love it.
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A
I love watching. And like, from, like, and I, I think watching, you know, some people want, I don't know, maybe I, I'm putting, I, I, I like watching in the way where I'm like, let's see what they're going to do, you know, Like, I, I, it's never like a, like a hate thing, you know, Like, I, I, I've never, I've watched someone, I'm like, I want this to be fun and different and original. You know what I mean?
- [13:14]
B
Yeah, I, I toss between, Damn, I wish I could. Oh, that this is what I hate, a joke, A, a great joke from a topic that is right in front of us, right? And we didn't touch it. And I like, that topic was right there though.
- [13:30]
A
Anyone could have done it. Right.
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B
And there it killed it.
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A
I saw that, I had that with someone and then it's funny. Like, someone will like tell you about a joke like that. Those are the jokes that sometimes, like, comed be like, he's got this new thing about this and, and, and I, someone said that to me about Mulaney and he's got this joke about the Exorcist. And have you seen him do that joke? Yeah, I saw it and then someone told me about, they're like, I love this joke he's doing about the Exorcist. And I think that's because we're like, man, I love that he found that in that, like that path that's already.
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B
Been walked from the 70s, right.
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A
The movie's been around. Like, comedians have been around. And he went up and did it and I watch it and I was like, I had that feeling. I was like, oh man, this was there the whole time?
- [14:15]
B
No, the, the one that kills me and Then we'll talk about New Year's. Nate Bargetsy, I think like two specials ago, has a joke about the movie the Sixth Sense.
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A
Okay?
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B
And he goes, it's a 20 year old movie. I'm gonna spoil the ending. Like, we get it most, the most, the movie most talked about the twisted ending of all movies of all time.
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A
It's the, it's the original M. Night Shyamalan. Like it when he first did the Turn. Yeah, yeah.
- [14:43]
B
And he goes, forget all that. Forget all that. He goes, marriage is so rough. The whole movie. Bruce Willis and his wife aren't talking and it felt normal. He goes, we find out that at the end he was dead the whole time. And I didn't even realize it. Like, I just thought, man, he's going through a rough marriage right now.
- [15:06]
A
That's how hard marriage is. The whole time right there, the whole time just waiting. It's like, it's, it's like gold rush. It's like that little nugget was just, people walked over it all day long. And then you decided to dig right there and you're like, oh, here's a gold brick, you know, like, no, man, I, I, it is, I, I, and it makes me happy. Like, I, I, I, I really, I'm hearing this and I didn't know that that was a joke. He did, but like, it makes me happy. And then, you know, to go to the tick tock of it all, like, you know what makes me so frustrated with TikTok is like, you'll have people redoing other people's stuff and it like takes away and it makes like, I'm sure someone on TikTok is like doing that as like a face to camera thing now, claiming it's their own, getting 100,000 views. And you're like, don't take it away. What are you doing?
- [16:00]
B
At least, at least just tag the person, man.
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A
Right? I, I had a guy.
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B
This is funny. This is a housewife doing someone's joke. What joke is this? And I go looking for it and it's not on there.
- [16:13]
A
Yeah, it's, it's a frustrating time for that stuff. I, I, I brought. So New Year's, you do the show in Chicago?
- [16:20]
B
Yeah.
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A
And Fun.
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B
Yeah, fun.
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A
It was fun.
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B
Before New Year's I was in my hotel room when the ball dropped.
- [16:28]
A
I was at a bar by myself in Miami and having a martini, watching the world go by. I really, I had an enjoy. It was nice. But I did have, I was by myself and I did have that like it was 10 minutes. Two things happened. It was. The first thing that happened was they brought over a bunch of those plastic hats.
- [16:52]
B
Yeah.
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A
And let's say 20, 25 on it. And I'm sitting by myself, and this guy who's with his wife and another couple, he comes over to grab the hat, and then he picks one up. He goes, do you want one? And I was like, no, man, I'm good. And he goes, you don't want the hat? And I was like, no, I'm okay. And I'm like, you can't believe that I don't want the sparkly bowler hat to wear by myself. Like. Like, leave me alone. Like, it's like, the last thing I want is, like, a. What do you. Like, at 11:50 on New Year's Eve, I don't want the one drunk dude being like, why are you here alone? What's going on? Like, what are you. My mom? Just reminding me that this is sad, you know? Like, So I go, so at, like, 11. So at, like, 1152, I'm like, man, I'm afraid that someone's gonna come over here and, like, that. Like, I'm afraid that guy is gonna come back. Like, if we make eye contact for too long, he's gonna come back and be like, what's going on? So I close my tab, literally, to prepare to go to the room, to do it in the room, because I didn't want to have to, like, 1158, this guy questioning. I. I had. And again, that's me getting ahead and being, you know, insecure. And then he didn't come over, and I was like, okay, I'm good. I'm good. And then the ball dropped, and, like, I kind of watched everyone, you know, hooray. And then the DJ started again, and I was like, I'm actually happy and comfortable. Like, I felt. It was like a. It was 30 seconds of like, oh. And then I. And then once it passed, I was like, at the bar, I opened a tab again. Like, I'm like, I'll get a drink. But I wanted to ask you, you know, this is new Year.
- [18:36]
B
Yeah.
- [18:38]
A
You went from being one of the.
- [18:41]
B
You're.
- [18:42]
A
You. You have a. You have a legendary DJ career.
- [18:47]
B
Yeah.
- [18:47]
A
You. And you don't talk about it often. You don't walk around being like, I'm a Hall of Fame dj. Like, and I'm not trying to blow smoke, because I'm not even exaggerating. I. But you never talk about it. Never, never talk about it. And you're a hilarious Comic. But I. And I wanna. And when you go up and do DJ slash comedy, I love watching that. Like, it is, like, so much fun. And when I watch you at the seller, I always have fun watching you. But I'm. You never bring up hall of Fame legitimately. Hall of fame dj. Like, like original.
- [19:27]
B
Yeah.
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A
And then you decide to do comedy. And I'm sure there's people out there, it's the first week of the new year, the first full week, and they're like, I got to make a change. What would you say to someone that's looking to make a career change like you did?
- [19:43]
B
Oh, Oh, I love this. I love this.
- [19:47]
A
You love this question or you love.
- [19:49]
B
All the change Concept. This concept is part of my everyday life.
- [19:53]
A
Right. That's. Well, that's why I was thinking when I saw you, and I was like, I got. I got to do the first chit chat Wednesday of the year.
- [19:58]
B
Oh, I appreciate that.
- [20:00]
A
I was thinking of you and I was like, man, because there's someone out there. Just like we said, it's freezing cold out. You know, the days are short and they're dark and you're like. And people start thinking of their life.
- [20:12]
B
So 100%.
- [20:13]
A
What would you say to someone?
- [20:15]
B
First of all, let me tell you this real quick, Jared. I. I've struggled with. I guess I want to say depression, but I don't know if it's clinical depression. I'm just saying I struggle with these feelings, right? And I have imposter syndrome. And I get. I get in my head a lot. I don't know what happened. I know the date. November 17, 2024. I got hit with some kind of divine intervention, universe alignment. Something happened on November 17th. I haven't been depressed since, really. And it has given me such more clarity on stuff like this. What you're asking me now, mind you, I work hard, like you said. I was this DJ and I moved, switched to comedy. I've been at the comedy seller about 10 years now, which is like an anniversary to me, a personal one, a great one, but without this constant nagging depression, you're not good enough. All this it's been the last two months, one and a half months has been wonderful.
- [21:21]
A
Well, I'm happy to hear that.
- [21:22]
B
Thank you. So what I tell people is like, man, we get caught up in societal norms, parents, traditions, religion, American culture. We get caught up in all those things. And you, you know, whenever. When you're being told this as a child to a teenager, you don't know you have freedoms you don't know. You can change your life and move around. It's like, we come from these families. And you, judging from your comedy, your family's probably a lot more than mine. Where they.
- [21:59]
A
That's. That's how. That's the name of my next album. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [22:04]
B
And you're told, you gotta do this, you gotta do that. I had a fight with my son. My son is 6 years old, and he was like, he has to do this assignment. And I go, no, no, no, no, no, we don't have to do that. And he got upset. He goes, no. My teacher told me I had to do this. And I'm like, you're not a slave to the public school system. And I was like, take it down, take it down.
- [22:26]
A
Your kid walks in, he's like the Malcolm X of the, you know, the, the first grade, right? He's got his fist in the air at recess.
- [22:35]
B
Yes, I had to, like, take it down, but I was just like, you know, yes, you got to make sure you take care of your business and your family, make sure you have a home, all that good stuff. But if you have a dream or passion and you want to try that thing more than just a job to. So you get married and have kids, you gotta do it. You gotta find a way to do it, because it. You will burn yourself out, get depressed, get stressed. And the analogy I always make is at a certain age, when I was on the radio, I was a manager, a R. Radio personality, big time dj. Yeah, I start shifting into comedy now. It wasn't just one day. I just shifted. I. I was starting to do stand up while I was DJing. And everybody told me, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, you can't be a comedian. Nada. What are you doing? What are you doing? You're a radio guy, you're a dj. You're in a hip hop music business. You can't be a comedian. You can't be a comedian. I heard that a lot, right? And then I was, I, I don't know, I want to do this. I quit my job on the radio. I start doing comedy full time. And then you know what hit me, Jared? When I was 17, 18, 19 years old, everybody told me, I can't be a DJ. I can't. No, no, no, no. You got to get a real job. You can't be a dj. There's no money in that. There's no success in that. You can't be a dj. Get a real job, get a real Job. And I ignored them and became a well known DJ radio personality, Hip Hop hall of Famer. So then, now you're telling me I can't do this other thing? When you told me I couldn't do this thing, and I was like, oh.
- [24:28]
A
It'S all bullshit, right?
- [24:31]
B
It's all bullshit. It's their insecurities, their inability to conquer their goals and their dreams trying to hold you down.
- [24:40]
A
Right.
- [24:41]
B
So I made it as a DJ when you said I shouldn't, and now I'm trying to make it as a comedian, and you're saying I should. What? I already proved I can do things right. Leave me alone.
- [24:52]
A
So much of it is like, so much of it is actually what people don't really think about. Like, and I'm saying this from just my own perspective is like, it's all about perspective and reorganization. A lot of times, like, I was this young woman, she was the bartender at a hotel I was staying at, and she asked me what I was doing, and I was, I'm a comedian. And she's like, I'm an artist. And I was like. And she was asking me for, like, advice, and I was like, I go, I don't know. I go, the. I think the best thing I ever did was boil it down to what I wanted, and it was like, I just want to be funny for a living.
- [25:29]
B
Yeah.
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A
And. And like, that becomes hard because it's like, you know, I want to be a. If I. When I broke it down to that, then it kind of, like, made it less like I was trying to get through a pinhole. Because, yeah, that made it so. And that opened me up to do podcasting. That opened me up to do, like, to, like, host at the Comedy Cellar before doing, you know, spots and stuff. Because I was like, I'll do hoes. Let's see what that's like.
- [25:55]
B
Yeah.
- [25:56]
A
You know, like, and, you know, oh, I'll do a video, I'll do a talk to the camera. Like, I'll yell at the Bachelor. You know, it made those things not, like, stupid. Do you know what I mean? Like, I think we come across so many people that they're like, it's got to be this one thing. And it's like, no, I'm making a living doing the thing. The overarching thing. Yeah. And having fun doing it. But it's.
- [26:19]
B
Yeah, you're way more popular than me. And, yeah, you do way more big shows, headlining shows, you have specials out, all that stuff. Like, people look at me like, I'm like a Loser.
- [26:34]
A
Like, that can't be true.
- [26:36]
B
People that don't realize what we do, they're like, safe, what are you doing? Which I don't have a ton of crazy followers. I never got a video that got a million views, right? So to them, they're like, what are you doing with yourself? And I go, I make a great living.
- [26:52]
A
Right? Well, there's. I, I do think when you do comedy, like, you, the general you, nobody thinks there's such a thing. And I would put myself in this group as a middle class comedian. Like, like, like they think it's. It's Seinfeld or it's Right, right, right. There's like five names. Or you're nothing. You, you, you're. I have that happen to me all the time where, you know, and I can see in their voice of like, oh, like, what do you. Oh, I'm sorry. Like, they think I'm like, begging them just because we get such weird reactions to, oh, what do you do? I'm a comedian. Oh, that must be hard. I've never said that to someone about their job. That must be hard. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah, man. I'm living on this corner. Please help me. Like, what?
- [27:40]
B
No, I said that to one person recently. My, My urologist.
- [27:45]
A
Okay, that must be odd because he.
- [27:49]
B
Had to check, you know, he had to check certain areas. And I go, right, that's a weird job.
- [27:55]
A
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- [30:04]
B
Yeah.
- [30:06]
A
You said it was little by little.
- [30:07]
B
Yeah.
- [30:09]
A
Do. Who do you tell first?
- [30:11]
B
I, I'll say the, the, the change. Change. Like the official I want to do this for real is February 2015.
- [30:23]
A
What, what are you thinking about right now when you think of that date? Like what, what, what was it?
- [30:28]
B
Oh my God. I was. Okay, can I tell you the story real quick?
- [30:31]
A
Yeah.
- [30:31]
B
This is, it was the, it was the weirdest week of my life. So I worked at Hot 97 from 1997 until 2015 and I, the very beginning of 2015 and I would go to that station maybe six days a week. If I was in town, I'd be there almost every day of my life. I've seen other personalities raise their kids there. Like they bring their kids in. I watch them become kids grown ups. And I had a, there was new management. I had a, a little falling out. I was going to shift to a different time. All this radio is always so fickle. And they were like, you can take this little bit of money and stay on on the weekends. And I had like, I almost had Stockholm syndrome. I was like, okay, I'll stay on the weekends that I'll still be here. And the universe, you're trying to stay in the game.
- [31:25]
A
Is that, is that kind of what's going on?
- [31:26]
B
Yeah. Like it was very weird leaving a Place I've been to for so long, right? But the universe was like, no, no, no, no. We get out. We're giving you the opportunity. And I was fighting it a little. So Monday, I have a big fight with the new boss. I said, you know what? Fuck it, I'm leaving. I'm done. I'm out. Tuesday is lawyers and paperwork. Sign this. You're not. You're officially not an employee. Da da da da. Wednesday was the weirdest day of my life. I wake up, I have no purpose, I have no income, no goal. Like, I don't know where what I'm doing. And Wednesday I was just depressed in my apartment. Like, what did I do? What am I doing? How am I going to get money? Da, da, da, da, whatever. I watch tv, I watch old movies. Thursday, I'm like, all right, let me put on my big boy pants and try to figure this out. Let me get them go on my phone. All these people that I've done favors for, all these people that I know. Let me figure out what to do. Thursday, I get a call from Chris Rock's assistant. Chris Rock's assistant goes, hey, I've been meaning to call you. I keep forgetting. I'm so sorry. Chris Rock got you an audition at the Comedy Cellar. Mind you, I've been doing stand up before. The Comedy Cellar. Yeah, it was like all random, all, like little shows all over the place. I would always ask big comedians if I could open up for them like that. He goes, oh, Chris Rock got you an audition at the comedy sale. Now, I asked Chris Rock maybe four months earlier, from that moment when I was thought I was secure at the radio station. He said, oh, I'll get you an audition. I'll get it. And I never heard from him. So I said, ah, he did. He forgot. So I get the audition, the call that Thursday, the auditions that next day, Friday.
- [33:16]
A
Yeah.
- [33:17]
B
If people don't know this, the Comedy Cell isn't very popular comedy video.
- [33:20]
A
This is where you want to be.
- [33:22]
B
Yeah, but you have to audition and get in there. I do the audition. Friday, I get it. And like, if you want to talk about a moment, and now, now this before I even knew how important the comedy seller was. Now that we work there, we get it, right? I didn't know I was still kind of like, new to the game. A euphoric feeling of like, I made the right choice. No, no, no, Big money's gonna come in all of a sudden. But I made the right choice. I left an iconic radio station, a dynasty, almost hot 97. Is it hot 90s? It was.
- [34:07]
A
Yeah.
- [34:08]
B
No more, man.
- [34:10]
A
When you were there that. I mean, I've talked. I wasn't from here.
- [34:14]
B
Yeah.
- [34:15]
A
New Yorkers, if you bring up Hot 97, they go back to, like, that.
- [34:20]
B
Is there late 90s?
- [34:21]
A
That was the station 2000.
- [34:23]
B
It was. It was more than it was. It was social media. Before social media, all the news you got, all the celebrities, they were all at the station. Hot 97.
- [34:34]
A
Right. It was like the radio version of TRL.
- [34:38]
B
Like, in hip hop.
- [34:39]
A
TR. Right. In hip hop. Like, in TRL, it's like that kind of, like, told you what was going on. Yeah, I would. I would say that this is the radio version of that. Yeah.
- [34:48]
B
So anyway, so that moment was. I was like, okay, I'm on the right path. I made the right choice, and I just rocked ever since.
- [34:58]
A
So when I auditioned at the Cellar, it was part of a. A documentary they did on the cellar.
- [35:05]
B
Really?
- [35:06]
A
Remember TruTV did these, like, documentaries?
- [35:09]
B
Yeah.
- [35:09]
A
And it was, like, about comedy, and one of the episodes was about the Cellar. So I got suggested for an audition by Lenny Marcus, hilarious comedian friend of ours. And then I got an email back, hey, we'd love for you to audition, but there's this documentary being taped, and they. The producers want to talk to you.
- [35:29]
B
Oh.
- [35:30]
A
About, like, about being a part of it.
- [35:32]
B
They need.
- [35:33]
A
Right. Because they were like, how do we talk about the seller? And I can't say no. Like, I'm like, I have to say yes. I want to be a part of this seller family. Like, I don't want to. So the producers reach out, and I'm like. And I go for a meeting with them at TruTV, and, like, I remember talking to them, and I'm like, listen, there. You. You could see from their perspective, like, you're gonna be on tv. I'm like, I don't care about this show. I was like. I was like, I was. And I was really honest with them. I go, the only thing I want in the world is to be in the. At the Cellar. You're kind of in the way of that. You're making this a little bit harder.
- [36:06]
B
You told him that?
- [36:07]
A
Yeah. I'm like, this is. Yeah, a huge opportunity for me. And I'm like, I'll do what you guys need to do because I have to say yes to you because I want to play ball with this place and be, you know, able to, like. But I'm like, listen, I'm nervous about my audition. You. You are like, this is nothing in the grand scheme of things. And I don't think they understood.
- [36:29]
B
Storyline might be like, hey, it's very hard to get here and this guy didn't make it. You know, I mean, right.
- [36:35]
A
That this is actually, you're taking something I would love to fail in private. And now you're making it very public.
- [36:42]
B
Yeah.
- [36:43]
A
And I was like. And I said to them, I go. And I even said it on the documentary. I was like, listen, there's. And this is to your point, this is the only reason I bring this up. There's no money to be had from the commie seller. It's not a money thing. Like, and I think some people. And this goes back to like, if you're trying to change your life in any way, there are some people that only see it in dollars and cents.
- [37:06]
B
Yeah.
- [37:06]
A
They can't. I've dated people. Why are you going to the open mic? It doesn't pay you. You're paying to do it. Well, I see value in it. I do think, I do believe this will pay me at some point, but I'm not doing that now. Like, this is, this is the work. This is the. You know, when you write a bit, nothing makes you write a bit other than wanting to write a new bit. It's not, you're not like. And in the future it might be your bit that makes you money on TikTok and Instagram. But like, that's not where the thought comes from. That's why a lot of this, like, social media stuff is eye rolled by a lot of comedians who weren't marketing majors. There's a lot of marketing majors making money as comedians, quote, unquote.
- [37:48]
B
Right.
- [37:48]
A
So I. So this whole thing of like. So I said this on the spot, on the documentary, I said, there's very few promotions in comedy. There's very few times where someone hits you on the shoulder and goes, great job, kid. You get to go to the next level.
- [38:08]
B
Right.
- [38:08]
A
I was like getting in the cellar.
- [38:10]
B
Yeah.
- [38:10]
A
I consider a promotion. It is like. And it's validating. It makes you more confident. It makes you believe in yourself a little more. It's that little nudge. And like, you sometimes, if you're doing something different and weird or not traditional, you're always looking. You have to invent those promotions for yourself so that you can have a win every now and again.
- [38:32]
B
Yeah.
- [38:33]
A
So I totally understand what you're talking about because I remember when, and at the end I, I went up and auditioned. I was too fast, I was screaming. And I remember, I mean, they all make fun of me still. Like, Liz, the gm, you know, Alicia, they were all there. I remember Mayron was like, the only one nice to me. Mayron Kagani was a hilarious comedian too. And I. And I sat across Messi and she's like, we'll give this a shot. Like, she kind of, like, lightly passed me. It wasn't like.
- [39:04]
B
Right.
- [39:04]
A
I. I don't. I think if the show wasn't there, I wouldn't have gotten in. It'd be. To be honest, I think the show might have helped me.
- [39:10]
B
There was the camera rolling on her telling you this.
- [39:13]
A
Everything, everything.
- [39:15]
B
And then they showed it situation.
- [39:18]
A
And then they. It came. Then they had like a premiere party to, like, show it at the Cellar. And I didn't know anyone there yet, really. Like, I wasn't, like, as comfortable. And I remember they played it at the Cellar and, like, they show. I'm like, so nervous about, like, are they going to show me bombing. Are they going to show, like, my set? And I remember I got like a. A message on Facebook from someone that, like, I kind of knew. And they're like, I just saw that, like, rough edit and I'm like, oh, like, fuck me. I felt so bad. And I don't know if it's out there still might be. There might be clips out there or whatever. And, you know, I. I did get in, so I'm like, I. You know, that was nice, but it was. I mean, Liz, who's a friend of ours, a good friend, and the. She's like. She's the manager of all managers.
- [40:05]
B
She's the head mother.
- [40:07]
A
Yeah. She does it all at the Cellar and she still makes fun of me for this, for this audition. Like, it's just. I'm never gonna live that down, but it is. I wanted to ask also. Okay, well, what's the craziest party you've ever DJ'ed?
- [40:23]
B
Oh, diddy party.
- [40:25]
A
Come on.
- [40:25]
B
It was freak off 20.
- [40:27]
A
Stop it. Shut up. Shut up. Don't know. Don't. Don't make this. Don't. Don't ruin this episode.
- [40:33]
B
Can I, Can I. Can I say something about Diddy real quick? Since everybody always asks me, listen, is that.
- [40:38]
A
Is that the question you get most now is the Diddy?
- [40:40]
B
A lot. A lot. Yeah, A lot. Let me tell you something. I don't know about all that wild crazy. I don't know about it. When I knew him and I. I mean, I've always known him, but, like, the parties he did in the 90s and 2000s were phenomenal. Not every party was a freak off. Okay. There was regular night club, special event parties and they were, he was good at making parties the craziest.
- [41:07]
A
See, I didn't even know that you knew him. Like, I, I, yeah. So.
- [41:14]
B
Edit this. He's one of my idols.
- [41:19]
A
I'll edit it if you want.
- [41:20]
B
But I, I mean, I'm saying like he, he really was.
- [41:23]
A
Well, that's the hard thing about like, you know, of all the, of, of what things come out, you go, I knew him in this way, I didn't know him in this other way.
- [41:32]
B
Yeah. 100, 100. You know, there's always little rumors about little things. But like, listen, as far as I'm concerned, what he did for hip hop music in New York City and, and how he turned New York hip hop scene into its own, it was, he was incredible to watch.
- [41:50]
A
It's, but it's difficult to separate, you know?
- [41:53]
B
Yeah. But when I was a kid I lived it like in the Bronx. I lived like in a borderline Italian neighborhood I worked in as a little kid, as a, I don't know, 12 year old kid, there was a deli and they used to have illegal slot machines in the back of this deli. And I was the guy who would clean out the money. I also kept, kind of kept the lookout.
- [42:17]
A
Right.
- [42:18]
B
And I worked for the mafia. Right. But as a 12 year old kid, this guy Frankie used to give me money and taught me a lot of lessons about life and like if you write it down on paper. Yeah. A criminal.
- [42:37]
A
Well, I think what the accusations are, are very different than.
- [42:41]
B
Yes. I'm just saying.
- [42:42]
A
Cleaning out the lottery machine, you know, I, I do understand what you're saying. Like, it's like so much of this is in the gray, but I, I, based on what he's being accused of, like, yes, it is like, you know, it's hard to, it's hard to say. Like if you look at like the idea of the white party is all via him. Like you don't think the white part, that the idea that white people started doing their own white parties. The bridge.
- [43:14]
B
No, white people were doing white parties first.
- [43:17]
A
Really?
- [43:17]
B
Yeah.
- [43:18]
A
I always thought, I mean I'm talking from my 39 year old TRL watching childhood. The bridge from who has a white party to like it happening for, you know, at white, you know, places was diddy.
- [43:32]
B
The white party is from the fashion world.
- [43:36]
A
Okay.
- [43:37]
B
Because it's, you know how you can't wear white after Labor Day?
- [43:39]
A
Yes.
- [43:40]
B
So they would wear white on the weekends of the labor Day party.
- [43:44]
A
Oh, see, I. I never saw it.
- [43:47]
B
That way, but it wasn't so eccentric like Diddy made. So then did he, you know, making money popularized it. Going to the Hamptons was like, oh, I could do something like this, but make it crazy, right?
- [44:01]
A
His influence cannot be under told, you know, like, yeah, like, it's. So what's the craziest DJ that you, like, party that you've ever DJed? Now that we've. Now that we've gone through the most difficult topic of all time? Yeah.
- [44:20]
B
I've done a lot of crazy parties. I've done parties in Japan, London. I did a party in London where it was. Eminem and Dr. Dre had a tour, the up and Smoke tour, and they were performing that night in London. We had nothing to do with them, but they came to our party after their tour and they were upstairs. The DJ booth was like on the ground level. And then it was upstairs. They were up there. Everyone was telling me, you're. Dre and Eminem are up there. I was like, oh, shit. And I DJed for like 20, 30 minutes. And it was, I mean, almost a riot in there. Like how much fun it was. And then outside, couldn't get in and bust down the door to come inside. How fun it sounded.
- [45:11]
A
So when you're DJing, is that like them being there just makes the energy different? Is that what it is? Is it a combination of you killing it as a DJ and them being there that's adding to the excitement? What is a.
- [45:27]
B
What is me or the crowd?
- [45:30]
A
What do you think that is? Is the crowd excited because you're killing it with. In combination, I'm the cool at the coolest place on earth right now. Is that what it is?
- [45:39]
B
I. I try to kill regardless. I, of course, stress myself out any. Any vacation I've ever been on. I'm sitting by the pool, I got my laptop out, prepping crates of playlists of things I think will work for a party. It's torture. It's torture. I pride myself on being. I don't drink, I don't smoke. When I go to parties, I'm there to work, right? It's funny because a lot of my boys used to come with me and I would go into a trance, a two hour trance of watching the crowd, like movements and colors and making sure that. Why is this group not moving as much as this group? Let me play some reggae, let me play some R and B. Let me thug it out a little more, right? And then my friends would be like, just bagging chicks. And I would wake up from my trance, and the DJ booth is filled with girls. I'm like, hey, when did you guys get all these girls?
- [46:41]
A
What happened?
- [46:41]
B
They're like, no, you were killing it. And they wanted to talk to you, and you. You shoved her away.
- [46:47]
A
I was like, do you. Do you feel like. I know what it's like to feel like I'm killing in stand up? Is it similar to killing as a dj? Is it better? Is it different?
- [47:00]
B
It's similar, but it's way more. It's.
- [47:03]
A
Do you feel like the puppeteer? Like, do you feel like you have that much control over whether people will dance and how they'll dance?
- [47:10]
B
Yes. 100. And I'll tell you this. I love killer with stand up, but there's nothing like the people's movements dancing, you know, I mean, right. Even when there's. Even when you watch the sidelines of the. I don't really dance. So if I'm at a club, I'm on the sidelines, and if you see the guy in the side popping his head, going crazy.
- [47:30]
A
Like, I've told this story so many times, but when I taped the special, the. That ended up on Netflix, I was backstage and I asked Cypher, who I asked you to open and DJ and do the whole thing. And then you were going on a family vacation, you couldn't do it, but you're like, I'll send you a mix. And I'm like. And I go, cypher, you know my crowd, you know who comes to my show. Just make it for them.
- [47:53]
B
Yeah.
- [47:54]
A
And I. You made this mix, and you literally said to me, you go, dude, I killed this too hard. It's too good. And I was like, sure. And you know. You know, I'm not like, a music. I don't know music well enough. Like, again, like, I. I'm a trl. That's it. Like, I have no. That's, like, my music background.
- [48:13]
B
Yeah.
- [48:14]
A
And I'll never forget it, where the show's about to start. They're like. And they're like, yeah, the crowd is hot. And I open up the curtain, I'm looking out, and everyone is dancing, like, in their seats to this mix. And then the security guards are dancing. And, like, I'm like, oh, my God. Cypher was fucking right. Like, yeah.
- [48:37]
B
But the thing is. Where was that? Where'd you shoot that one?
- [48:40]
A
Gramercy theater.
- [48:41]
B
Yeah, I. You don't even know this. I called a few different people. Your manager. Okay, Opener, whatever, whoever. And I was like, yo, you Gotta make sure this is played loud.
- [48:55]
A
Yes.
- [48:55]
B
I told Liz from the cellar. Yeah, yeah, yeah, please make sure. Like, not overwhelmingly loud, but it can't just be walking music volume. No, you have to. It's created to. To replicate. If I was there live, it has to have some umph to it.
- [49:12]
A
It was so good. And I brought on the Road. And I remember every club I went to on the road, I. And I say it to them, play it as they walk in. Like, you know, we go to these clubs and it's like the saddest person on earth is in the. In the sound booth. He like. He's like, yeah, it's always the same type of dude who's like a Black Sabbath fan, and he's like, playing his music. And I'm like, play this loud. And every club would be like. And it was always the female wait staff. They'd be like, that. We. What is that? That was so great. They'd be, like, so excited that some happiness entered the funny bomb.
- [49:43]
B
Yeah. Yeah, it's true.
- [49:45]
A
Wow. Cypha, you're the best. I want everyone to go follow Cypher Sounds at Cypha Sounds, everything. So go now. I'm Jared Freed. We're here every Wednesday with a chat. Wednesday, back next week, boom.